DSG: Now is a defining moment for DEI in shipping

Following the publication of a recent paper, key findings underscore the continued focus on employee well-being and inclusion. Inclusion is identified as a vital factor in attracting and retaining talent, enhancing engagement, and improving the design of organizational policies. Heidi also discusses the evolving language around DEI, noting a shift from the term “diversity” to “belonging” and “inclusion.” This change helps to depoliticize the conversation and foster broader engagement. Embedding inclusion into performance metrics, she adds, allows for more authentic and sustainable cultural change.

SAFETY4SEA: Your latest paper highlights the need for maritime leaders to “stay true to their inclusion compass.” What prompted DSG to publish this paper now, and why is this moment so critical for DEI in shipping?

Heidi Heseltine: We wanted to update the maritime industry about the impact the global political landscape is having on DEI in our sector.  With the political rhetoric from the US in particular, we were conscious of increasing uncertainty around how to respond to it and how to move forward with DEI (whether based in the US or not), and felt it was time to pause, reflect and provide our input based upon best practice and the feedback from leaders in the industry. This is a critical moment for shipping as it puts organisations under the spotlight – are they going to maintain the trust they’ve built with their employees by standing by their commitments to DEI or walk away from them, potentially causing those employees to question the values of those they work for.

S4S: There is a clear warning in your report about the global political backlash against DEI, especially in the U.S. How is this shift affecting DEI progress in the maritime industry globally?

H.H.: In a number of ways, including:

#1 Strategy:  Organisations are revisiting or orienting DEI strategies to ensure they remain fit for purpose against the current backdrop. Rather than positioning this evolution as a reactive measure, they are seizing the opportunity to rekindle strategic, top-level discussions about budget, focus and commitment. DEI teams and organisational leaders are asking what really makes a difference to fostering safer, more inclusive working environments. Rather than being intimidated, they are doubling down on showing why DEI is essential for sustainable business outcomes – even if they decide to call it something else, or weave it into their wider strategy development.

#2 People & Culture:  Covid saw a step change in how organisations supported their people – both ashore and at sea. The need for a more deliberate, confident approach to people management has remained high on everyone’s agenda. Inclusion plays a central role in underpinning how people feel working in an organisation. In many organisations, we have seen that they are not allowing the current context to derail the progress they have made. Staff engagement surveys, informal feedback, and recruitment activity have shown that a focus on inclusion helps attract, develop and retain staff. The best organisations are integrating inclusive design into the development and implementation of people policies and processes. This trend is likely to continue.

#3 Data analysis: Data capture and analysis are taking centre stage because they provide an evidence-based foundation for decision-making. Several organisations are using their data to help them understand what is going on both in and around the business. For example, we’re seeing organisations looking for resistance to inclusion in their business, where it’s focused, and what underpins it. That allows for a deeper understanding of how to align projects for maximum impact. The more you know, the smarter you can respond – quickly – to potential challenges. There is also a (positive) shift to capturing the impact of initiatives and measuring tangible progress.

S4S: How can maritime organizations ensure their DEI strategies remain credible and sustainable during this time of heightened scrutiny and shifting sentiment?

H.H.: The most crucial action right now is for organisations to reiterate why DEI is relevant to the business and ensure strategies and action plans reflect this. There’s a juggling act needed to shape an approach that considers the significant differences between different regions. In a sector that is global by nature, strategies need to have global reach with flexibility for local implementation. It’s key that they are not solely US/Euro-centric when there’s progress being made in other regions. This is a practiced art for some organisations but new to others.

S4S: In your 2024 Annual DEI in Maritime Review, you draw a clear line between DEI training and improved safety and inclusion outcomes. Which findings most surprised or encouraged you?

H.H.: For the shore based survey, I was most struck by the fact that the group with the worst scores – across the board – on the questions related to belonging and inclusion (including can you be yourself at work / do you feel safe to speak up / do you feel your contribution is valued) were those who had not had a conversation with their manager about personal development in the past six months. This was one of our landmark findings in 2023, and the differential grew in 2024. For the seafarer survey, it was the impact DEI training has at a fundamental level.  Our results showed that those who have not had DEI training are 25% more likely to have experienced sexual harassment, 67% more likely to have felt psychologically harassed – and more than twice as likely to have felt discriminated against.

