The Institute of Internal Auditors and Deloitte released a new report that provides guidance on how the internal audit profession can help foster an improved culture by assessing an organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, beginning with its own function.
The report includes actionable steps the internal audit function can take to support DEI within their own teams, the broader organization, and among key stakeholders.
Building upon the previous papers’ themes of how the profession can help shape corporate culture and foster inclusion in recruitment, retention, and development, the new paper – Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the Inside Out – provides a roadmap for how the internal audit function can practically apply techniques from the ‘inside out,’ beginning within its own function and expanding outwards to the enterprise level and also to key stakeholders to support management in achieving its DEI objectives.
“Organizations increasingly understand that building a diverse, inclusive culture is a competitive advantage,” said Anthony Pugliese, president and CEO of the IIA. “Internal auditors have an obligation to help their organizations benchmark their efforts and act as a catalyst for change, helping to drive progress and move the needle on their DEI goals. With their independent and high-level view of an organization, internal audit teams are uniquely positioned to not only support, but drive positive change.”
Start in the Internal Audit Department
Among the top recommendations of the report is that the chief audit executive (CAE) should determine if the internal audit function is leading by example. CAEs can assess the extent to which the function is engaging in and measuring the impact of DEI initiatives.
To assess how well the broader organization is incorporating DEI concepts and whether leaders are being held accountable for achieving DEI goals, the report suggests questions the internal audit team can ask, including:
- How are the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion being integrated into HR and other business processes and reporting?
- Is senior leadership engaging with middle management to ensure the success of organizational DEI strategies?
Engaging Stakeholders
The internal audit team can prepare their organization to effectively engage with stakeholders, some of whom may have different goals, motivations, and opinions on DEI, by asking the following questions:
- To what extent is the organization paying attention to diversity among the public, employees, customers, investors, and other important stakeholder groups?
- Is internal audit challenging the business to consider stakeholders’ viewpoints on DEI?
By taking an ‘inside out’ approach and conducting periodic pulse checks to benchmark their organizational progress, the report concludes, internal auditors can help ensure that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is being fostered across their organization. 