How to promote diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the workplace |

Since employees' psychological emotional, psychological, as well as environmental needs have become more pronounced and more pressing, employers are realizing they have to take action to support their teams -- or be at risk of losing them. This includes more interests and investments in diversity, equity, and diversity (DEI) programmes at work.

Though this change is promising but it's also the subject of a lot of confusion. We spoke with DEI experts and thought leaders to help clarify what DEI involves, the fundamentals of building a strong DEI strategy, and tips to make it successful.

The deep dive into DEI How to learn

•    What exactly is diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work place?
•    The effect of equity, diversity and inclusion
•    How to build an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace
•    6 tips to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace

What is diversification, equity and inclusion in the workplace?

One of the biggest errors I've witnessed companies commit in the 15 years I've worked in DEI has been to treat the diversity issue as a simple box-checking exercise. The focus of companies is on figures -- like the percentage of their workforce that are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) or how much they've given to causes -- but they don't consider important, subtle specifics that reallyimpact their employees.

Since DEI is so much more than that.

In reality, DEI does not just mean ticking boxes on your hiring practice. It is always helpful to break equity, diversity and inclusion down in order to know what these terms means.

Integrating DEI into your workplace is a matter of proactively advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspect of your business. It means learning to analyze every step inside every department using an DEI lens , whether it's the partnership you select for support, to the ways you advocate for your employees outside of your workplace.

DEI is about the things we can observe, but just as importantly, the things we can't: how supported employees feel, whether they feel like they have a sense of belonging in the workplace, and whether employees feel that they can talk openly with their managers.

Impact of equity, diversity and the inclusion of all people

It's impossible to underestimate the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion for both your company and your workforce.

Of course, it seems evident why equity, diversity and inclusion are important to employees. People want to feel at in their workplaces: they desire to work with people that look like them, feel confident in their ability to fail without worry, and speak freely and be confident that they don't have to hide their personalities when at work.

In the beginning I couldn't imagine a pathway to being an executive, because I was a Black and single mother of three. In the beginning of my professional life, I believed I must have the right answer for every question and make sure my hair wasn't in its natural state so that I could be successful. The only time I decided to join companies that met me in my current situation that I realized that all my beliefs that didn't belong to me were actually my strength. It's been a while since I've heard others share similar experiences.

The data supports these stories of how a positive DEI culture impacts employees. Based on studies conducted by BetterUp, employees who feel a strong feeling of belonging to the workplace show, on average:

• An increase of 56 percent in the job's performance
• 50% reduction in the chance of loss
• A 75 percent decrease in employee sick days.
• Net promotion scores for employers (eNPS) which are 167% more

These are clear benefits for employees, however they're extremely beneficial for businesses that value DEI. Beyond the many advantages of employees who are engaged, lower unemployment, better job performance and a decrease in absenteeism companies with higher diversity are also more likely to achieve higher than average profitability, higher profits, a greater rate of return on investment, and a higher percent of revenues from innovations.

This is the kind of result that don't just come by ticking boxes however, they are the result of putting forth efforts to make sure employees are psychologically secure. If employees feel that they are able to risk their lives and be supported, or can safely go to their managers with any concerns or suggestions, businesses reap the rewards.

That is when employers get to hear their teams' brightest, boldest ideas and provide the kind of feedback that will truly help an organization.

How to build an equitable, diverse and welcoming workplace

If you're eager to flesh out a DEI strategy that is more than checking boxes, we'll explain the steps you'll need take to begin taking note of your priorities and then implementing them.

Take stock of the place you're at

First thing you'll need to do is get an understanding of how DEI is currently like in your company. It can be an intimidating stage if you've not started the DEI journey yet, since it's hard to determine where the gaps are. This is however an important step since when you're not collecting basic data, it's difficult to track the progress you make as time passes.

The best method to begin is to start by creating an engagement survey and obtaining self-identified diversity information on your current employees.

