What to consider when selecting DEI consultant

Obviously we'd love you to work with us, but what we'd love more is for you to work with someone who will create lasting change and move your organization closer to equity and justice. Here's what to look out for:

You’ll want to consider a number of questions like do they have the size to take on our volume of work? If not, are you comfortable with longer timelines to provide as much space as we can for success?

You’ll want to be mindful of what your goals are for equity work so you can be clear about the volume of the work ahead of you. But, as a starting point, here’s what you need to consider while selecting someone to support your move from aspiration to action: 

• Do they have an existing method or framework?

• Are they focused on behavior change alone? Or are they also focused on systemic change?

• Are they focused only on diversity and diversification of staff?

• Do their plans involve singling out marginalized staff to publically share their experiences also known as trauma mining?

Let’s break this down a little further…

Do they have an existing method or framework they’ll be using?

DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), is a rapidly changing industry and in the last three years, we have seen an influx in practitioners. Folks who come from all walks of life and disciplines, who have the intention to make the world a better place through work. However, the DEI  industry does not have many regulatory standards or widely agreed upon best practices, which means practitioners may come into this work with different approaches, methods, and frameworks. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some industries could benefit from this flexibility that breeds innovation. However, for you, it means you have to be absolutely sure about your intended outcomes, your ideal approach to tackle the identified DEI challenges, and if these match the consultant’s approach. 

Are they focused on behaviour change alone?

We say  this loudly and often: behaviour change cannot be the flagship approach in your equity work. This is not to say it cannot be a part of your strategy, however, we ask that you don’t expect unconscious bias training and similar trainings to embed equity in your organization without systematic change. Before you begin working alongside a  DEI practitioner, ensure their approach, planning process, and line of questioning explores your systems, structures, policies, and procedures with rigour. This will ensure the consultant’s  recommendations are tangible action items with measurable outcomes. For instance, a focus on only educating your team  means that the action will be filling perceived knowledge gaps – the challenge here is that knowledge-building may be interesting and personally transformative, but it will not give your team the skills to assess and challenge the systems in their day-to-day work which are causing inequity. Moreover, it is difficult to measure the efficacy and success of one-time workshops and frequent learning opportunities unless the only goal/outcome is to simply conduct  the training.

Are they focused only on diversity and diversification?

Over the last three years, we’ve been overwhelmed and excited by the desire and drive to change the systems and structures that cause inequity and harm at work. We’re also thrilled that our colleagues in this industry are available to support you in this work. Sometimes, in all the excitement, we all lean into the myth of diversification - the idea that a more diverse team directly correlates to a more equitable and inclusive workplace. At QuakeLab, we call this “aesthetic diversity”. Essentially, this is the idea that what your team visually looks like is the most important part of this work. In the past, practitioners have also fallen into this trap, not out of malice, but out of a desire to correct the injustices that left so many doors closed for marginalized folks. 

Diversity is a critical part of this work, but you want to work with a practitioner who is deeply knowledgeable about ensuring the environment marginalized people are being brought into (through diversification efforts) is not harmful and instead – conducive to their success. This might look like being interested in not only reviewing your recruitment process, but also your performance management process, rates of mobility, pay transparency, and assessing any other discrepancies that may exist in your organization. 

Do their plans involve singling out marginalized staff to publicly share their experiences? 

DEI work should be pragmatic, focused, and measurable. However, it can also be deeply personal, difficult, and requires a lot of trust-building. Part of building trust is explicitly refusing to re-traumatize marginalized people who are continuously forced to carry the burden of proof, are experiencing trauma mining, and are expected to share their most traumatic experiences for the sake of moving this work forward. We recommend that you ensure the practitioner you choose to work with is focused on co-designing solutions with your entire organization, prioritizes the safety and well being of the most marginalized, and works under the premise that harm has happened and doesn’t require marginalized people to prove that it has. We also recommend working with a practitioner who understands the difference between an investigation (a formal inquiry into harm that has been caused in service of action and accountability) and an assessment (an evaluation or estimation of how inequity and exclusion work in your organization). This separation will ensure trauma mining is not a hallmark of their work. Also, that the consultant takes steps to ensure their approach is built on trust, transparency, ethical data collection, and trauma-informed methods. 

Working with an expert who has the time and bandwidth to do this work is your first step towards success. But, like any other industry, finding the right people sometimes feels daunting.We hope these tips will help you work with someone you trust and who helps you move  closer towards building a more equitable work environment.

If you’re interested in making QuakeLab your partner in this work, send us a message. We would love to tell you more about how we can support your move from aspiration to action!

Note: marginalized people doing this job are historically underpaid, rushed, tokenized and as entrepreneurs don't have access to resources for growth and sustainability. Keep this in mind when selecting a consultant. There is quite a bit of discourse around the ethics of hiring marginalized people for this work.