S4S: What initiatives related to diversity and inclusion would you like to see in the workplace both onboard and ashore?

H.H.: A focus on inclusion can unlock so many business challenges, from enabling creativity and problem solving through to practical day-to-day leadership benefits such as running more effective meetings through to establishing real working relationships that can last a lifetime and lead to more sustainable businesses. We’re finding that an under-appreciated area is how inclusion can help mitigate business continuity and people risks. How do team leaders maintain a high-performance culture when some team members may be significantly affected by the external environment? How can inclusion be a tool to mitigate people risk around things that the organisation has very little control over? The focus on enabling colleagues both ashore and at sea to speak up and share their perspectives becomes even more vital in volatile times.  In specific terms, we’re seeing that mentoring, buddy schemes and active leadership sponsorship can make a huge impact on people wanting to join and stay within the sector. Building connections across the whole eco system can be a powerful retention tool.

S4S: For seafarers in particular, what’s the most urgent DEI gap that needs addressing—and how can it be tackled?

H.H.: Achieving physical and psychological safety through an inclusive working culture.  We need to see more work being done on fostering an inclusive culture across the seafaring sector – it is a major contributing factor to reduced physical accidents, psychological safety and wellbeing.  We need to equip all seafarers to reap the benefits of inclusion.

S4S: The paper notes a shift in corporate language from “diversity” to terms like “belonging” and “inclusion.” Why is this evolution in terminology important, and how can it be adopted effectively?

H.H.: We’re seeing a notable shift in tone and language. In the current climate, the use of the word ‘diversity’ is perceived to be riskier compared to ‘belonging’ or ‘inclusion’. We predict that a focus on specific DEI-related targets will become less prominent. Instead, key performance indicators (KPIs) will be built into more expansive inclusion metrics. This provides an opportunity to simplify language, engage everyone in culture change, and be clear in the problem you’re trying to solve. A key question is whether or not the change of language indicates a material refocus or is the shift to inclusion, fairness and opportunity just how the terminology naturally evolves?  Many of us have worked through periods of using just Diversity, Equality and/or Belonging. This could be an opportunity to re-engage the majority with language that effectively connects people with the agenda rather than pushes them away.

S4S: Are there any new projects or developments within your organization that you would like to share with the industry?

H.H.: The maritime industry is currently facing competing priorities – decarbonisation, emerging technologies (on shore and on our vessels), increasing demand for data along with the ability to analyse and interpret it for maximum impact and the increasing use of AI, to name a few. Our ability to successfully navigate these issues rests on the knowledge and skills of our people, and our ability to attract and retain the talent we need from both within and outside the sector.  In addition to our existing work spanning data, benchmarking and DEI consulting and learning and development programmes, this year we launched Crest, our Cross Maritime Industry Mentoring programme. Developed by experts in both maritime DEI and mentoring programmes to ensure maximum learning and engagement potential, it offers the opportunity for organisations to support and develop future leaders.  Through individual and group sessions across 6 months, mentees and mentors are supported to have high quality conversations, ones that can deepen networks, provide insights and drive knowledge about the wider sector.  Later in the year, we are launching an initiative to explore the relevance of Culture and Inclusive Behaviours to the safety challenges that seafarers are facing today. We aim to provide examples of current activity and research in the sector in relation to seafarers and safety (physical and psychological), almost creating a baseline of where the sector is right now.  

S4S: What changes are needed to improve the industry’s reputation and attract the next generation of maritime professionals?

H.H.: Our communications as a sector drastically needs to improve to enable the next generation to understand the fascinating depth and breadth of opportunities available.  Within that, as we look to appeal to a broader audience, they need to see themselves reflected within the demographics of the organisations they might work for so the body of work that exists under DEI has to continue if we want to attract the best people to our sector.

S4S: Finally, if you could leave maritime leaders with one key message from this report, what would it be?

H.H.: Use this time to focus on what you mean by ‘inclusion’ and be clear about how it directly and indirectly creates value for your organisation, its people and its stakeholders. Then ensure it is communicated effectively to build upon the trust you have gained and to ensure that everyone knows your inclusion values and what you stand for.

The views presented are only those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.