“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is choosing the music.”
Effective diversity and inclusion programs set companies apart from their competition. It also makes them more profitable long-term and attractive to potential candidates. And yet, too many organizations are either dragging their feet when it comes to creating a program or struggling to get theirs off the ground.
If you fall into one of these categories, never fear! We’re here to help you successfully develop a diversity and inclusion program at your company that’ll actually impact change. Keep reading to learn more.
What Are Diversity and Inclusion?
Today, diversity and inclusion are buzzwords that are used so often that we often forget what these terms mean (and the fact that they’re highly distinct concepts!). To start, let’s define them so you understand how your organization can be truly diverse and inclusive.
Diversity relates to the presence of individuals and group differences. Diverse organizations consist of employees with a variety of unique backgrounds, social identifiers, experiences, and perspectives.
Inclusion relates to the environment in which diversity flourishes. In inclusive work environments, individuals from diverse backgrounds feel welcome and able to bring their best, most authentic selves to the office. There’s an overall sense of belonging throughout the organization.
Before you can tap into the value that employees bring to your organization, you must be both diverse and inclusive.
How to Build a Diversity and Inclusion Program
- Collect data
To understand where your organization is starting, collect data on the current state of your workforce. This will likely include both federal and state-protected categories or demographics. You may be able to find some data through Equal Employment Opportunity reporting. Other data will require voluntary self-identification. For some employees, this is a complex task, especially if you aren’t transparent about how data will be collected and used. In this case, consult a diversity and inclusion expert or use technologies to handle anonymous employee feedback.
- Identify areas of concern and develop goals
After you have collected data on your workforce, you can identify your primary areas of concern. Where does your company need to improve? If you’re not sure where to begin, here are common challenges that companies face.
- Inflexible cultures and resistance to change (especially regarding the value of diversity)
- Lagging representation in leadership (especially when it comes to women and people of color)
- Biased hiring practices (especially exclusionary job descriptions, homogenous interview panels, and hiring practices with unconscious bias)
- Craft and implement training
Knowing your areas of concern, create and implement training for your company. This is what will ultimately help your company build a more inclusive culture. This training can lead to a change in policies and practices, sponsored diversity and inclusion events, or a reduction in biased practices and microaggressions in the workplace.
Diversity and inclusion are the work of every single employee, which is why everyone should be trained on them!
Final Thoughts
There you have it…you’ve officially started your diversity and inclusion program. Now keep the ball rolling by measuring the results for your diversity and inclusion initiatives, so you can learn whether your program is achieving its intended purpose. It is a good idea to keep a diversity calendar for you to track and log but most importantly ensure awareness and inclusion throughout the year.
Not sure what you’re supposed to be looking for?
- Representation among groups
- Employee survey scores
- Employee retention
- Public recognition
You can always grow on this front. Keep working to do better!
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Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/how-to-start-a-diversity-program/
