Diversity, equity, and inclusion – these are three things that all businesses should be trying to implement. However, change management is never easy, and there are many hurdles along the way when it comes to DEI. In this guide, we are going to take a look at some of the barriers you may face when it comes to DEI change management, as well as providing tips on how to overcome them. Hopefully, this should help you move forward with making these important changes.

The challenge of buy-in

For most businesses today, DEI is a priority. However, there are a number of businesses that have stated that diversity, equity, and inclusion is not a chief concern for them at present. When asked why, the vast majority of these companies have said that there is no buy-in from the executive level or no interest from anyone in general. Therefore, the first hurdle that you need to overcome when it comes to DEI is that of buy-in.

Measuring the progress of DEI strategies

Aside from the challenge of buy-in, some companies feel that it is not possible to measure the progress of DEI strategies. Therefore, they are not able to effectively deduce whether their efforts are working or not. When you do not have any effective measurements in place, businesses can feel like they are wasting their time because they are pumping their resources into something without knowing whether it is bringing any results.

Available talent is a huge hurdle, as this limits diversity

In order to diversify your workforce, you need to source, recruit, and hire more diverse talent. However, this in itself is a considerable hurdle for a lot of businesses to overcome. A lot of businesses feel that the available talent pool in their location and/or in their industry are key challenges when attaining their DEI objectives. This is something that impacts all industries, but it is especially evident in the manufacturing sector. One of the reasons for this could be because the manufacturing industry appeals to a certain demographic of the population that is not as diverse as the status quo. We can draw upon many reasons why the sector may be male-dominated, for example, the conventionally-assumed physical labour requirements.

Not knowing how to go about bringing in DEI strategies

Aside from the points that have been mentioned above, another reason why DEI is not considered a priority in some companies is that businesses do not know how to approach this. If this applies to you, you can use the services of an expert in change management who can help you to put together strategies that are effective and make sense for your business when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hopefully this advice on overcoming the common hurdles within DEI change management has been useful. If you are struggling to overcome the hurdles that we have mentioned above, one of the best things that you can do is engage with a change management expert who will be able to provide you with bespoke advice relating to your business.