The Great Resignation is a Chance to Get Serious About Diversity Finding, developing and retaining diverse talent doesn't have to be a daunting task.

Companies have done a substantial amount of talking over the last 18 months about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Now their promises about hiring to reflect the population are becoming due, and leaders are getting nervous about their diversity theater being called out. Myths about a lack of qualified Black talent persist, even though they're not true. And they have served as an excuse for the leaders of large corporations to continue talking about how hard it is to diversify their workforce.

The good news is that delivering DEI doesn't have to be a Kabuki dance. When leadership gets serious about it, the tools and methods are academically proven and risk-managed, and I should know. My organization has applied them with more than 65 corporations around the globe. The so-called great resignation also provides a new impetus for leaders to get serious. Forty percent of the global workforce are considering leaving their jobs in the next year. So I have been asking leaders: Do you have systems in place to ensure not only that you get great candidates in the door to replace them, but that those candidates will be diverse enough to help you meet your DEI goals? How do you plan to convince your investors that you're serious about meeting those commitments?

Related: 4 Trackable Metrics to Move the Needle on Diversity and Inclusion ...