{"id":17259,"date":"2021-07-02T23:02:35","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T21:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humanrightscareers.com\/?p=17259"},"modified":"2023-11-07T13:22:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T12:22:49","slug":"what-do-dei-consultants-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humanrightscareers.com\/issues\/what-do-dei-consultants-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do DEI Consultants Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

DEI \u2013 which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion \u2013 describes policies and programs that help facilitate the representation and participation of diverse groups. Many people think of ethnicity when they hear the word \u201cdiversity,\u201d but it also applies to gender, abilities, religion, culture, age, sexuality and more. In a workplace setting, diversity comes with many benefits but only if equity and inclusion are part of the process. DEI consultants spearhead these efforts. What do they do exactly? In this article, we\u2019ll go over what DEI consultants do, when organizations could benefit from DEI, the most common challenges and how to become a DEI consultant.<\/p>\n

DEI consultants help organizations install policies and strategies regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Consultants accomplish this through performing audits, helping clients refine their goals, developing monitoring and evaluation tools and much more. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

What does a DEI consultant do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When organizations want to develop or improve their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, it\u2019s common to seek out DEI consultants. These experts take an objective look at the organization, analyze the client\u2019s current policies and suggest new strategies or ways to improve the old ones. They\u2019re valuable to organizations that want a roadmap for DEI success. Here are five examples of what a good DEI consultant does:<\/p>\n

#1. Consultants audit an organization\u2019s current state of DEI <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some organizations hire DEI consultants to run a diversity training or two, but good consultants have so much more to offer. To benefit the most, organizations need to get an extensive audit. The goal is to get a comprehensive picture of the organization\u2019s current state regarding DEI. That includes demographic information, HR policies, disciplinary procedures and so on. The consultant will review any relevant documents, and meet with leaders, employees and other stakeholders. If the organization is concerned about confidentiality and there\u2019s no contract in place yet, it may ask the consultant to sign an NDA. That\u2019s a better option than withholding information the consultant needs to give the most accurate assessment.<\/p>\n

#2. Consultants help refine an organization\u2019s DEI goals and strategies <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The vast majority of the time, organizations that hire DEI consultants want to improve their DEI strategies, but how exactly? What policies aren\u2019t working? What new procedures can improve things? Defining an organization\u2019s DEI goals are a big part of a consultant\u2019s role. When talking with the client, they\u2019ll ask questions like, \u201cWhat is your biggest concern right now?\u201d and \u201cWhat does success look like for this organization?\u201d A good consultant will develop strategies that address each concern and present a plan of action based on the organization\u2019s vision. Consultants should know DEI is not one-size-fits-all. As an example, if an organization has done extensive employee training with no real improvements, a DEI consultant should understand more training is likely not the right strategy.<\/p>\n

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On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 meaning a significant difference and 1 meaning no difference at all), do you think DEI efforts make a positive difference in the workplace?<\/strong><\/p>