Progress takes commitment, courage and action

The pharmaceutical sector has in recent years started to champion the value of diversity, on paper at least. Organisations are at different stages of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey. In the UK and Europe, we are seeing some tailwinds, but also headwinds from the US policy pushback on DEI. One thing is clear: progress isn’t inevitable. It takes commitment, courage and action.

Pharma has one of the highest rates of female participation across industries, with women making up 54% and 57% of the workforce in Europe and the UK, respectively.  However, the same McKinsey report shows that women are underrepresented on executive teams.

Ethnic diversity paints a similar picture. Representation on executive teams in the UK and US rose from 7% to 13% between 2014 and 2019. That’s progress, but slow progress. Finally, while Europe is seen as a leader in social mobility, progress has stalled. These aren’t just numbers. They’re missed opportunities for stronger teams, enhanced productivity, more innovation, a better return for shareholders and ultimately stronger economies.

As co-heads of the Communiqué Awards judging panel for the Action on Workplace DEI category, I spoke to Avril Lee, Chair of the CIPR’s Diversity and Inclusion Network, and Charlotte Shyllon, CEO of The Transforming Words Foundation and a DEI consultant. I asked them about why a focus on DEI is not just the right thing to do but commercially beneficial, and how we progress the agenda – with or without the badge of DEI. Here is what they had to say.

DEI is not a one-step programme, a project or done in isolation from society. Leaders need to understand and communicate the proven value of DEI to the business and the work community to all stakeholders, alongside showing long-term commitment and action on creating a culture that attracts and supports diverse people and diverse thinking.

More recently, following the push-back against DEI across the Atlantic, some companies with American headquarters have been under pressure to reassess or scale back their DEI activities. Other companies have jumped on the same bandwagon and seized the opportunity to step away from what they may regard as a non-business-critical activity. Allowing US policies to reshape our perspectives of DEI will limit progress.

Companies should continue to integrate DEI as an essential part of their strategy. The commercial and employee benefits are proven and compelling.

The term DEI clearly communicates that creating a fairer workplace and society takes more than ‘diversity’ – we must also ensure people from diverse communities have decision-making roles and everyone feels they can belong. Without these things, any change risks being superficial and tokenistic. Europeans should recognise that our policies and approaches to DEI are not the same as those in the US. Here our aim is to ensure opportunities are available for all – so ‘equal opportunities’ is what we are talking about. Using language that communicates our approach simply and distinctly can work, as long as those equal opportunities are from entry level to C-suite.

Some DEI experts are advocating rebadging DEI as something less controversial while continuing to pursue the same objectives. For example, terms such as ‘belonging, respect and fairness’ and ‘inclusion and belonging’ are emerging, while others are integrating DEI within their corporate social responsibility initiatives. If it helps to create a more positive response and allows the work to continue, there may be value in this.  However, other experts warn against this approach, arguing that rebadging DEI is a retrograde step that can dilute efforts in this arena and provide companies with an ‘out’.

There are many examples of best practice in DEI to learn from. Several industry awards programmes – including Communiqué – now include one or more DEI categories that recognise best practice in the pharma and healthcare industry. These are a good place to start.

Additionally, organisations such as the Healthcare Communications Association, the PM Society and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry make DEI resources available for their members, including case studies that showcase best practice.

Communicators are vital to DEI efforts and, in the present dynamic climate, to mitigating potential reputational risk. From connecting and inspiring internal stakeholders, to managing the messaging about DEI to external stakeholders, consistent and compelling communications are essential. Communicators can be powerful allies to leadership in DEI; helping to shape strategy, communicating the proven financial and employee benefits, and telling the human stories that make the best case for fairness.