Why do some diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives fail? 

Rangam’s co-founder and president, Hetal Parikh, didn’t answer when I asked her over dinner at SIA’s Executive Forum North America conference in March. Instead, she dissected my query.

“It’s when they’re ‘initiatives’ that they fail,” Parikh said. In other words, starting without a long-term vision and buy-in from all stakeholders usually results in disappointment and frustration. 

DE&I has to come from the top down, she added in a follow-up email. It should “begin with unwavering commitment from leadership,” and executives “must not only endorse but actively participate in DE&I activities.” Following that, companies must incorporate it throughout their organization, even their technology. 

It’s a topic Parikh knows well. Rangam, a total talent management firm she co-founded with her husband Nish, is devoted to eliminating recruitment barriers caused by bias. Both are named on SIA’s annual DE&I Influencers list. 

Other honorees include Teresa Truong, who created TEKsystems’ Marketplace Diversity Ambassadors program, and Kelly’s Marvin Figaro, who works to find job opportunities for people with criminal backgrounds. “By being intentional about opening the aperture to see new sources of talented candidates, we are able to increase fill rates while decreasing the duration of searches and time-to-start rates,” Figaro says in his profile, which you’ll find online. 

While this issue of Staffing Industry Review highlights DE&I, make sure you also read Leslie Stevens-Huffman’s feature about small staffing companies, “Keys to winning when you’re an underdog.” While smaller firms struggle to compete against the behemoths in the industry, some have found innovative ways to beat them.

I welcome your thoughts on both topics or anything else on your mind. Don’t hesitate to reach out via [email protected].