Deloitte Survey Unveils CIO’s Role in Helping Drive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Outcomes

A 2021 survey of technology leaders shows that tech-enabled solutions hold great potential for achieving DEI outcomes.

Deloitte conducted a survey of approximately 400 technology leaders to determine the potential for tech-enabled solutions to achieve DEI outcomes. The survey looked at three components: emerging tech, data-informed decision-making, and vendor marketplace to identify hurdles and action items to help companies further their DEI efforts. 

Although this survey was conducted on technology leaders in the corporate space, the findings can be applied to other sectors, including independent schools. Many independent school technology leaders may find that they are already leading the way in some of the actionable ideas provided by Deloitte from the findings. Others may be able to use these findings as a foundation to get started.

Image credit: Deloitte's Tech Trends 2021 report: DEI in Tech

Key Findings

More than half of the companies surveyed indicated that they were leveraging technology solutions to monitor DEI, recruit a more diverse talent pool, and use data to match people to diverse workplace opportunities. 

Companies also responded that challenges arise when trying to leverage data to make informed decisions because there is unclear ownership of certain data, inconsistent tracking, and data existing in disparate platforms. 

Emerging technologies can help solve these challenges by providing solutions such as cloud-based and customized dashboards, unified platforms for better collaboration, and tools to better evaluate DEI information, including evaluating vendors’ and partners’ commitment to DEI. 

Considerations for Independent Schools

The article notes that “Deloitte’s own DEI journey suggests that tech-enabled solutions can be a powerful catalyst for change—if tech leaders play an active role in reengineering the way data is collected, standardized, managed, analyzed, and reported.”

Independent school technology leaders should be on the lookout for current and emerging technology solutions to better collect and analyze data and collaborate with other departments. They can begin having conversations with other school leaders and decision-makers to advocate for collaborative solutions through technology. By bringing these solutions forward, the technology leader is advocating for a meaningful and lasting impact on their school’s DEI outcomes.

Rolling out new systems can take time and effort, but there are small steps that schools can take right away to help foster inclusion. Encouraging even the most simple changes, like adding pronouns in Zoom IDs, adding name pronunciation add-ons to email signatures and meetings, and providing closed-captioning are ways that technology can demonstrate that the school is an inclusive environment.

According to the article, “what’s clear is this: Tech leaders can provide the technical expertise and strategic vision required to integrate solutions that span the workforce life cycle to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization.”

Read the “Exploring tech-enabled DEI solutions” article from Deloitte Insights by Kristi Lamar, Brandi Goswick, and Anjali Shaikh.

Read Deloitte’s “DEI tech: Tools for Equity” report from the Tech Trends 2021 study.

Join the Conversation

In what ways is your school using technology to advance your DEI outcomes? What challenges are you running into? Share your experiences with your community to begin learning from one another. Share your thoughts below, and consider submitting a session proposal for the ATLIS 2023 annual conference.