Diversity and inclusion are critical elements that contribute to your company’s success. Employees who feel safe, connected and heard typically feel motivated to give their all. This leads to strong engagement, productivity, problem-solving, and innovation. Having a diverse and inclusive work environment also attracts high-quality candidates of all backgrounds who want to help move the organization forward. As a result, you need effective strategies that support employees, build culture, and promote a thriving business.
Implement these tips to enhance diversity and inclusion in your workplace.
Build Awareness of Unconscious Bias
Leaders can educate employees on how individuals are impacted by unconscious bias and how to stop reinforcing it. For instance, employees should be encouraged to review, question, and analyze their personal biases and assumptions by keeping a thought journal. They can write down stereotypes that occur to help the biases become more conscious. Then, employees can replace their biases with factual information to focus on and shift their thinking. Managers should be educated on ways to eliminate bias in hiring, promotion, and job performance evaluations. Examples include using gender-neutral language in job descriptions, using a blind system to review resumes without knowing demographic characteristics, and providing more training opportunities for women and people of color to gain the qualifications needed to advance within the organization.
Promote Pay Equity
Emphasize the necessity for managers to pay employees fairly based on their role and responsibility. For instance, if two team members with the same level of experience perform similar work, they should be paid similar salaries and have similar benefits and perks. If gaps exist, they need to be corrected. Also, if patterns of pay inequity exist within a team, leaders need to get to the root of the underlying issues. Identifying trends with certain groups of employees being underpaid is the first step to correcting the issue long-term.
Implement Diversity Training
Certified HR professionals should teach employees how understanding cultural differences can benefit their work interactions and performance. Topics may include anything from concepts of time and communication styles to self-identity and dealing with conflict. Ensure that the training focuses on subjects in line with the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and challenges. Also, clearly communicate why the training is necessary, which problems need to be solved, and what the next steps are to keep employees motivated.
Enhance your External Recruitment with a Focus on Diversity
Work with Corps Team to support your diversity recruiting goals. Our recruiting professionals can partner with your organization on strategies to ensure a diverse candidate slate, interview process, and selection process. Contact us today.