For over half of employees (53%), DEI is a key factor when considering an employer.
If you’re finding that your company falls into this category, you’re not alone. Despite making very public commitments to create more inclusive workplaces, many organizations find making meaningful DEI progress a challenge.
Good news is, there are many ways to get your organization headed in the right direction. (And no, it doesn’t include more DEI training sessions.)
Keep reading as we share 8 actionable tips to help your organization promote DEI in the workplace.
Companies today recognize the critical importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in creating a fair, respectful and high-performing workplace culture. However, leaders often struggle with tangible ways to champion meaningful change within their organizations. Here are 10 impactful strategies any business can use to promote DEIB:
1. Lead with Intention
Successful DEIB efforts start at the top. Company leaders need to make diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging intentional priorities, not just nice-to-have values. Set clear DEIB goals tied to business objectives. Hold yourself and leadership team accountable for measurable progress through performance evaluations. Regularly communicate the business case for DEIB as you launch initiatives. Employees will follow your lead.
2. Evaluate Existing Policies and Practices
Take a deep look at current policies and programs through a DEIB lens. Assess recruiting and hiring practices, compensation equity, advancement opportunities, company culture, and leadership demographics. Be honest about where unconscious bias and barriers may exist. Analyze employee survey data and exit interviews for insights. This analysis will spotlight areas for improvement.
3. Invest in Diversity Initiatives
Investing in DEI initiatives can take several forms
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Sponsor employee resource groups that build community for underrepresented groups. Provide leadership, funding and visibility.
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Expand inclusion training for all employees with candid discussions
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Offer mentoring and leadership programs specifically for minority groups.
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Fund employee scholarships and development programs supporting diverse communities.
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Partner with and sponsor diverse professional organizations and local groups.
4. Incentivize DEIB Progress
Incorporate DEIB metrics into the incentive structure at both the individual and company level. Make a percentage of leadership bonuses contingent on meeting diversity goals like developing X number of minority managers. This motivates leaders to prioritize DEIB in talent decisions. Publish an annual DEIB report to transparently share progress.
5. Promote Pay Equity
One key aspect of equity is ensuring fair compensation across demographic groups. Complete a pay equity audit analyzing compensation by gender, race, age, and ethnicity. Address unexplained disparities. Evaluate pay for similar roles and experience levels. Compare promotion rates. Be proactive about compensation reviews for employees returning from leaves as well.
6. Train at All Levels
Go beyond basic compliance training to invest significantly in DEIB education. Offer programs tailored for executives, managers, team leaders and individual contributors. Include topics like covering unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, microaggressions, disability awareness, cultural competence, and more. Make training an ongoing process.
7. Build Accountability Into Processes
At each step of talent management processes like hiring, performance management, succession planning, and leadership appointments, establish mechanisms to reduce bias and increase diversity. Require diverse slates for open roles. Use structured interviews. Have multiple leaders review promotions and high potential designations. Add DEIB metrics into 360 reviews.
8. Boost Belonging
Inclusion is a vital complement to diversity. Employees from underrepresented backgrounds will only stay and contribute fully if they feel welcomed and valued. Train managers to foster inclusive team environments. Create ERGs, mentoring and development programs to support belonging. Highlight diverse leaders’ stories. Model inclusive behaviors at all levels.
9. Prioritize Flexibility
Flexibility in where, when and how work gets done gives employees with varied needs and life situations the ability to thrive. Offer options like remote work, flexible schedules, job shares, and leaves of absence. Support employees through major life events. Flexibility enhances inclusiveness.
10. Keep Listening
Continuously gather employee feedback on the DEIB experience through engagement surveys, focus groups, town halls and open office hours with leadership. Solicit ideas for improvement from ERGs. Evaluate program success and evolving needs. Listen, respond, and refresh your strategies as the journey continues.
The path to becoming a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace is long, but the business benefits make it an urgent imperative. Stay persistent. With intention, investment, accountability and compassion, you can champion meaningful DEIB progress. Employees and companies alike will prosper.
Create goals and measure progress
DEI in the workplace shouldn’t—and doesn’t have to be—wishful thinking. But to get there, you need to set big-picture goals and outline milestones you need to reach along the way. Without a clear path, you may find yourself walking in circles.
For example, common goals for promoting DEI in the workplace include:
- Recruiting and hiring more employees from minority communities.
- Having your employee population mirror the population of your local community.
- Making the environment more inclusive to existing employees and increasing employee retention.
If you don’t know where you’re at today and what you’ll do to get there, how can you expect to make any meaningful progress?
Ultimately, it’s up to your organization to decide what you’ll measure and how often. But doing so is non-negotiable if you want to promote DEI.
Plus, with companies spending as much as $8 billion a year on DEI efforts in the U.S.alone, measuring progress can help validate the ROI on DEI. Metrics make it easy to identify opportunities and successes and communicate them effectively to stakeholders.
Collect candid feedback from your team
Here’s the hard truth about DEI: it’s not just about you as an organization. What matters is whether or not your employees feel that you’re making an impact.
And a lot of employees—50% to be exact—want their workplace to do more.
While your employee feedback might not always be good news you’re hoping for, it does help you identify the right areas of improvement. The insights you get from your team can help you to focus on the initiatives that matter most to them.
Employee DEI feedback can be gathered anecdotally or through more formal surveys.
Some examples of questions to ask in a DEI feedback survey include:
- Do you feel comfortable being yourself at work?
- Are there certain aspects of yourself you feel you need to keep separate from work?
- Do you ever feel left out at work?
- What could we do better to support you?
- Have you faced or witnessed prejudice in the workplace setting?
- How do you feel our current EDI initiatives are going? What’s working? Where do we need to improve?
Another formal way to gather employee feedback and sentiment is to conduct a DEI audit.
Belonging, A Critical Piece of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Carin Taylor | TEDxSonomaCounty
Are You championing diversity & equity & inclusion in the workplace?
More and more companies are realizing the advantages of championing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace. Harvard Business School Online and Indeed recently hosted a webinar to provide actionable advice to employees, hiring managers and job seekers interested in driving positive change.
What is Diversity Equity & Inclusion (dei)?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are essential components that help to promote a sense of belonging. They focus on representation, fair treatment, and integration of individuals from diverse backgrounds. DEI lays a strong foundation to build an environment where everyone feels like they belong.
What is Diversity & Equity & Inclusion & why is it important?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are essential to fostering a positive work culture. Through exposure to diverse perspectives, you can improve employee morale, promote business ethics, and drive creative problem-solving and innovation.
What is Diversity Equity Inclusion & belonging?
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are four separate concepts that together help boost morale, engagement, productivity, success, and innovation within the workplace. HR teams and organizations as a whole are more aware than ever before that DEIB initiatives can mean the difference between an organization thriving or flagging.
