Making it count: How DEI moves from awareness to accountability
While many organisations have made progress in shaping DEI charters and setting representation goals, the harder task lies in translating intent into everyday practice. Unconscious bias, uneven access to opportunity, and performative gestures still undermine the experience of many employees, especially those at the intersections of multiple underrepresented identities.
We talk to Tracy Williams, Chief People and Diversity Officer at New Relic, where she leads the company's people strategy and DEI initiatives. Our conversation explores how DEI can be embedded into the operational core of organisations through data-backed interventions, empowered ERGs, inclusive leadership, and systems-level accountability.
Can you recall a moment early in your career when identity, whether gender, race, or background, impacted your experience in the workplace? How has that shaped your approach to inclusion today?
Early in my career, I encountered overt discrimination and unconscious bias as a Black woman entering the workforce. These experiences were challenging, and often made me question whether my voice would be heard or valued. However, my upbringing in a strong matriarchal family, surrounded by women who modelled resilience and self-advocacy, shaped my ability to persevere and maintain confidence in my abilities. Additionally, there were more than one occasion when managers asked me why they needed to “lower the bar” to hire in line with the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. While incredibly frustrating, these early career moments spoke to a need to further educate these leaders on the value of a diverse workforce.
These formative experiences deeply influenced my approach to inclusion, and I have prioritised building systems that instil fairness and equity in decision-making to ensure equal opportunities and representation across teams. This includes holding leaders accountable and embedding equity into organisational culture. My goal has always been to create environments where underrepresented individuals can thrive without encountering the same barriers I faced. Everyone deserves to feel empowered, not just included, at the table.
Bias is rarely overt, but always present. In your view, where does unconscious bias show up most persistently within organisational systems today, such as hiring, performance evaluations, or leadership development? What steps are you taking to address this?
Unconscious bias often manifests subtly but persistently in systems such as hiring, performance evaluations, and leadership development. It can influence whose resumes are shortlisted, whose potential is recognised, and whose achievements are celebrated. Though unintentional, these biases significantly impact diversity and equity within an organisation. An additional area where unconscious bias can show up is in referral programs. While such programs are excellent tools for team growth, they need to ensure that there’s balance in who is hired so that diversity can be fostered. The last thing we want is a team where all people think alike - groupthink can be a huge hindrance to any successful organisation.
To address this, we implemented the "Mikey Rule" at New Relic - a policy that mandates diverse candidate pools for all hiring processes. This ensures that a wide range of perspectives and experiences are represented in our talent pipeline. Additionally, we introduced calibration sessions to evaluate employee performance equitably, bringing senior leaders together to collectively review talent decisions and uncover potential biases. These initiatives are not one-offs; they are part of a broader, systemic effort to transform our workplaces into equitable environments where opportunities for growth and development are accessible to everyone.
Culture isn’t built in strategy decks. How are you enabling inclusive behaviours in the day-to-day workings, especially among people managers who shape the lived experience of employees?
Culture takes root in everyday actions, interactions, and decisions. At New Relic, we focus on equipping our managers with the tools and skills they need to foster inclusivity. This begins with cultural humility and spans initiatives to improve manager effectiveness, including training for empathetic leadership and decision-making.
A recent example of this culture in action is our New Relic Inclusion, Social Interactions, and Engagement (NRISE) events, which we host at various locations to promote an in-person connection across our globally dispersed, hybrid workforce. Through workshops and sessions on belonging, collaboration across geographical borders, and employee experience, managers learn actionable and inclusive strategies that can be embedded in day-to-day work. Such insights and best practices from these events are captured in shared playbooks, ensuring long-term, iterative learning that compounds over time.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) often start small, but can spark wide change. Can you share an example of an ERG-led initiative that created a tangible shift in organisational mindset or policy towards DEI efforts?
At New Relic, ERGs play a critical role in driving equity and belonging. One example is the work of our Rainbow Relics ERG, focused on supporting members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This group spearheaded the development of an online course designed to educate employees on transgender inclusion. The training includes best practices for inclusive language, actionable guidance for supporting transitioning colleagues, and steps to foster allyship. This initiative has heightened awareness across the company and improved support structures for employees navigating these transitions.
Additionally, our Women@New Relic ERG has been instrumental in advocating for enhanced policies supporting career development and wellness for women employees. Their efforts have directly informed changes to medical benefits and leave policies, ensuring our workplace remains inclusive and equitable.
Intentionality matters. What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure DEI initiatives aren’t just reactive or event-based, but part of how decisions get made across business units, locations, and leadership levels?
Embedding DEI into the DNA of our organisation has been a priority from the start. We’ve built frameworks for hiring, performance evaluation, and promotions that rigorously align with our DEI goals, such as requiring diverse recruitment and integrating equity reviews into talent and leadership decisions.
Accountability is another critical component. We enforce this through regular reporting and feedback loops, ensuring that leaders across all regions and departments remain aligned on our DEI objectives. Our ERGs also have a direct voice in shaping company-wide DEI policies, ensuring that lived experiences inform top-level strategy and create a durable cycle of progress.
This approach has guided us in operating proactively rather than reactively, iterating on how we foster inclusivity and adapt to emerging challenges. It’s about building for the long term and creating a structure where inclusion is second nature, not an obligation.
Language, representation, and power structures intersect. How do you approach inclusion for individuals at the intersections of multiple underrepresented identities, for instance, queer women of color, or employees with disabilities from lower socio-economic backgrounds?
At New Relic, we recognise that identities are multifaceted and that intersectionality can magnify barriers and challenges. To address this, we start with intentional awareness and dialogue, creating spaces for employees to bring their full, authentic selves to work. For example, we offer ally skills training that encourages employees to better understand and advocate for individuals at these intersections.
We also emphasise listening and learning as part of our values. Through ERGs and direct outreach, we seek to understand the nuanced experiences of employees with intersecting identities. Recognising and rewarding those who amplify diverse voices is another key focus–we want to ensure these contributions are both celebrated and scaled across teams. Flexible policies tailored to individual needs, coupled with ongoing conversations about privilege and inclusion, allow us to create an environment where all employees feel seen, heard, and supported.
Progress is often incremental. What gives you hope in this space today? And what would you say to young professionals from marginalised groups who feel the system still isn’t built for them?
What gives me hope is witnessing how conversations around DEI are evolving from being reactive to proactive. More leaders now than ever understand the value of inclusion, not just as a moral responsibility but as a critical component of business success. The momentum is shifting toward actionable, systemic change, and that progress inspires optimism.
To young professionals from marginalised groups, I say this: Your voice matters. Your perspective is invaluable. Find mentors who champion your growth and organisations that recognise your strengths. Change is happening, and you are a vital part of that movement. Don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself and others. Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity, one ally, or one company willing to take a chance on your potential to spark something extraordinary. And remember, it’s okay to lean on resilience even as you demand change.
The evolution toward a more inclusive workplace is just starting, and your contributions today will make the systems of tomorrow stronger.