Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fatigue: Counter burnout and start the new year strong

By Kristin Bower

Diversity Fatigue. It’s a topic that has been gaining speed and notoriety in the past two or three months. And for good reason. We are all tired. Tired of Covid, tired of divisive politics, and tired of what seems to be constant threats to human rights around the world.

If you ask a DEI consultant what sparked real change and forward momentum after years of small, baby steps you will most frequently hear this: the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Finally, an example of racism that we couldn’t turn away from. Leaders started to realize that what was happening in the world, was impacting employees in workplaces. It was time to start some real DEI work.

And there has been some positive momentum because of a tragedy. One of the things that we have seen at Leda HR is the shift from one off lunch and learns to year long DEI learning plans. We have also seen more organizations commit to uncovering the often-invisible barriers to inclusion within their workplaces by conducting DEI audits and then following up with a custom strategy.

But this all takes work and time. And when we don’t see results immediately or we become worn down by all those things that I mentioned at the start (life and the world!), it can become really tiring. DEI work is often hard work, carried out in many cases by people who are intimately familiar with the very barriers to equity and access they’re working to remove. Here are some signs of DEI fatigue to watch for in yourself and others:

• Expressions of disillusionment and lack of enthusiasm

• Opting out of voluntary DEI initiatives

• Compassion fatigue

• Burnout

Let’s talk about burnout for a moment…

In 2019 the World Health Organization classified burnout as an “occupational phenomenon.” It is not a mental illness, but it can certainly lead to both mental and physical illness. While healthcare workers have been at the frontlines of the pandemic, HR professionals and DEI practitioners have been at the frontlines in the workplace responding to all the shifting and unprecedented priorities within workplaces.

If you are experiencing DEI fatigue or burnout, you are not alone. A recent survey from Work Vivo found a staggering 98% of human resources professionals in the US have felt burned out at work in the last six months, with almost four in five (78%) open to leaving their jobs.

As the old saying goes, “Learn to rest, not quit.”

Take a breath. Remember why you do this work.

Now, let’s keep going…

It’s never too late to renew your commitment to DEI as an individual or as an organization. In fact, re-committing when the going gets tough shows your employees that you are committed to the long term.

Here are six tips to counter DEI burnout and regain your momentum:

1. Communicate the Why, the What and the How. As a rule, you can never overcommunicate when it comes to your DEI efforts. Share your plans, your commitments, and your wins. Use a variety of ways to get your message across to as many people as possible. That message should include:

• WHY your organization is committed to DEI.

• HOW you will do the work.

• WHAT is in it for leaders, individuals, the organization, and your clients or customers. This is an important one because reminding people about the value proposition of DEI can help employees and leaders who might also be experiencing DEI fatigue to get back on board the bus!

2. Develop a DEI plan that aligns with your organization’s strategy and integrate DEI initiatives into your everyday work. Start thinking about DEI from both a business and human growth perspective. For example, how might unconscious bias be showing up in your attraction, recruitment, selection, and promotion processes? Looking at things from this perspective will enable you to bring to life DEI more effectively in daily work.

3. Be proactive, not reactive, about social justice issues. Don’t just wait until an issue makes headlines to start caring about it. Look at the current local and world landscape and decide which hot button issues your company may need to address. Have a plan for responding to these things when they do come up (because they will!). One client that I work with has what they call “guardrails” – a set of guidelines that helps to determine what they will respond to and how.

4. Collect and analyze data. In a recent DEI survey from an organization called Level, they found that the top 3 metrics employers are using to measure the effectiveness of their DEI recruitment practices include:

• hiring results (57%)

• surveys (55%), and

• employee demographics (48%)

Without measuring the progress of your DEI work, there’s no way to determine which initiatives are making a positive impact across your organization and which things need to change. You can also gain valuable insights through exit interviews and DEI audits.

5. Make it a team effort. You don’t have to go it alone. Nor should you! DEI shouldn’t be a special project that sits in HR or just with one person.

• Engage senior leaders to take an active role in DEI work. Support them on their own learning journey and have them share what they are learning with employees.

• Start some employee resource groups or re-engage with members of existing ERGs. Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies have employee resource groups. These groups and their members can help to encourage and drive inclusion and equity within an organization and can help to surface opportunities for improvement.

6. Build a community. Connect with people doing DEI work in other organizations in your industry but also outside of it. One of the best ways to reduce possible unconscious bias in this work is to gather and consider different perspectives and experiences. Building a community of people you can collaborate with, who can understand what you might be going through, and help you when you hit a wall, can be a really important tool to fight fatigue and power through.

A final note to DEI leaders:

As important as it is for your company to provide the right support and resources, it is equally important you commit to practicing self-care. DEI is challenging, important, and valuable work. You need to take a break from it every now and then.

Remember, taking care of yourself—and having an employer that takes care of you—is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. Use your vacation time, take your breaks, exercise, eat well, and build that support network and community! And finally, In the words of Margaret Mead…

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Kristin Bower is a partner in Leda HR and a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant living and working in Metro Vancouver on the traditional and unceded lands of the Katzie (q̓ic̓əy̓) People. Endlessly curious, she is dedicated to making the world a better place, one small act or conversation at a time!