Remember that data that you collect tells a story -- not just regarding the results of your DEI efforts, but about how things are going more widely. You can't evaluate employee engagement in the year 2019 with employee engagement in 2020 without mentioning the impact of the pandemic. By that same measure, be aware of the events happening both locally and internationally each year in order to understand how factors affect the lives of employees.

Take a tour of the listening

A survey might provide you with an excellent first impression of how employees are engaged at your organization Don't just stop there. Surveys can provide a wealth of information, however if you don't talk to employees directly, you'll lose important insights and valuable feedback.

I usually suggest approaching this through coordinating meetings directly with the CEO. Often, employees' opinions aren't passed on to leadership, since they are filtered through management chains. This is an opportunity for the CEO to hold a conversation directly with the group in question and to truly listen to their thoughts, concerns, and opinions.

We begin by inviting individuals to sign up to organizations based on the diversity dimension (such such as BIPOC and LGBTQIA group). There is no limit to the number of people that can be a part of the group because we want everyone to have a voice. I chat with each group first and let members know that at the session it will be some time for the CEO pose questions, and then a period of time for comments and questions by the group.

Then, I coach the CEO on the types of questions they should ask employees in order to gather valuable feedback. They will create their own questions , naturally, however, I would also recommend asking questions such as:

• "What are some actions that you feel will aid this business?"
• "What are some of the things you think would help me in my role as a leader?"
• "What do you think could help us achieve our goals as a company?"
• "Here are the most important objectives I'm working towards. Now, in your seat, what do you think will hurt or benefit the goals?"

Prioritize needs

Participating in the listening tour as well as the launch of an engagement survey will typically uncover dozens of DEI aspects for an organization to work on. This is completely normal- after all that when it comes to DEI work there are always ways that an organization can continue to improve the employee experiences.

But the truth is that the majority of companies have only a limited amount of time and funds to carry out DEI initiatives. Actually, as per studies conducted in 2022 by Culture Amp, only 34 percent of Human Resources and DEI practitioners believe they have enough resources for their DEI initiatives.

Clearly, prioritizing is necessary. However, how do you determine which projects to focus on first?

Begin by sorting through all of the data, feedback, and insights you've collected through the listening tour, engagement survey as well as data collection. It's generally my experience that I can group the information into three main types:

• Projects or tasks which we could have completed (but haven't yet)
• Needs of the moment
• Long-term objectives

Once you've categorized the insights you've gathered, look over the risk factors for each. What are the current risks that put the business at risk legally? Any situation that puts the business or its employees in danger is a must-have.

After that, take a look at projects that could be easy to implement or may be the most pressing. Consider realistically what could be accomplished each quarter, then plot the plan of action in a plan.

Keep in mind the fact that DEI work is iterative. A company's DEI demands will be constantly changing, which is fine -- leave some wiggle in your plans Be prepared and be open to the possibility of having your needs for the future change.

Get involved with managers and leaders in DEI training

According to James K. Harter, Gallup's chief scientist in work-related management, managers are responsible for at the very least 75 percent of the factors which cause employees to quit. However, only 41 managers report attending courses or classes that are focused on DEI.

It is a good thing that explicit training can solve these issues and help managers bring the DEI perspective to all they do , from interviewing , onboarding and onboarding, and facilitating effective one-on-one sessions.

Do not stop with management when it comes to training neither. The leaders of your company may not get enough time to spend one-onone with teams, but true determination to DEI should begin from the top. Leadership must participate with DEI more than just publishing an announcement on a website. Furthermore, training via online video, face-to-face, or collaborative hybrid sessions could help them make sure that they apply the DEI lens to every choice they make.

You can measure your achievement -- then share it

As you tackle initiatives in your plan be sure to track and measure the results of every. In the case of, say, if you want to see an increase in the percentage of BIPOC employees working in leadership positions, keep the track of your progress as well as your accomplishments. Consider identifying and measuring the following:

• How much have you increased the percentage of BIPOC applicants that are in your pipeline?
• What ways have you diversified the job boards that you place ads on?
• What number of BIPOC employees do you promote to higher positions?

