4 Questions to Ask to Ensure DEI is Ingrained in Your Company

Natalie Norfus, founder and managing owner of The Norfus Firm, a company that offers strategic human resources (HR) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) solutions for a range industries, took the stage at the 2024 Women Leading Travel & Hospitality Summit, held June 10-12 in Charlotte.

In this interactive presentation, Norfus shared a case study full of data as well as explored how to go deeper with your DEI plans and prove return on investment.

Norfus said one of the most difficult things about DEI is that there's no universal standard for what's considered "good."

"It feels very amorphous for a lot of people," said Norfus.

According to Norfus, the question leaders and business owners need to ask is the following: "Can my business survive the next 10 [years] to 15 years if we don't intentionally operationalize DEI in a way that's considerate of my customers' and my employees' unique backgrounds and needs?"

Norfus believes the answer to that question can be found by asking yourself four other questions:

1. What does DEI mean for your organization?
2. What's your company's why? And is that clearly articulated?
3. What do you want to accomplish? What's the goal?
4. What does your data tell you?

At the end of the day, DEI is a business issue, Norfus said. Her firm defines DEI as the "collective efforts and practices aimed at cultivating workplaces that value and celebrate differences, remove barriers to equal opportunities for all individuals, and promote an inclusive environment."