An DEI statement can help communicate your values to potential colleagues, students and partners. Getting feedback from a variety of sources – the Writing Center, faculty mentor(s), friends – is highly advised before finalizing it.
DEI statements only hold value if they’re supported by concrete actions that align with your mission and values.
1. Be specific.
Being specific when making DEI statements is of utmost importance; otherwise, people could come away thinking that you don’t take diversity and inclusion seriously or that your statement is inauthentic or unfounded. Additionally, being honest about where your company currently stands on its journey to inclusion can also help. If a particular topic presents difficulty for you to approach head on, seeking feedback from employees or reaching out to community leaders for advice could help provide direction on how best to approach it.
Your diversity and inclusion statement should demonstrate that your company prioritizes inclusivity and prioritises marginalized groups, by creating a welcoming and safe environment, prioritizing diversity, and inculcating it into your mission and values statements as well as policies and goals governing business operations. This can be accomplished by making sure all members feel included, creating an inclusive culture, welcoming newcomers with open arms and creating a welcoming and diverse workforce culture that promotes belonging for all members of your organization. A great way of accomplishing this objective is incorporating diversity and inclusion into mission/value statements which then guide operations – setting clear expectations around inclusivity for all employees while encouraging participation at work.
Academic job applications also require diversity statements tailored to each institution’s prompt. Simply communicating your commitment to inclusivity through teaching, research, scholarship and service activities won’t do; rather you must provide evidence of how you plan to implement such practices at their prospective institution.
Providing this information could include your representation statistics, current diversity efforts or link to your public-facing diversity report. Admitting that your organization isn’t fully inclusive yet is okay – being honest can build trust with your audience. Also ensure your language and tone match that of your company culture; any attempt at being different could come across as inauthentic or even offensive, ultimately having the opposite of intended effects.
2. Be honest.
It’s crucial when writing your DEI statement that you be honest and genuine when discussing where your organization stands when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). If your statements fail to live up to promises made and expectations set out by employees and the public alike, your statements could backfire and create unnecessary tension among staff and stakeholders.
Employees expect their companies to take a stand on issues of social justice and diversity, yet research indicates they’re not satisfied with simply lip service; they want purpose-driven leaders who demonstrate what it means for a business to embrace diversity and inclusion, with real results as proof.
If you’re serious about changing your culture, it’s time to move beyond one-off training sessions and invest in long-term initiatives that will create real and long-lasting change. Cultural competency and inclusion training is one such initiative which can help create lasting change; for instance investing in cultural competency training helps companies understand their international workforces better while also creating more inclusive working environments – crucial considerations in today’s age of worker activism.
As part of your efforts, it’s essential that you establish clear goals that align with your overall business strategy and vision. These may include goals such as measuring diversity in your workforce, reducing unconscious biases, sponsoring employee resource groups or developing training and development programs. You should also keep an eye on diversity hiring metrics to ensure you’re on track – this can help identify areas for further improvement and make necessary adjustments; showing employees you are truly committed to creating change is another bonus point!
3. Be balanced.
Diversity encompasses all of the ways people differ, beyond race and ethnicity; this can include gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical abilities, political viewpoints and life experiences. On the other hand, inclusion is defined as creating an inclusive environment that provides individuals with what they need to thrive – including an opportunity to become their best selves.
Inclusion and diversity work hand in hand to create an environment in which everyone feels welcome, valued, and supported. A diversity statement should emphasize their significance; with particular focus placed upon inclusion as one key driver of workplace equity.
To foster inclusive and diverse organizations, organizations must demonstrate a firm commitment to offering access and opportunities for employees regardless of their identities. This makes all the difference when it comes to how people feel at work and whether they feel empowered and motivated to do their best and meet their goals.
Companies should prioritize not only employee diversity but also meet the needs of their communities and customers to make an impactful contribution to society.
DEI statements must go further than simply listing goals and initiatives; to show they’re making real strides in diversity, DEI statements should include data to support them – for instance, statistics such as percentage of women in leadership positions or expenditure on purchasing products/services from diverse vendors should be provided as back up of claims made within DEI statements – this will build trust with employees and the community that shows they’re making real progress and not simply going through the motions.
4. Be inclusive.
When creating a diversity statement, it is vital to include all parts of your organization – this means considering its goals and values as well as those who work within. Doing this will ensure your statement makes an effective effort at DEIB change.
As part of your DEI statement, it’s also essential that it’s actionable. By setting goals and fulfilling them, you can show employees and the community that real changes are happening in your workplace – making it clear to all involved that your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging remains strong.
Start off by explaining why your actions are taking place; this will allow you to focus on issues most relevant to your company and establish trust with all of its stakeholders.
After outlining specific actions your company intends to take in the near future, such as hiring more diverse employees or setting out goals for eliminating gender pay gap, or increasing representation of women and minority groups in leadership roles – then proceed.
If you are having difficulty creating actionable goals for your company, seek advice from trusted advisers and mentors. Their expertise can help find an equilibrium between positive sentiments and concrete actions; and provide an objective view of your progress. They may even point you toward reports which show progress toward your goals.
5. Be actionable.
When writing your DEI statement, it’s essential that it be actionable. While having an expansive vision for inclusion can be inspiring, you also must set specific measurable goals with tangible steps for reaching them. For example, if one of your EDIB values is decolonization of pedagogy then include what steps have been taken – for example revising reading lists to reflect marginalized voices rather than traditional canon texts – along with any necessary evidence that you have undertaken such as revising reading lists to better represent marginalized voices than traditional canon texts in revision plans for course redesign or revision plans to reflect decolonization process undertaken or modify curriculum materials accordingly.
Make your D&I statement actionable by including employee or candidate testimonials into it; this helps demonstrate that your inclusion values aren’t just lip service. Finally, prominently display it on your website and social media platforms so current and potential employees see that you walk the walk when it comes to inclusivity.
While crafting an inclusive diversity equity and inclusion statement can be daunting, its rewards far outweigh its effort. Diversity within your workplace has many positive ramifications on employee morale, engagement, productivity and customer experience; by making public commitment to inclusion you may help attract and retain top talent.
To create a successful diversity statement, it’s crucial that you fully comprehend your culture and values before carefully crafting a thoughtful document. Engaging employees in this process also shows them they are valued and appreciated; using these tips you can produce a diversity statement which inspires and motivates employees toward creating an inclusive work environment and thus better positions your company to attract and retain top talent in today’s competitive job market.