Cultivating practices to build a diverse and inclusive workplace isn’t easy. And sadly, many initiatives in this space look good on paper but ultimately do very little to improve things on the ground. Achieving real change when it comes to workplace inequity is a challenge for many organizations. But when the result is the growth of your company culture and an equal footing for all employees—it’s a challenge that must be met.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at why, as we move towards a new era of work, it’s more important than ever before to build a business that values every employee. We’ve also included content around some strategies and actions for showing your true commitment towards employee diversity.
You may already be familiar with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). The next evolution of this is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).
Over recent years, DEI in the workplace has become more important, with companies realizing it’s a crucial component of modern work culture. Let’s break down the “DEIB” acronym and take a closer look at what each letter stands for in a little more detail.
Definition: “Anything that sets one individual apart from another, including human demographic differences, different ideas, backgrounds, and opinions people bring..”
Having a diverse workforce is important—but what’s even more important is making each employee feel valued, included, and welcomed in your organization. So while diversity is the first step, a successful DEIB strategy needs more than just this to succeed.
Definition: “The fair treatment for all, while striving to identify and eliminate inequities and barriers”
In an equitable company, all employees will have an equal voice. Equity goes further than equal opportunities, as it recognizes that different employees need different levels of support.
Definition: “a cultural and environmental feeling of belonging”
Inclusion involves making sure that any underrepresented groups within your company are included and accommodated. It may be necessary to remove barriers in the workplace, foster community, and create more inclusive leadership through anti-bias training.
Definition: “The experience of being accepted and treated like a full member of a community where you can thrive.”
There are many ways someone may not feel a sense of belonging in their workplace. It could come down to the company culture, a sense that they can’t speak up about issues or ideas, or senior team leaders using backchannels to communicate with certain employees.
DEIB matters. Most of us have an inherent understanding that having robust DEIB strategies in every workplace, around the world, is the right thing to do. But in addition to the societal advantages, championing DEIB is simply good for business.
The “Why Diversity Matters” report by McKinsey found that companies scoring highly for diversity are 35 percent more likely to outperform their less diverse competitors. Job seekers are now placing a higher priority on finding workplaces with a strong DEIB strategy, with a third of job seekers actively asking information around this. Taking that even further, 76 percent of job seekers say a diverse workforce is important when evaluating companies and job offers. Clearly, the business case for DEIB is undeniable
If your DEIB initiative isn’t up to scratch? You’ll miss out on attracting top talent.
Despite having a DEIB strategy, many companies fail to achieve their goals. The most important factor when it comes to measuring DEIB is cold, hard data. If you don’t measure DEIB—you can’t improve it.
That means a data-driven approach is the most effective way to measure DEIB. The right analysis tools for each business will vary on a case-by-case basis. As an example though, you may want to track metrics around employee race or gender differences, or voluntary turnover data. Conducting an adverse impact analysis can also help identify whether bias may be present in your employee selection procedures.
Alongside data, it’s critical to carry out regular, anonymous surveys to ask team members for their honest perspectives and experiences. These may highlight the root causes of any gaps in your current strategies. Results should be fed back to your leadership team and a plan put in place for improving DEIB.
Think of your DEIB strategy as an ever-evolving journey. The first step is setting up a DEIB measurement framework. Next, you need to monitor, then measure the level of success for your existing DEI initiative or program—using robust research and data collection. Then, continue adapting your strategies according to the results you’re seeing. You may need to implement additional inclusion work, focus groups, courses, or policies depending on your results.
Rather than insisting on compulsory anti-bias training for senior leaders—which can end up having an adverse effect—instead, concentrate on an organization-wide mindset shift geared towards lasting changes.
Types of diversity training known to get positive results include:
Initiatives like employee-resource groups (ERGs) or affinity groups can also help build a sense of community and belonging. Alongside these strategies, intelligent tools can also be used to embed DEIB practices into your processes from the very first step.
Achieving real change when it comes to DEIB takes time and effort—but the results are always going to be worth it. And fortunately, new technology can help. With an intelligent interview solution like Clovers, organizations can reduce bias in the interview process to ensure a fair, consistent, and equitable experience for all candidates.
Schedule a demo or try for free for 30 days to learn how Clovers’ interview intelligence platform can help you eliminate unconscious bias and improve hiring diversity to advance DEIB in your organization.
