Diversity equity and inclusion jobs have seen a recent upswing in hiring due to the Black Lives Matter movement and an increase in focus on issues that impact marginalized groups.
Employees from diverse demographics bring different viewpoints to business goals and projects, helping companies develop products and services tailored specifically for a broader customer base.
Individual Contributor
Recently, companies have been increasingly interested in recruiting individuals who specialize in diversity equity and inclusion jobs. This new career field can often be found listed on job boards; some professionals even changed careers entirely in pursuit of this niche area.
Diversifying, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is key to an organization’s success. DEI ensures all types of employees feel welcome at work regardless of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion or location; increasing productivity and morale by making all employees feel they can bring their full selves to the office.
Recently, we conducted a survey that sought the opinions of nearly 800 business and HR professionals regarding who should be responsible for DEI leadership at their organizations. While most respondents agreed that all are accountable, those in management roles tend to think otherwise than individuals in entry-level or individual contributor positions.
Individual contributors play an essential part in any organization’s Diversity & Equality initiatives, often being the frontline workers who interact with all kinds of people on a daily basis and help build relationships across different groups and create more inclusive cultures. Furthermore, they can identify any discrimination or bias issues which may exist and work to address any that might exist in an effort to ensure an inclusive workplace culture is fostered.
Individuals need to become informed on how they can help create a more equitable workplace environment, including learning more about racism, sexism and homophobia as well as participating in training programs like She Geeks Out or LifeLabs Learning that teach how to create inclusive environments that foster open discussions.
Individuals should speak to their managers about how they can support the company’s DEI efforts and understand why it is necessary and make DEI part of their everyday work activities.
Manager
Companies are increasingly hiring managers to manage diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. These managers typically work within HR department to ensure businesses are meeting legal requirements, following best practices, creating a positive work environment for employees and protecting minority groups within their business. Furthermore, DEI managers may ensure all job ads include diverse and inclusive language.
To succeed at their roles, managers need to possess highly developed teamworking, communicating and trust-building abilities. Furthermore, they should possess excellent leadership abilities as well as experience building diverse talent pipelines across an organization. Furthermore, they should hold at least a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management or Organizational Psychology along with at least four years’ of relevant work experience.
Managers need a complete grasp on current and emerging industry trends and issues, with knowledge on how to use data and metrics to demonstrate the return-on-investment (ROI) of DEI initiatives such as measuring how many employees participate in employee resource groups, female representation in management positions or how much is spent recruiting diverse demographics for recruitment efforts.
Managers can lead in designing and implementing DEI training programs across multiple departments within their business. For instance, they could design an introduction to diversity and inclusion curriculum for all new hires or tailor a program specifically for high-potential employees that helps develop their abilities when working with different people.
Managers seeking to advance their careers and become leaders within their industry should consider earning professional certifications or earning a master’s degree in human resources. Doing so can give them an edge in the job market and help create careers they enjoy doing.
Companies should prioritize diversity and inclusion initiatives within their businesses to enhance employee morale, productivity and engagement, customer service quality and innovation while simultaneously improving social justice and bettering society as a whole.
Team Leader
Diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are cornerstones of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Unfortunately, many companies struggle with implementing DEI initiatives at an organizational level in order for employees to feel safe bringing their authentic selves to work. Leaders should reflect the diverse workforce culture so employees feel at ease being themselves at work.
McKinsey’s 2020 study demonstrated the tangible advantages of effective DEI programs for businesses: higher profits, improved operations and greater innovation were reported by these firms with stronger DEI programs than their counterparts. A DEI leader should strive to foster an environment which supports and upholds inclusivity by building connections among employees from diverse backgrounds.
Leadership must set a clear tone and demonstrate their values to set an inclusive environment, such as by eliminating language in job descriptions that alienates specific groups, creating employee resource groups to foster a sense of belonging, or implementing policies and practices to promote inclusion such as flexible work arrangements, psychological safety or communication strategies.
At midcareer or executive levels, diversity team leaders oversee all DEI initiatives within an organization. They create diversity hiring techniques, develop training programs and programs, maintain employee resource groups’ relationships and can sometimes even have to comply with equal employment opportunity laws and assist harassment investigations.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion specialists (DEI specialists) serve as junior versions of team leaders. They’re responsible for answering any inquiries from employees via email or in person regarding an organization’s DEI efforts and commitment to creating an inclusive workspace, compiling data to be presented back to HR or C-suite as reports, writing diversity-related surveys or questionnaires to employees within their organization, helping employees access available resources as needed and helping employees navigate these programs themselves.
Executive
Are You Engaged with Diversity Equity and Inclusion Jobs (DEI Jobs)? DEI jobs promote an environment in which all employees feel welcomed regardless of age, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation – becoming an increasingly prevalent segment of job markets and many professionals even changing careers to work in this new area.
DEI jobs are typically held by middle managers who play a crucial role in creating policies and procedures to foster inclusive practices across departments. They may also develop and implement DEI training programs for employees. DEI careers offer great potential to those who have extensive industry experience but would also like to work in more socially responsible and diverse environments.
Executive-level roles that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) include the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). This individual serves as the company’s expert in DEI matters; creating strategies across the business to implement fair practices while conducting regular employee surveys to assess whether their DEI strategy is being properly implemented.
They should also address employee complaints of discrimination and help resolve conflicts between management and employees, or lead mentoring programs for minority groups. A Chief Diversity Officer should possess at least eight years of business experience as well as at least three years’ worth of diversity-advances experience.
One of the more difficult aspects of this position is measuring how effectively companies execute their DEI strategy. Many companies rely on employee surveys as a measurement method, but results can often be compromised as not all employees take time to respond. A better measurement would be having an independent auditor conduct an independent audit in order to get more precise and comprehensive data.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion Jobs play an essential part in creating an environment free from discrimination and bias at work, helping all employees feel at home within their environment. A diverse workforce helps companies remain more cost-efficient while simultaneously innovate faster; employees may contribute different points of view that otherwise would have gone ignored.