ARTICLES

02-04 The Role of Diversity Consultants: What You Should Expect and Demand

Reviewed by Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR, March 30, 2002

If you’re a HR practitioner who has started, or plans to begin, a diversity initiative in your organization, you may be wondering about the role a diversity consultant can and should play.

There are five key areas for which you could call on a consultant’s expertise:

No diversity initiative should be attempted as a stand-alone effort.  Attached to this article is a strategic planning framework that is common to most organizations.  In order to achieve its mission and vision for the future, a company needs specific skills, knowledge, and competencies.  As part of the company’s diversity initiative, objectives should be developed to find, develop, and retain employees with those much needed competencies – regardless of those employees’ race, ethnicity, age, or gender.  A critical aspect of a consultant’s role is helping the HR practitioner develop concrete, quantifiable goals and tactics to retain and effectively, fully utilize the diverse talents, skills, and perspectives that support the company’s mission.

Another important role for partner consultants is the development and administration of culture audits.  Culture audits are designed to assess individuals’ understanding and support  of company philosophy and procedures, as well as determine whether groups such as older workers are feeling disenfranchised or isolated.  Instead of throwing money at training and hoping “something will stick”, a culture audit can help the HR practitioner focus on critical gaps such as ineffective orientation programs or the need for mentors.  A consultant’s role is to gather anonymous feedback from employees, compile and synthesize culture audit results, and recommend appropriate interventions and timelines.

Once a culture audit surfaces specific training needs within an organization, a consultant partner can design and facilitate training that addresses those specific needs.  Skills in the areas of conflict resolution and performance coaching are frequently gaps that become apparent.  A component that should be included in the training design is an evaluation methodology on four levels:  reaction to the training; learning as a result of the training; behavior changes over time after the training; and return on investment for training dollars (results such as a decrease in turnover).

Training alone isn’t likely to change an organization’s culture from a static, monocultural workplace to one that understands, values and manages diversity.  A consultant should offer specific recommendations for ways to keep the diversity initiative alive, such as the creation of an active cross-functional Diversity Council.

I’m often asked, “How can you tell a good diversity consultant from a bad one?”  It’s a valid question.  I believe that an effective diversity consultant:

The first point is, I believe, very critical.  A consultant must fully understand your company’s climate, mission, and problem areas before recommending the first step in any initiative.  The consultant can partner with you to help establish success criteria, such as increased productivity, fewer employee conflicts, and customer retention.

In summary, I believe the HR practitioner’s role in diversity efforts is to be a leader in managing change, a role model for valuing different perspectives and approaches, and to implement actions co-developed by Human Resources and consulting partners.  The consultant’s role is to conduct solid research, present sound ideas, and coach HR through the implementation and maintenance phases.

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