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Building Inclusive Cultures:

How IA Can Champion Diversity

questions such as:
• Are diversity and inclusion metrics part of
the company’s key performance indicators?
• How often is the leadership team reviewing
D&I initiatives?
• Are there potential biases in recruitment,
promotions, or pay gaps?
• What are employees’ experiences in relation
to inclusion, and how is this data collected and
analysed?

Lalitha Satheesh

Global Offering Lead - Risk & Compliance,
Accenture, Bangalore
lalithaca@hotmail.com

In today’s interconnected world, the business
landscape is evolving at breakneck speed. From
technology-driven transformations to global
movements advocating for social justice,
organisations are realising the need to build The Overlooked Superpower of IA
inclusive cultures that foster diversity. Yet, while
many companies publicly commit to diversity, the “We’re like the referee in the middle of the
gap between intention and execution remains wide. game, quietly ensuring everyone plays fair,
but we can also shape the rules to make sure
When thinking about who drives diversity and the field is level,” says Tina Lopez, Chief Audit
inclusion initiatives in an organisation, internal Officer at a Fortune 500 company.
audit might not be the first department to come to
mind. Yet, the role of internal audit in championing While diversity may sound like a human
diversity and building an inclusive culture is more resources agenda, internal auditors possess
powerful than many realise. Internal auditors are a superpower often overlooked: the ability
positioned to examine policies, identify biases, and to spot the cracks in a company’s processes,
ensure that the company’s culture promotes diversity, culture, and practices. McKinsey’s Diversity
equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Wins report shows that companies in the top
quartile for gender diversity are 25% more
But how can this often-overlooked function take the likely to out perform their peers. Similarly,
lead? Let us explore how internal audits can foster an those with high ethnic diversity see a 36%
inclusive culture while keeping things light because higher likelihood of financial performance
audits do not have to be all spreadsheets and frowns. above their industry median. If that does not
get the attention of the C-suite, nothing will!
Internal auditors often balance strict regulatory
oversight and a consultative role. When it comes Internal audit can provide a powerful lens into
to diversity, however, the latter becomes more whether an organisation’s DE&I policies are
pronounced. IA can play a pivotal role in asking

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