As the founder of the EDGE Certified Foundation, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of rigorous, fair, and transparent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) standards. These standards are not just a tool, but a catalyst for positive change in organizations committed to creating inclusive workplaces. The Foundation’s certification criteria also can facilitate the integration of DE&I action into the business strategy, making it a core principle of modern business management.
The Framework’s Foundation
The EDGE Certification framework is a comprehensive approach that assesses gender and intersectional equity across multiple critical pillars. These pillars include representation, pay equity, effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flows, and inclusiveness of culture as reflected in employee perceptions. The Foundation’s thorough evaluation of an organization’s internal policies, practices, and metrics instills confidence in its ability to drive meaningful, real-world change.
The Four Pillars of Our Standards-Setting Process
1. Embracing Adaptability
Adaptability is critical to maintaining the most relevant and highest DE&I standards. The Foundation regularly reviews and updates our framework to reflect new developments, such as emerging pay transparency regulations and non-traditional workforce inclusivity. This iterative process, focused on continuous improvement, ensures our standards remain at the forefront of global DE&I practices, providing reassurance about their relevance and effectiveness to companies of all sizes and industries worldwide.
Over the past three years, our staff has identified and addressed over 100 topics raised by our stakeholder community and by monitoring industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging best practices. Our Technical Committee, comprised of leading workforce experts and DE&I practitioners, plays a crucial role in refining potential modifications before submitting proposals to our Board for final approval. Their expertise and diverse perspectives ensure that our standards are comprehensive, fair, effective, and achievable.
“It was an honor to participate in the standards review process with other experienced practitioners and experts. I felt that we each brought unique perspectives which added depth to the review. Certifications provide important signaling to markets and they lose that power if they don’t evolve over time, or if they fail to speak to stakeholders across markets and sectors” said Amy Luinstra, Manager, Cross Cutting Themes, Manufacturing, Agribusiness, & Services Department (MAS) at International Finance Corporation and a member of the Technical Committee.
2. Fostering Collaboration
The Foundation’s standards-setting process is not a solitary endeavor. It is strengthened by the collaboration between the staff and Technical Committee with workplace experts and DE&I practitioners worldwide. This active engagement ensures that the standards remain relevant, credible, and impactful, while also considering the varied needs of organizations across different cultural and regulatory contexts.
As Jessica Gilbert, a member of our Technical Committee and Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at IFF, aptly observed, “The practice of Equity and Inclusion is constantly evolving, and if standards don’t evolve too, they become irrelevant. EDGE’s expert Technical Committee plays an important role as futurists for the changing practices of equity and inclusion—challenging the status quo for the benefit of everyone.“
3. Maintaining a Data-Driven Approach
A data-driven foundation is essential for setting standards that are both credible and impactful because it ensures the standards are rooted in objective, evidence-based insights rather than subjective judgments or assumptions. Therefore, the Foundation bases its standards on rigorous data analysis and research, and ensures the metrics used for certification directly correlate with business performance. This aspect of our methodology helps counter arguments that DE&I efforts are disconnected from core business objectives.
Ravi Sinha, a member of our Technical Committee and Global Head, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Decathlon reflected on how rigorous standards, rooted in collaboration and best practices, not only guide organizations toward meaningful progress but also ensure their DE&I efforts create lasting, tangible benefits. “Participating in the technical review committee for EDGE has been an inspiring experience. Collaborating with the DEI leaders from leading organisations worldwide highlighted the importance of setting high standards of Inclusion that empowers organisations to progress and also feel supported. This benchmark will be instrumental in helping the organisations foster genuine inclusivity for a profound impact- to our teams, customers and society at large”.
4. Focusing on Measurable Outcomes
The standards-setting process focuses on identifying and establishing measurable outcomes to ensure that DE&I efforts are not abstract ideals but actionable and trackable goals. This emphasis on quantifiable results enables organizations to align their DE&I efforts with traditional business metrics, making it easier for them to see the direct impact on their bottom line.
Indeed, the EDGE Certification process sets a high standard for what DE&I certifications can accomplish. In a world where DE&I is increasingly recognized as essential to sustainable business practices, our rigorous, data-backed standards, and collaborative, evolving approach serve as a model for accountability, transparency, and measurable impact. This leads companies that gain an EDGE Certification to achieve higher employee engagement, enhanced innovation, improved talent attraction and retention, and better financial performance, to mention a few benefits. The certification not only validates an organization’s commitment to DE&I but also provides a roadmap for continuous improvement and success.
This commitment to maintaining relevance and rigor is reflected by Haig Nalbantian, a member of our Technical Committee and Co-President/Co-Founder of Workforce Sciences Institute: “As before, I am pleased to be part of this rigorous review of EDGE Certification Standards. I deeply respect how EDGE Strategy and its Foundation continuously monitor and advance their intellectual captial to ensure EDGE Certification remains state of the art, anchored in science, aligned with changing realities, norms and expectations, and practical to implement. As a result, they shine in their ability to help organizations actually achieve better DEI and workforce outcomes from participating in the evaluation process.”
By providing organizations with a structured framework to assess their status, establish meaningful goals, and achieve genuine progress, the EDGE Certified Foundation is empowering the creation of truly inclusive and equitable workplaces around the world. As we continue to refine and improve our standards, we remain committed to driving positive change and empowering organizations to harness the full potential of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Addressing the Critics
Despite the abundance of research validating the benefits of DE&I some detractors believe that striving to enhance the workplace is a distraction from core business objectives. Critics argue that DE&I initiatives may divert focus and resources from productivity, profitability, and traditional business functions, seeing these efforts as secondary to a company’s fundamental goals. I disagree with their opinion, and data shows that DE&I initiatives directly contribute to improved employee engagement, enhanced innovation, better talent attraction and retention, and ultimately, improved financial performance. With these measurable advantages, setting standards that guide organizations in realizing DE&I’s full potential becomes essential.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Contributors
I want to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the Technical Committee and the dedicated EDGE staff for their latest review and proposals to the Board. Your thorough work and commitment enable organizations in all industries and of all sizes to create better workplaces, leading to more sustainable companies.
