I.C.E. Survey Data Shows Member Support for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

I.C.E. is committed to upholding the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the credentialing industry. To discover where credentialing bodies are on their DEI journeys, the I.C.E. DEI Committee conducted a survey of member organizations in 2023 exploring the questions:

• Are credentialing bodies adopting DEI practices?
• In which areas and to what degrees?
• What benefits have been realized?

This past fall, I.C.E. released a report on the survey’s findings free for members — titled The Current State of DEI in Credentialing Bodies. An updated version includes a new case study and a new interview released in March.

DEI Committee member and global vice president of The Institute for Diversity Certification, Inc, Delmar Lee, PhD, CDE, answers questions about this report in this Q&A. Dr. Lee’s responses indicate that organizations need to explicitly prove with empirical data how DEI upholds professionalism and improves employee culture.

I.C.E.: What motivated you and the DEI Committee to undertake this comprehensive DEI research study?

Delmar Lee, PhD, CDE (DL): We see DEI as being integral in the success of businesses, industries and organizations. The question became, why weren’t more companies taking advantage of the business, mission and sustainability case for DEI in their workplace? In every field of endeavor where safety, professionalism and quality are valued, there needs to be standards to ensure these attributes are saliently present. Where there is no requirement for academic and professional oversight, there stands the probability that services rendered will be marginally useful at best or noticeably disappointing at worst. This is especially troubling in DEI work and has led to many leaders, managers and other influencers being reticent about implementing DEI strategic advantages. Where outcomes concerning safety, liability and professional reputation are a concern, certification and/or licensure governed by a credentialing organization is an expectation and requirement.

I.C.E.: Can you share a finding from the DEI study that stands out most to you?

DL: One of the most encouraging findings from the research was that more than 90% of the surveyed organizations experienced benefits from DEI actions. This included intellectual contributions (which were experienced as realizing new ideas, perspective and innovation), greater cohesion (which led to a greater feeling of belonging in the workplace) and increased collaboration across stakeholder groups (which expanded the general belief in company, higher esprit de corps and greater retention for organizations). Each of the attributes mentioned are qualities that many companies are finding, and others have found, are qualities that increase retention, raise productivity and attract top talent. Additionally, the innovative possibilities that are apparent in the use of diverse perspectives is the engine that drives business and industry. Lived experiences cannot and should not be discounted when considering diversity for the advantage of business, industry and education.

I.C.E.: The report mentions that even highly focused organizations have adopted fewer than half of the identified DEI practices. What are the main challenges they face in fully integrating DEI?

DL: The main challenges of integrating DEI into business practices surround lack of trust, lack of empirical evidence and mismatched messaging. There is a genuine lack of trust in the mind of many key stakeholders in organizations due to how they were introduced and trained in DEI. Instances that directly impacted the bottom line are excluding white people from conversations, blaming those who were in attendance, providing only a single session and failure to include key stakeholders in measurable processes. In other instances, some companies were optimistic about DEI initiatives, but the DEI practitioner was not able to speak specifically to the impact of DEI as a benefit. This can happen quite easily if this person was not properly trained to translate qualitative practices into quantitative results. DEI is about appreciating the success of an organization through the appreciation of its people, and this benefit has to be clearly articulated. Lastly, there can be mismatched messaging in intent and ignorance. DEI is designed to include every person in the workplace. However, there are many people doing this work who preach and believe that DEI is only for people who have been historically marginalized, that DEI requires companies to lower the requirements for employment and that DEI is affirmative action to right the wrongs of historical unfair hiring. None of these are true! Unfortunately, there are still many people who are promoting this narrative and, equally unfortunate, there are few who can intelligently counter the narrative with the truth. Credentials must be a fundamental part of all who practice in this important business function. DEI is for everyone.

I.C.E.: How does the DEI Committee plan to support credentialing organizations in increasing their DEI activities, especially in areas with lower engagement like measurement and reporting?

DL: The DEI Committee is committed to emphasizing the value propositions imbued in practicing DEI professionally. The value propositions (e.g., higher productivity, increased retention, and greater innovation...etc.) are all measurable attributes and can best be presented through the informed perspective of a person who is credentialed and understands the dynamics of the workplace and workforce as they intersect DEI. It begins with understanding that there is credentialing for DEI practitioners. Part of the reason for there being a lack of quantifiable success in DEI efforts is that those who have historically been responsible for training and educating in the DEI space did not know how to translate qualitative efforts into quantitative measures. There must be greater efforts to report specifically the “what” and “how” of DEI efforts that made a difference in the workplace. In other words, there must be a report on the diversity return on investment (DROI).

Companies are spending good money on DEI efforts and, in some cases, there appears to be nothing to show for the investment. For example, when a DEI initiative is introduced into a workplace to increase morale, reduce microaggressions or increase psychological safety, the practitioner must be able to report specifically how the initiative directly resulted in higher retention, a reduction in legal liability or feeling of belonging. Each of these instances will result in a negligible positive impact on the bottom line for the business. A stronger effort must be placed on increasing the visible presence of leadership and the direct reports to leadership. By understanding the importance of DEI, there would be greater buy-in, accountability and much-needed resources to bolster the probability of DEI efforts being supported and successful. An example could be having DEI efforts as part of the performance requirement for promotion. Through this action, the measurable impact of the DEI efforts would become as important as every other function in the organization.

I.C.E.: You mentioned in the report that making the connection to culture is imperative for leadership support of DEI. Can you elaborate on how this connection can be effectively made?

DL: It was Peter Drucker who once stated that, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In this respect, he was alluding to the necessity of respecting cultural norms of an organization, because without taking this into account, the best of strategic thinking and processes are going to be difficult to deploy effectively. We believe that it is imperative that leadership understands the nexus between culture and leadership. When there is a salient presence of leadership in establishing cultural norms, then initiatives such as DEI can be embraced as being as valuable as any other function, department or person is valuable to the success of that business.

I.C.E.: Looking ahead, what role do you see DEI playing in the future of credentialing organizations?

DL: I see DEI as being integral to the future of credentialing organizations because there is a symbiotic connection between the two. The fundamental design of diversity, equity and inclusion provides credentialing organizations with a process that mitigates bias, imbues fairness and includes any person who is professionally capable of providing high-quality service. Through the lens of DEI, any person is allowed the opportunity to contribute to the success of any business endeavor. Understanding and valuing the attributes of credentialing — expert knowledge, continuous learning, evidence-based processes — increases the probability that practitioners and serviced organizations are proud that they are providing a safe and beneficial experience. By credentialing organizations incorporating the attributes of DEI, there is a greater probability of providing a system that combines fairness, merit and professionalism without inadvertently creating systemic problems. Ultimately, the result of the combination will be excellence in credentialing and a professional representation in the workplace and workforce.

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