Creating Workplaces with True Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are under pressure from growing social movements with many organizational with leaders now making a commitment to promoting these values in the workplace.

It’s not just good for society; it's great for business too. Diversity and inclusion policies have been shown to boost employee morale, impacting performance and profitability. 

A McKinsey & Company report indicated that, “companies with the most ethnically diverse executive teams are 33 percent more likely to outperform their peers on profitability.” Either by hiring more diverse candidates or by promoting them, a company that puts inclusion first is demonstrating respect to all groups of people. 

How can we measure our success as employers? 

There are many ways to determine how the organization is doing when it comes to DE&I efforts. Consider just one metric - employee retention rates.

Higher rates indicate that employees are remaining loyal to the company and are committing their hard work to its success. When people feel included and valued, they have a sense that they belong and therefore tend to stick around longer. 

On the recruitment front, diverse and inclusive hiring practices and fair pay rates can improve a company’s reputation, which can support candidate attraction. “Four in five (86%) candidates globally say diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace is important to them.”

In a competitive market, being able to bring in the best and brightest employees is what will sustain a business. In a time where companies are relying on remote workers more, DE&I is a huge factor as it creates the opportunity for expanding different perspectives and innovative ideas.

Engagement levels are also indicative of how well an employer is managing their diversity and inclusion processes. When employees are actively engaged in the organization, it says they care about the success of everyone in the business. Measuring employee engagement levels is a great way to find out if your diversity and inclusion is creating a positive culture. 

What questions can we ask employees about diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

A great way to find out how the organization is doing is simply by asking. In fact, this action alone can help improve employee engagement and satisfaction in the areas of DE&I. 

A survey conducted by Glassdoor indicated that, “67% of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers.” While only one in three employees were aware of the DE&I initiatives that their employers had, the Glassdoor research advised HR to, “communicate with employees and candidates about your initiatives. Your employees can be your best evangelists if they know what efforts your company is doing to increase diversity.”

We recommend putting together a specific survey that serves two purposes: 1) understanding the impact of the diversity and inclusion policies on the employee experience, and 2) educating employees about the efforts being made to enhance DE&I processes.

A series of engagement survey questions to rate how Satisfied and how Important each is to your employees can support this goal - factors such as;

  -- 'Fairness' - My organization treats all employees fairly

  -- 'Equal Opportunities' - All staff have the same opportunities

  -- 'Discrimination' - The company takes discrimination claims seriously

  -- 'Career Advancement' - Career advancement and promotion is transparent

You can also try open-ended questions, such as;

  -- "How aware are you of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization?"

  -- "Do you have any suggestions on how the organization could improve diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

What about supporting social movements that deal with DE&I?

It seems that the spotlight is on diversity and inclusion nearly all the time.

Social movements like Black Lives Matter #BLM, LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, and Blue Heart Campaign to end human trafficking around the globe all influence individuals who then bring their ideals into the workplace.

So much of this has happened that companies like Starbucks have gotten behind social injustice and promoted it through marketing campaigns. That’s just touching the surface. 

How can your organization take a stance on social movements and still promote diversity, equity, and inclusion?

One must carefully determine what causes to get behind and focus on one area that impacts the most employees. Choosing one protected group over another can send mixed messages that the leaders do not care about the “other side” of things. This focus should always come from the top of the organization and be managed by the DE&I officer at your organization. 

A small committee can meet periodically to ensure there are no negative impacts as a result of being involved in a social movement. It’s important to communicate and to listen to what employees have to say about it.

The two-way communication features of Thymometrics employee engagement enables discrete anonymous conversations between management and employees. Not everyone will agree and it could offend some, but it could also open up the eyes and hearts of others. If the social movement is aligned with the mission and culture of the organization then it is worth supporting. 

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Thymometrics provides tools that improve employee feedback and enables organizations to manage DE&I initiatives. Our solutions provide simple tools to empower employees whilst providing managers with insights to improve culture, productivity and profitability.

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

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Unsplash