INCLUSION
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) has been a hot topic in recent years. And why has D&I become a business priority? As Josh Bersin quoted in his research article: “in today’s global business environment – filled with challenges in demographics, skills, and culture – companies that build a truly inclusive culture are those that will outperform their peers.”
And today, we are going to talk about 6 ideas that you can implement for a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Review your current D&I efforts. Do you acknowledge that there is a lack of diversity & inclusion within the company or perhaps it could be improved? If the answer is yes, the first step is to figure out why there is a discrepancy in gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and or national origin. For example, is the percentage of women leaders versus men leaders much lower and what could be the reason behind it? You must acknowledge the issue before you can implement effective D&I solutions and strategies.
- Use software programs that make you non-bias in the hiring process, such as Applied, DBSquared, Textio, Visier and Gender Decoder Plugin. Please remember that these are only supporting tools, and using that alone will not be enough to execute a diversion & inclusion hiring strategy.
- Create a diverse mentorship program for underrepresented groups with the goal of growing diversity. Here are three initial steps to execute a valuable diverse mentorship program:
- Be very clear of the objectives and goals of the program. Understand what you are trying to achieve through this program, for example bridge the gender gap in certain roles or support more women in leadership positions.
- Achieve results by measuring promotions and retention rates statistics.
- Create a safe space for both the mentee and the mentor. You could achieve this by bringing in an anonymous third person so both parties feel safe to share anything. This would help them to have open dialogues.
- Provide a diversity training for employees. It’s important to learn how to work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds in a globalized business culture. These training sessions could optimize the success of your teams.
- Implement cross-training programs. This allows employees to expand their skills and gain the necessary skills for a more senior role. The company can benefit from cross-training by expanding employees’ understanding of the business. Employees can also see how they can make an impact through different roles and how to contribute to the company’s goals better.
- Be equal in pay and raises. According to a 2021 report from Payscale, women earn an average of 20% less than their male counterparts for the same position, if not having more responsibilities, and or it’s harder to get promoted to leadership roles. Raise awareness within your company about pay discrepancy to activate social accountability.
If your company or team is looking for a facilitator for diverse mentorship programs and or diversity training for employees, please get in touch with us for a free consultation today!