The Link Between Diversity, Inclusion and Employee Engagement

Employee engagement tools provide insight into whether efforts to increase inclusion of a growing diverse workforce are effective. They can also pinpoint problem areas that need correction. 

The subjects of diversity and inclusion (D&I) have become top priority for many organizations. It’s not enough to hire from a diverse pool of candidates and giving them equal opportunities and pay. In the new progressive work environment that we find ourselves, it has become pivotal for all employees to be included in all areas of contributing to the overall success of the company. This includes treating all with respect and recognizing the value that each and every employee has. 

Diversity and Inclusion Hot Button Topics with Organizations

According to the 2019 Pearl Meyer Diversity and Inclusion survey, “More than two-thirds of organizations reported that diversity and inclusion is either an important priority or among their highest priorities.” Issues pertaining to gender pay gaps, unconscious bias, and shrinking talent pools require that organizations have a dedicated diversity officer on staff to implement corrective programs. 

Employee Experience Matters 

At the same time, organizations are finding new ways to make the candidate to employee experience more positive. During the recruitment phase, this is when most employees have their first encounter with the company. A Career Builder survey indicated that ”78 percent of candidates say the overall candidate experience they receive is an indicator of how a company values its people.” An overwhelming 86 percent of candidates responded, “they believe employers should treat candidates with the same respect as current employees.” This is an ideal time to demonstrate to candidates what they can expect to experience once they accept a job. 

Which leads us to the topic of employee engagement. There are plenty of studies that have shown the correlation between a positive recruitment to hire experience and how engaged employees become with their work. It’s only natural that this would happen.

If a new hire comes into an organization and has the benefit of already being respected and valued, this can bring out their best qualities early in the game. Consider how just a decade ago, new hires had to work hard to earn respect from peers and they were treated badly at times by those in more senior roles. People have different expectations and skilled employees have the advantage in the job market. They can simply find another job if they aren’t getting what they want. 

Using Employee Engagement Software to Monitor Diversity and Inclusion

It may come as a surprise that not only do employee engagement products help to measure and create new initiatives for increasing employee engagement, they are also useful for monitoring diversity and inclusion efforts. How does this work? 

Company leaders that invest in employee engagement software are concerned with the happiness and productivity of their employees. Therefore, they are probably also concerned about how employees are treated in other areas, like D&I. 

New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink said in his book “Drive” that the secret to high performing employees and work satisfaction is when individuals are given the autonomy to direct their own lives, master and create new things, and find their purpose by making the world a better place. These three motivating factors often appear in workplaces that are focused on D&I initiatives.

When employers place value on all three of these factors, employees are more apt to be highly engaged in their work and valued for their contributions -- leading to higher-performing organizations. 

How does employee engagement software monitor D&I? 

In terms of tracking how well the organization is managing diversity and inclusion, one only needs to look at the reporting features that are within the real-time employee engagement platform

Employees are asked to express how they feel about their workplace, their manager and the work they do. This regular communication channel can shed light on matters pertaining to D&I.

For example, an employee may respond that he or she is unhappy about not having any upward mobility in the company, meaning that they may be getting overlooked for promotions on a regular basis. This is red flag for HR and worthy of further review with management as it could be related to diversity and inclusion. 

Employees may express that they are treated differently for a number of reasons which may be related to protected classes. Whatever the case may be, the employee engagement survey system can pinpoint times when employees are unhappy and unengaged in their jobs. This should always be reviewed with management to uncover any possible problems with D&I. 

Taking Corrective Measures 

Using the data found in the employee engagement platform, including any internal communications, a corrective action plan can be created. Managers need not address things with individuals, but rather talk to all employees about how the company is making steps to improve D&I so that all feel valued and included in the success of the company.

Employees need to be educated on how their contributions impact the organization and a recognition system put in place to reinforce this. 

----------------------------------------------------

Thymometrics is a new breed of employee feedback technology. Through real time, always-on surveys and feedback solutions, we provide revolutionary yet simple tools to empower employees and monitor wellbeing whilst providing managers with deep and useable insights to improve business culture, wellbeing programs, productivity and profitability. Contact us to see how you can use our tools to monitor and improve D&I in your organization.

For more information, please call 01223 750251, email info@thymometrics.com or visit thymometrics.com.

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Good morning Good afternoon Good evening