The importance of communication in wake of Supreme Court affirmative action ruling

The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning affirmative action in college admissions has many employers asking: What next? 

Some released statements proclaiming their sustained commitment to DEI, but experts say a more holistic strategy is needed to ensure such pledges don’t fall by the wayside.

“Even though the ruling has come down, the need for DEI work hasn’t changed,” says Mandy Price, CEO and cofounder of DEI software company Kanarys. “We’ve heard from organizations that their values haven’t changed, and they want to create an inclusive workplace for all employees. So how do they do that while acting within the bounds of the law?”

Though using race in hiring, firing, or promotions has long been prohibited per Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Price says many Kanarys clients want to know how the latest ruling will affect them. At this time, leaders should focus on three key areas to keep the momentum of their DEI work:

– Proactively consult legal counsel
– Ensure the company is communicating DEI efforts
– Double down on data

Price says leaders should fully grasp the intricacies of the ruling, ideally with a team of lawyers. “It’s really important that before making any policy changes related to their DEI programs, they seek legal counsel and make sure they fully understand the meaning behind the ruling and its implications to their programs,” including supplier diversity and scholarship programs.

Secondly, Price notes that workers look to their employers to mirror certain core values and demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity.

“It’s really important for leaders, because of the way DEI has been politicized, to ensure that they have a communication strategy in place to [make certain] that not only internally, but externally, people understand…that [DEI] is a value of the organization,” says Price. 

Last, measuring diversity within organizations will become all the more important. Leaders can’t demonstrate they have an inclusive and equitable workplace without substantiating data.

“Organizations must be measuring, not only their hiring efforts, but the internal practices of their organizations to [verify] that those policies aren’t creating disparities within their workplace,” she says.

Amber Burton
[email protected]
@amberbburton

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