On June 29, 2021, Louis Montgomery, Jr., Partner and HR and Diversity Practice Leader, JM Search, visited Dr. Edna Chun’s Capstone class for a guest lecture on consulting challenges. Mr. Montgomery joined JM Search, a boutique executive search firm, from Korn Ferry where he led a Human Resources and Diversity Officer Practice.
Louis Montgomery shared his perspective on the evolution of DEI in organizations from government-mandated affirmative action to its integral relation to business strategy and the employee value proposition. As he explained, diverse organizations outperform other organizations and there is a cost for not having enough diversity. As companies struggle to adapt to increased complexity and disruption, diversity and inclusion are the keys to unlocking the talent needed in an organization for it to thrive in the current environment. We need to demystify diversity and clarify the appropriate terminology for different demographic groups.
Key points in his lecture and dialogue with the graduate students included:
- Companies need to answer the question, why would diverse people want to work here?
- The goal of DEI is to create a culture in which individuals feel welcomed, included, and valued;
- While diversity is structural in terms of representation, processes, and practices, inclusion is behavioral in terms of mindsets, skills and relationships and essential for making “the mix” work;
- Senior leadership involvement in DEI is important and HCM professionals need to frame the issues in language and concepts that resonate with executives, especially through the use of finely tuned data;
- To build a diverse organization, cast a wide net, implement a recruitment process that is bias-free as possible, and support the successful candidates once hired. A supportive infrastructure is critical including a welcoming culture that ensures diverse individuals feel comfortable and that they belong;
- Organizations need to stop using the term “diversity candidate” as the term is imprecise since we are all diverse.
Mr. Montgomery engaged the students in a lively discussion of strategies to improve the recruitment of underrepresented individuals and build the business case for DEI to executive leadership.
