Where is your organization in relation to effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? Are you taking bold steps and embracing real change?

It needs to happen throughout your business and be embedded in your culture – so much so that it happens naturally and organically, and every person employed by or associated with your company feels welcome, safe, respected, and understood. From there, you can carry it over into your hiring practices.

The Role DEI Matters in Hiring Practices

DEI Must Be a Leadership Requirement

Everything your senior company leaders do and say informs how your company operates and how successful it is. Leadership must be all in around DEI, as part of their own mission as well as that of the organization. This commitment will then cascade down and throughout your company.

• Include this DEI commitment in each leader’s job description. Once onboard, continually hold them accountable for it. They should regularly communicate it and support practices that promote it.

Find Better Ways to Hire

Begin by analyzing where you stand today and what you need to do to reach your DEI goals. Clarify exactly what a diverse team means to you. Then you can implement the necessary steps to achieve success, including:

• Being present at diverse recruiting fairs and sourcing candidates from the right talent pipelines.
• Creating an internal portal where candidates can network with current employees whose interests and backgrounds align with their own. This allows candidates to learn firsthand what it would be like to work for you.
• Ensure pay equity. This means paying talent market rate and offering equal opportunities for raises and promotions.

Offer Learning Opportunities

Build DEI into your employee training and development plan in the form of panels, lunch and learn programs, coaching, conferences, webinars and seminars, and other platforms. This is not only a great way to keep awareness high and eliminate any conscious or unconscious bias that may exist, but also a collaborative way for coworkers to get to know and bond with one another.

Celebrate Multicultural Holidays

Be respectful of and celebrate the holidays, events and traditions that your employees observe. Keep communication lines open to ensure people’s needs are being met, here and in all aspects of your DEI initiatives.

Start and Support Affinity and Employee Resource Groups

The terms “infinity group” and “employee resource group (ERG)” are often used interchangeably. The subtle difference is that ERGs are typically nested within an organization, while affinity groups extend to communities outside the workplace. But the end goal is the same: to bring together people with similar backgrounds so they can have a powerful DEI influence at your organization.

These groups may do programming around heritage months, adopt causes to benefit the community or help inform coworkers, clients, and other company stakeholders if there’s a need for a better understanding of specific issues.

See How You Can Further Develop Your Workforce

For more ideas on building your DEI strategy and culture, and access to the expertise and resources to achieve all your related goals, contact the workforce development experts at KeyHR today.