The Equity Advantage: Our theory of change 

In 2003, the US National Football League (NFL) implemented a rule requiring at least one non-white candidate at the final stage before hiring a coach. When the NFL implemented this rule, there were only three black coaches in the NFL. In a sport where nearly 60% of the players are black, and the bulk of coaches are pulled from the pool of players, such a disparity was emblematic of the structural and social inequities faced by marginalized groups.

The NFL’s rule, the Rooney Rule, was designed to ensure that diverse candidates had a fair shot at coaching opportunities. Yet two decades after implementation, the number of black coaches is exactly the same: three.

But why? Should the hiring rate reflect that percentage if one-third of finalists were diverse? The example illustrates why so many DEIB efforts fail: we fail to account for the deep patterns of thought and unconscious biases ingrained in people with the power to make decisions. In short, process change fails without mindset change.

At Cornerstone, both process and mindset change are core to our DEIB approach. We recognize that talent processes, particularly hiring and promotion, have historically perpetuated inequities and advantaged certain people over others, and we are committed to redesigning them to create equity.

Implementing these process and mindset changes requires organizational capability. First, the People team must be empowered to uphold process integrity. As any TA leader knows, hiring managers often want to skirt the process to speed up hiring, often to hire people in their network (affinity bias) without objectively assessing their capabilities against the talent pool.

People Business Partners know that the same is true for leaders who want to promote their favorites. They often overlook objective performance measures against peers or assess their skillset and potential against an external talent pool. Data clearly shows that underrepresented talent gets mistreated when these dynamics are at play. The senior leadership team must empower a People team to stand behind and insist on the consistent and fair application of promotion and hiring processes.

It also requires a strong learning and development framework, particularly for hiring managers and senior leaders, and mechanisms to hold them accountable for making inclusive and equitable talent decisions. Robust, live, emotionally impactful, empathy-building learning experiences are crucial to evolving the collective mindset of the leadership group to enable change and drive accountability.

Process change without the crucial element of mindset change will not yield results and can actually do more damage than good. It is human nature to resist change. Using change management principles, such as building awareness of the need for change, highlighting the personal and organizational benefits of change, and providing the knowledge and resources to implement the change, is crucial.

In my next article, I’ll discuss the importance of metrics and data in designing equitable processes, creating change management plans, and driving accountability.

Unlock deeper insights into diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by watching the award-winning series, A Seat at the Table.