Watch: A Roundtable on Real Ways to Increase Diversity in the Workplace

"The time for inaction is over."

Such was the through-line in dot.LA's Thursday panel discussion on "Measurably Increasing Diversity in the Workplace."

Joining dot.LA host Kelly O'Grady was Oona King, VP of diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) at Snap and a member of the UK House of Lords, and Kobie Fuller, partner at Upfront Ventures. The conversation centered on what organizations must do to ensure that this moment of acute awareness of the societal issues around DEI does not go to waste.

"I am grateful that white people have woken up," said King, who has also worked in diversity and inclusion at the UK's Channel 4 and YouTube. "But my gratitude will turn back to rage if they go back to sleep."

Four key points of the discussion are summarized below. You can view the full conversation in the video embedded in this article.

Diversity and Inclusion Must Be Embedded in an Organization's Culture

"Separate is never equal," King said. DEI cannot be a sideshow effort; it must be "built into the heart of what the business is doing."

That means setting clear goals that strike a balance between being audacious and achievable. And the goals must not be vague.

For example, King highlighted how Snap made one of its core values more concrete: rather than focusing on the importance of employees being "kind," the company went deeper. They added courage as a sub-attribute of kindness, thereby providing a clear parameter to show employees the importance of speaking up for inclusion.

Fuller emphasized that the culture of DEI must start at the top.

"Diverse leaders will disproportionately impact the diversity of people that come after them," he said. Companies must, therefore, prioritize DEI on their boards and the C-suite.

And while collecting DEI metrics is a necessary prerequisite to building the right culture, it is far from enough on its own.

Include Some Form of the 'Rooney Rule' in the Hiring Process

Fuller and King both pushed back against the common excuse that "we couldn't find anybody" to ensure a diverse candidate pool.

Often, the problem is that firms prioritize speed over inclusion, King said. They must instead understand that inclusive hiring is a long-term investment, and may require looking in new places, or rethinking the specific talents and skills being targeted.

You have to "look again, look harder, look further, look elsewhere," she implored.

King also cited data published by the Harvard Business Review showing that incorporating more than one minority candidate on a shortlist drastically increases inclusive hiring. She suggested the coronavirus pandemic is an opportune time for organizations to reevaluate and improve their hiring practices.

Fuller sympathized that startups face unique challenges in being inclusive, given their small size. But that this also presents an opportunity to confront the biases, assumptions and micro-aggressions that can lead to toxic practices, and to actively reject them from the start.

Representation = Hiring + Promotion - Attrition

"If you're only focused on the hiring, it's like filling up the bath with the plug out; you'll never increase your representation," King said.

"You have to solve this problem at all levels," Fuller added, explaining that it is incumbent on firms to ensure that they have black voices layered throughout their organization, and that doing so makes business sense to boot.

One crucial piece for incorporating DEI beyond the hiring process is giving employees the skills and training to be allies.

"The point about racism is it doesn't matter if white people think they like black people. It's a system, and it requires a systemic understanding of the barriers that are facing underrepresented groups," King explained. She added that this also applies to representation by gender, sexual orientation, disability, age and other forms by which people may be excluded.

"Inclusive leadership requires giving people the ability to see inequity," she said. "These last weeks have shown us that people do not see the same thing."

Helping people to see and understand the systemic impact on people who don't look like them will show employees what inclusivity requires, and enable them to accept the responsibility to bring about the necessary change.

Tech companies, in particular, have the power to reach billions of people. They should therefore approach product development with an eye toward inclusivity, King said, noting that this is an area that is often overlooked.

Bringing DEI into products means striving for inclusivity among the people developing the product and in the focus groups that test products and give feedback, and thinking from the start about how to ensure that underrepresented groups will use the product and receive support.

"I'm optimistic people will drive change and real action will take place. But it'll take time," Fuller said. "This'll take focused effort, investment, and doing things you're uncomfortable doing."

King called this moment the "chance of a lifetime."

"We're relying on you to speak up."

Strategy Session: How To Measurably Increase Diversity in the Workplace www.youtube.com

Chief Host & Correspondent and Head of Video Strategy at dot.LA