Diversity equity and inclusion statements serve two main functions in an organization’s culture of inclusivity: they help determine where improvements need to be made while giving employees something tangible to work toward.
Statements like these also demonstrate that your business is willing to take a stand on relevant issues; people seek employment with companies that demonstrate this kind of passion.
Mission
Organizations must create spaces where individuals from varying identities can share and learn together in a diverse world. These identities include race, age, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, disabilities culture and education – not all of which will necessarily conflict but may in certain situations.
An inclusive workplace is essential to employees, prospective candidates and customers – as well as recruiting and retention strategies. A recent survey demonstrated this point; 67% of job seekers stated their importance when making their decision about which company to work for.
To recruit and retain top talent, organizations need to ensure their diversity and inclusion mission statement is appealing to potential employees. A well-written DEI statement should outline your stance on diversity issues and describe how your actions will create a more inclusive workplace environment. In order to communicate your message effectively, use clear language; avoid complex or obscure language that might obfuscate its intent.
As you create your diversity statement, it can be helpful to include data regarding your organization’s current state. This could range from how many women or people of color hold leadership roles within your organization to its progress on closing the gender pay gap. Furthermore, it’s okay for a diversity statement to be an ongoing work in progress; by being open about any difficulties encountered and acknowledging where growth may need to occur this shows commitment and growth which is central to DEI.
Building an inclusive workplace begins with your employees, so it is vital that you demonstrate you value their varied experiences and perspectives. Mastercard demonstrates this perfectly by emphasizing their people as agents of change by emphasizing “creating equal access and promoting inclusivity starts with our people”. This message conveys to candidates that Mastercard acknowledges their differences while still supporting them to reach their full potential – as well as differentiating itself from its competitors through strong titles – the YMCA has one with “Caring, honesty, respect, and Responsibility.”
Vision
Your Diversity Equity and Inclusion statement should clearly convey your goals of creating a workplace where diverse experiences and perspectives are valued equally, where everyone has access to equal opportunities, while at the same time outlining how you intend to accomplish these goals. One approach would be including an overview of diversity initiatives already implemented within your company as well as plans to expand them further.
A strong DEI statement should highlight that diversity transcends race and gender alone; it should include age, socioeconomic status, physical ability and attributes, behavioral health needs, neurodiversity issues, religious or spiritual value systems, worldview or cosmovision differences as well as national origin issues. By including all aspects of diversity within an inclusive workplace environment, all employees feel as though their contributions matter towards its success.
Note that while a strong diversity statement is integral for creating a healthy work culture, it should not serve as the sole method for evaluation and change. Therefore, it is crucial that organizations create plans of action and monitor metrics like representation of women in leadership positions, minorities onboard, people with disabilities in management roles etc. In doing this you can assess whether your efforts are having any effect and find ways to enhance them further.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is certainly worthy causes, but from a business perspective it’s equally essential to consider its implications for your bottom line. That is why companies must include DEI goals into their mission statement and communicate them openly with current and potential customers and employees alike.
Have a clear diversity and inclusion statement can help your company attract and retain top talent, setting it apart from its competitors. Crafting one doesn’t need to be complicated – in fact, creating one could save time in the long run by outlining specific steps your company plans on taking towards change implementation.
Values
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements provide businesses with a platform to convey the values they hold dear when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. DEI statements may include company values such as honesty, respect and responsibility as anchor points; however, an effective DEI statement goes further by outlining specific actions and initiatives they plan to undertake to reach their goals as well as plans for monitoring progress and measuring success.
Diversity refers to an array of social and personal characteristics that impact individuals both inside and outside of work environments, including race, age, physical ability, gender identity/sexual orientation/religion/culture/socioeconomic class/education – these can include race/age/physical ability/gender identity/sexual orientation/religion/culture/socioeconomic class & education status etc. For businesses to become truly inclusive environments they must understand how these identities intersect, as well as which groups may be most affected by such situations.
Inclusion involves taking steps to foster a sense of belonging and respect among employees, with activities like cultural awareness training, workshops, and discussions helping employees feel included. Furthermore, companies should consider strategies for combatting unconscious bias in their workforces by offering courses to identify and address root causes of discrimination; or hiring programs designed to promote diversity.
An effective diversity statement should outline how a company will work towards its goals in an honest and transparent manner, acknowledging any current state issues even if this may be hard to accept. Metrics for accountability must also be provided along with public-facing diversity reporting so interested parties can see what work has already been done by a company to live out its values.
An effective Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Statement should address how a company will ensure each employee feels like a valued and respected member of its team. By doing this, companies will create more diverse and inclusive workforces which are more likely to succeed – which in turn increases morale and productivity as well as absenteeism, turnover rates and microaggressions that occur within workplace environments.
Actions
An effective diversity statement requires actions to back it up, showing company commitment. A Deloitte study shows that employees are more likely to trust leadership on social and environmental issues if they can see they company is taking concrete steps toward change.
An effective DEI statement should include clear goals and metrics to create sustainable change, along with an action plan to address any obstacles or roadblocks along the way. Being open about potential difficulties at work builds employee trust while encouraging other leaders within an organization to follow suit.
First step to creating an equitable workplace culture and values statement for your company is identifying its values and culture. A good DEI statement draws from existing values of your organization to establish fair playing conditions for all. Furthermore, its alignment should correspond with your mission and vision statements.
Once you have an in-depth knowledge of your company culture and values, the time has come to draft your diversity statement. Involve all members of staff so that your diversity statement accurately represents all areas of business activity.
Your DEI statement should be inspiring and provide an outline for implementing your diversity and inclusion goals in a systematic fashion. An effective way of doing this is highlighting any existing initiatives that make a difference, or any relevant statistics or data such as percentage of women or people of color in leadership roles or gender pay gap if applicable.
Finally, it’s essential to include any specific responsibilities that will be allocated within your organization. By assigning people the task of fulfilling your DEI statement’s duties, you can ensure your company lives up to its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Creating a timeline and method for reaching goals helps hold everyone accountable as well as encourage participation across your company.