How Internal Promotions Can Contribute to a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

As more companies are making conscious efforts to create a diverse workforce and promote inclusivity, I often find that, as these efforts get lumped together under umbrella acronyms like “DEI”, “DEIB”, and “I&D,” they run the risk of falling into the trap of becoming corporate buzzwords devoid of real meaning. 

Where I most often see a lot of organizations focus their energy is on the recruitment and hiring of more people from historically excluded backgrounds. This work fits nicely under “Diversity” efforts, but does not always address inclusion, belonging, or equity. This is why according to the Kapor Center’s Tech Leaver’s Study we see marginalized people leave tech organizations at a rate that is disproportionately higher than their peers who are a part of dominant groups. Having employees from underrepresented groups leave organizations more quickly sabotages any gains a company may be making with hiring. 

While I am excited to see companies striving to bring in more diverse talent, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging work each require different approaches in order to see their full benefit. To be truly successful, this type of work requires a multi-pronged, integrated, and years-long strategy. 

But…doing something is better than doing nothing!

One tactic to retain diverse talent that’s often overlooked and underutilized across many organizations is a strong investment in developing and promoting underrepresented employees already hired.

Here are 5 reasons why promoting underrepresented employees from within is essential when creating a diverse and inclusive workplace:

Fosters Inclusivity

Promoting underrepresented employees from within promotes inclusivity and sends a clear and visible message that the company values diversity. It creates a culture where all employees feel heard, valued, and respected, regardless of their background. This, in turn, helps in building a strong, inclusive team with a focus on collaboration.

Increased employee engagement, loyalty, and retention

When employees see that there are opportunities for career advancement within the organization for people who look like them, they are more likely to feel valued and invested in the success of the company. Marginalized employees who feel valued and appreciated showcase increased motivation and productivity and are more likely to stay with the company for a more extended period, reducing turnover and saving time spent on recruiting, hiring and training. 

Integrates a Unique Perspective

When people from different backgrounds and with different experiences are given the opportunity to lead, you truly unlock the value of diversity. These employees bring different experiences, skill sets, and backgrounds that can help the company grow and innovate. Considering these multiple perspectives can help the company better understand a wider breadth of its customers and develop better, more complex approaches to cater to their needs. 

Helps to create a more diverse leadership team

Promoting underrepresented employees from within brings unique perspectives to the table at more senior levels. Having a more diverse team of leaders helps with the continual recruitment cycle and can increase the hiring of underrepresented groups, since these leaders tend to have more diverse professional networks to draw from. Diverse employees occupying visible positions of influence can also attract talent who want to work for leaders who share their identities. These benefits are well documented in a report by McKinsey & Company that found that diverse companies perform better, especially if an organization's leadership is diverse. 

Improves the organization's reputation and brand image

Consumers and stakeholders are increasingly looking for companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion, and promoting underrepresented employees can help to demonstrate that commitment. It shows that your organization is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, which is crucial in today's society. This, in turn, can lead to increased customer loyalty and support, as well as a stronger reputation in the marketplace,which ultimately helps with recruiting more diverse talent. 

Especially as we are seeing more layoffs and companies hiring at much slower pace, internal investment and promotion in the employees that are currently a part of your team becomes a viable strategy to help push these efforts forward in a way that doesn’t pause your work, but instead continues to have real and sustainable impact in a measurable way. 

We’ve seen many concentrated efforts fall under the umbrella of “DEIB” work over the years, but getting people to join your organization is only the first step of this work it is vital that leaders begin to understand how inclusion, equity, and belonging must be integrated and committed to across all efforts, from recruiting and beyond, to see continual and sustained impact.