When you've documented the improvements your organization is making then share the story with the company at large by way of a town hall discussion or asynchronous video update. This lets employees see the fact that you're actually implementing their feedback during the listening tour as well as highlighting the improvements you've made.

Six tips for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity at work

There are a variety of ways to drive DEI within the workplace, and every organization's path will be different. However, there are a handful of suggestions you can follow in order to find ways to increase your DEI.

1. Lean in to difficult moments

Another example of this can be observed by the hiring freezes that many companies are currently experiencing. The hiring freeze is challenging to manage, however it can also provide the time and space needed to review what your recruitment and hiring practices are like. Use this opportunity to ask yourself:

• What can we do to diversify our Careers page and our panels for interviewing?
• How can we ensure that diverse candidates can see their potential employers prior to their arrival?
• How do we make sure that the process of interviewing, whether it's remote or in person -- is inclusive of disabled people?

Each time you're faced with a problem you have the chance to grow.

2. Don't focus solely on outcomes

When you are planning the details of your DEI initiatives, it can be tempting to create goals that are solely focused on outputs. However, remember that inputs can also be an effective driver of transformation.

As an example, your output goals could be to improve diversity among employees in the amount of one percentage. This is an crucial goal that you must define, however it'll be affected by many less important actions you can take, such as:

• In the event that you are unable to fill your hiring pipeline with at minimum 50 percent minority candidates
• Ensuring 75 percent of the postings on job boards focus on minority candidates
• Reviewing your benefit plan in order in order to ensure transgender women and female employees are properly supported

Make sure you are focusing on this level when you create the DEI plan, and you'll find many more positive changes that are implemented across your organization.

3. Design spaces that foster connections

At , we've created Employee Community Groups (ECGs) in order to foster an atmosphere of community among employees. Hundreds of employees are part of our six ECGs, and each one receives an annual plan, mission, and executive sponsorship in order to run workshops and activities.

ECGs and other group discussions (whether they're held on Slack or in person and on video calls) can create psychologically safe places for employees to meet and relax. We've observed, that's invaluable for the health of your employees' minds of your employees, their happiness, and the belonging of your teams.

4. Respond to social justice moments

Companies today are increasingly global. This means that -- at any given moment there are workers affected by global issues. This could be the conflict in Ukraine, the loss of abortion rights or the quake in Haiti the leadership must respond to moments that matter to employees.

Not every social justice moment requires a declaration from your CEO obviously. Those can be incredibly impactful, but when we think about how to respond in these situations this usually means taking care of your employees. Ask yourself:

• How can you handle the situation when an employee has a death in the family?
• What do you do for employees who are denied access to certain rights?
• What can you do to create spaces and help for people who have experienced a trauma within their community?
• How are you acknowledging the experiences of your employees?

When you respond to events of social justice with compassion and compassion, your employees will are aware that you care about their needs and support them. What happens when that moment is not appreciated? Employees leave.

5. Don't ignore smaller opportunities for change

When carrying out the DEI plan, it could be easy to concentrate exclusively on your objectives. But, truly accepting DEI is a matter of looking at each of your activities from the DEI lens. When you do that it will be easier to look at smaller, no-cost strategies to boost DEI in your business.

As an example, here at we've started to take a closer look at our partnership. We don't have to pay anything to partner with an organization so that we can make an impact, so how do we grow that program? What can we do to better utilize it to aid more Black-owned companies or people who are improving their conditions in prison system?

Businesses are usually so focused on watching the North Star that they miss opportunities similar to those. Slow down and notice the small potentials.

6. Do not forget to mention the product you are selling

When you're done with the day, your employees working to deliver a item or service to clients. Make sure that you include DEI within your marketing. Is your marketing inclusive? Are you supporting diverse needs? Are your options taking everyone's demands into consideration? Or are they accidentally exclusionary?

They are huge elements that are critical to the success of your company, so make sure that they're an integral part of your plan.

Start the beginning of your DEI journey