Healthcare Not-for-Profit Reflects and Steps-up to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

This statewide healthcare organization quickly recognized the importance of the moment in 2020.  As numerous news reports of race-based violence streamed in, they saw the impact on their 240-person workforce and decided to act. They engaged ADR Vantage to help employees explore the impact of these events, and to help the organization develop and embrace strategies for ensuring a diverse and inclusive environment that provides greater equity and an authentic experience of belonging for their employees, clients, and partners.

Solutions

  • Employee Dialogue All-Hands Event: ADR Vantage designed and facilitated an organization-wide virtual event.  All employees attended and participated in discussion groups, led by ADR Vantage DEI facilitators, where employees described and discussed their personal responses to recent events, offered support to one another, and provided the organization with suggestions for ongoing conversations and other DEI-related support.
  • DEI Employee Climate Assessment: ADR Vantage designed and conducted a DEI Climate Assessment to offer the organization a richer understanding of employee experiences, attitudes and needs.   Our Assessment included a customized written survey, administered anonymously, followed by a series of employee focus groups.  In all, 70% of employees participated, providing the organization with a baseline of its existing DEI commitments, as experienced by the employees, and clear recommendations.
  • Strategic Planning: ADR Vantage designed a Strategic Planning session, building on the DEI Climate Assessment outcomes.  Our facilitated session provided the opportunity for the leadership to jointly consider the organization’s needs and to plan initial steps to integrate Assessment recommendations into their long-range plan.
  • Facilitation, Training and Support for Internal Diversity Committee: ADR Vantage’s DEI facilitation team co-designed and facilitated a series of dialogue and discussion groups, in partnership with the organization’s internal Diversity & Inclusion Committee, on a variety of DEI-related topics recommended and/or requested by employees.

Results

This project has been a true collaboration.  ADR Vantage’s solutions complemented the organization’s commitment and openness to what they learned from the DEI Climate Assessment and ongoing employee feedback.  As a result, their entire workforce, management team, and leadership are showing the way for other not-for-profits to scale their DEI efforts.  Some examples of these efforts include:

  • Adopting greater salary and hiring decision transparency after learning of industry-wide discrepancies, disadvantaging Black and Brown employees;
  • Revitalization of their internal Diversity & Inclusion Committee which now boasts robust participation of employees from among a wide cross section of identities;
  • Securing increased funding for employee discussion groups and DEI-related training; and

Expanding their DEI strategic planning to ensure that all aspects of how the organization operates, including building or restructuring of policies and practices, better reflects DEI-awareness and accountability.