DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is a crucial aspect of any workplace environment, serving to attract qualified candidates while keeping them loyal to your business.
Diversity includes differences related to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation disability and socioeconomic status. Diversity efforts aim to create an environment in which employees feel valued, accepted and safe enough to express themselves freely.
Diversity in the C-Suite
Companies have long implemented diversity initiatives within their organizations; however, these efforts rarely reach the executive suite level. When this occurs, an all-male C-Suite could send the message that it does not care about promoting inclusivity or fairness – damaging its reputation and hindering business operations.
One way for companies to address this problem is through employing a chief diversity officer. This role oversees an organization’s diversity programs while supporting board and CEO members when it comes to hiring diverse executives. Furthermore, they can serve as mentors for minority employees as they navigate the business world.
As more people look for workplaces that embrace diverse backgrounds, it is vital for companies to maintain a diverse C-Suite in order to better connect with customers and recruit talent, while improving brand value and fostering employee retention.
Organizations need to start early if they wish to ensure a diverse pool of candidates. They should create pipelines of high-potential employees from various parts of the country and backgrounds as well as invest in leadership development programs that offer clear paths towards executive roles.
Further, companies must remain open about their progress and share data regarding diversity statistics to inspire other workplaces to implement changes of their own.
Diversity initiatives must address not only race and gender diversity, but also age, thought, religion, sexual orientation, culture and more – giving employees the ability to feel like part of the company and having an effect on its culture. This way, employees feel like they belong and make a contribution that shapes its direction.
Diverse and inclusive workforces are crucial to business, so now is the time to expand its diversity by recruiting more women and people of color into C-suite positions. Achieving this requires large-scale changes and commitment from all levels within an organization – both from the bottom up. Prioritize recruitment and promotion of underrepresented executives while being fair in assessing, developing and promoting them to ensure long-term success.
Creating an Inclusive Culture
Culture refers to the values and priorities of any group which impact how individuals work individually as well as collectively. A company’s culture can be defined by leadership’s commitment to diversity equity and inclusion; for an inclusive workplace to exist this type of culture must permeate all levels of the organization.
As part of an inclusive environment, employees are encouraged to be themselves at work and be comfortable being themselves. Equal treatment of employees regardless of background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age or family status are ensured – companies that prioritize inclusivity often find themselves in an advantageous position when it comes to talent acquisition and employee retention.
Establishing an inclusive culture takes effort and consideration. It must be built upon mentoring programs focused on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) as well as activities exposing employees to diverse perspectives, as well as interactions between managers and their employees. Leaders who feel comfortable sharing their personal thoughts about DEI is another effective way to foster an inclusive mindset – Deloitte research suggests this impactful behavior could impact up to 70% of employees’ perceptions of inclusion within a company.
Inclusive workplaces can foster creativity and innovation by providing an atmosphere where ideas freely flow. They do this through teamwork, encouraging shy or introverted employees to contribute, soliciting different opinions, and acknowledging everyone’s contributions.
Inclusion can be measured in many ways, from gender representation in senior roles to creating an environment in which all employees feel welcome and valued – the more an employee feels they belong with the organization and that their voice is heard, the more likely they will remain loyal members.
Businesses that celebrate diversity can reap the rewards of an inclusive culture, leading to higher productivity and improved financial results. Hiring diverse employees is more cost-effective than recruiting only white, male, or cisgender candidates; and it may increase customer satisfaction by drawing consumers who share similar values as the business.
Capturing Employee Feedback
As part of an effective effort to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at work, it’s vital to regularly collect employee feedback. Doing this will enable you to gauge the efficacy of initiatives while pinpointing where additional support or changes may be required. LeverTRM makes this easy with CX surveys which include DEI surveys; anonymous employee engagement survey questions can easily be sent out on a periodic cadence for all your workforce or specific teams and individuals on a regular cadence – consider asking about gender identity/pronouns/race/ethnicity issues as well as disability/in impairment/incapability or any other factor relevant to your org; for interviews you could ask about diversity/inclusion within interview panels/processes etc.
Most employees in the workplace consider diversity of racial and ethnic background to be extremely or very important, while most workers also cite having various sexual orientations represented as being of great significance to their workplace experience. Furthermore, most employees indicated their workplace as being very or extremely accessible for people with physical disabilities.
Even with positive trends, many workers feel their company is not doing enough to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be related to more than half of millennial and Gen Z workers leaving their positions during and following COVID-19 pandemic; coupled with widespread economic disillusionment this caused many workers to reassess their job satisfaction levels and what they seek in a new role.
Young workers today are prioritizing diversity when considering prospective employers, seeking out leaders who will set an example in regard to DEI within their organizations and support DEI initiatives within. Furthermore, they look for businesses who value contributions made, acknowledge unique needs, and provide career development. They seek companies committed to creating a more diverse and equitable world – those which make this commitment will enjoy competitive advantages over those that don’t.
Training Managers
Diversity equity and inclusion offer many advantages for companies, with research showing that companies with diverse teams are more likely to innovate and experience greater business growth. But being inclusive requires more than simply hiring diverse employees; training managers is required as well in order to foster an inclusive workplace culture – including educating leaders on how to create positive work cultures while being mindful of how their actions may impact others.
Education can take many forms; one way of providing leaders with necessary tools for effective diversity management can be through an online course such as this one from Cornell ILR School which teaches participants how to develop and execute effective diversity, equity and inclusion practices within their organizations. Other companies provide internal training sessions; SAP for instance offers an on-demand Diversity Equity Inclusion Management Program with participants receiving a professional certificate from Cornell ILR School upon completion.
Implementing training that addresses unconscious bias and microaggressions can help managers be more inclusive in their interactions with employees, especially around issues of race, gender and disability. Such skills enable managers to detect potentially negative conversations before they escalate further into conflict situations.
Integrating diversity, equity and inclusion into company culture can also reduce employee turnover rates. By creating an inclusive work environment where staff feel valued by their company and take pride in their job they may experience increased productivity as well as higher levels of engagement with work.
As demographics shift and new generations enter the workforce, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives become ever more crucial to companies looking to attract and retain top talent as well as provide a more inclusive employee experience. To learn more about integrating one into your organization’s structure, schedule a free consultation with an Achievers Solutions expert today!