DE&I is ready for mobility — are we ready for DE&I?

I talk often about diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) within mobility, and that’s because it’s a topic I’m very passionate about. I think our industry can be a champion for improving DE&I within our companies.

However, the tricky part is how to actually effect meaningful change. I’ve written before about whether mobility has a “seat at the table” for making important business decisions, and unfortunately, there are a lot of times when we don’t.

But the good news is that DE&I might be ready for us — and we need to be ready for it. The article below from Albrey Brown, the head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Airtable, notes that DE&I is “outgrowing human resources.” He goes on to say that DE&I leaders he has spoken with have said they want to expand their teams and broaden their scope.

This means that mobility teams should be ready to make DE&I a bigger focus. What does that look like? Here are some ideas and considerations.

As Mr. Brown also notes, DE&I leaders are focusing on “progress over perfection,” meaning they don’t expect to have every answer and solve every problem immediately. Instead, they want to show incremental growth within their departments and companies.

Mobility leaders can take a similar approach. Start small by having important conversations within your team. Ask questions such as: How do you define a family? How equitable is your policy for a homeowner vs. a renter? What assumptions do your policies make based on these labels and others? Once you’ve started having these conversations and identifying areas for improvement, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and change your program for the better.