Show Us the Outcomes: The Impact of DEI on Business Strategy and Results

BY Michael Stahl | June 13, 2023

Xerox has a long, storied history of trailblazing in the diversity, equity and inclusion space. The corporation required women and minorities to be part of the final pool of candidates for management positions starting in 1968. Through the years since, the company has also established a number of employee resource groups for various minority communities across its employee base and, in 2009, hired the first Black woman as CEO of any Fortune 500 company, among other highlights. 

But when the latest wave of civil rights discourse focused heavily on corporate responsibility for enhanced DEI outcomes as a means of truly elevating underserved people in society, Xerox was not going to rest on its laurels. It definitely was not going to make the mistake of simply having heartfelt conversations about the need for change without making it actually happen.

“Even being a trailblazer, you have to think about, ‘How do you continue to progress given what is happening in the world?’” said Suzan Morno-Wade, EVP and chief human resources officer at Xerox, during a fireside chat at From Day One’s June virtual conference. “There are a number of things that we did then, in the past, that we’ve had to change today to continue to be more relevant [and] to respond to the needs of the business and the needs of our clients, our stakeholders and our employees.”

Discussing these changes and tips for other organizations working to enact impactful change through DEI initiatives with Kadia Tubman, managing editor of diversity, equity and inclusion at Insider, Morno-Wade observed first that a company’s approach must be “holistic.” Planned DEI outcomes have to serve “not just your employees, but your suppliers, clients, stakeholders, your board, your community in which you sell your services and your products,” she said.

“The role of the ERGs has really changed as well,” Morno-Wade continued. “In the past, the ERGs were more known to be focused on social events, or maybe just focused on philanthropic events. But actually today, many of the ERGs are very embedded in the organization and really trying to help advance the business strategy.”

To maximize ERG impact on Xerox’s business strategy, Morno-Wade said the company recently engaged in a regular schedule of listening sessions with their members and developed what she called a “roadmap” toward improved DEI outcomes. She acknowledged that such an approach may not be completely revelatory, but added that its intentionality and relevance to where the company is and where it is headed was crucial in establishing its viability.

Suzan Morno-Wade and Kadia Tubman kicked off the June virtual conference (photo by From Day One)
Suzan Morno-Wade and Kadia Tubman kicked off the June virtual conference (photo by From Day One)

Thoughtfully considering all this will help any organization build their own DEI roadmap. So will the collection of data.

“I spent time ensuring that I was educated with the facts,” Morno-Wade told Tubman. “What is the impact on revenue? What's the impact on engagement when you have an inclusive, diverse environment? What does that do to innovation? There's tons of research out there.”

She added that the way Xerox becomes the best for-profit version of itself is by “getting the best out of everybody.” A great way to do that is by accepting people for who they are and, she said, understanding that everyone has their own “natural biases” that they bring to any conversation.

When one or more colleagues are viewed as “a problem” for DEI rollout because of past dispositions, Tubman pointed out, “that’s not really a great place to start.” Instead, at the beginning, choose empathy. DEI won’t always get every person on the same page, but open discourse prompted by such initiatives will bring them closer to a middle ground, at the very least, than they were before. 

Implementing DEI strategies, including compensatory incentive plans, has to start with conversations at the top of the corporate structure. The Xerox HR squad worked with its in-house analytics team, Morno-Wade said, to build a DEI rewards dashboard and other tools that supported their vision of the future. Then they brought all their data, tools and plans to the C-suite and influential managers.

“We needed to get the buy-in from the top down,” Morno-Wade said. “That was our journey. Any advice I have for any company contemplating this: You could look at what other companies do, but make sure it's relevant to your own business, your own culture and where you are in the DEI journey.”

She said in summation that companies have to understand their business and talent strategy, first, to build DEI initiatives that work best for them. Listening to workers and addressing their concerns and needs through DEI programming, supported by better-informed leaders, are additional keys. Finally, an organization’s DEI roadmap is important to ensure that everyone across the employee base is aligned and focused on bringing the company closer to its goals.

“That's what DEI work is today,” Tubman said. “It's not just good intentions. It's not just events. It’s resources support, policy change and accountability, especially.”

Michael Stahl is a New York City-based freelance journalist, writer, and editor. You can read more of his work at MichaelStahlWrites.com, follow him on Twitter @MichaelRStahl, and order his first book, the autobiography of Major League Baseball pitcher Bartolo Colón, at Abrams Books.

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