6 factors to include on your DEI checklist
Here are six tangible areas you can address when looking to improve your DEI policies.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are top of mind for nearly every business in 2021.
“The world has changed,” said Odessa Jenkins, president of Emtrain, “It is no longer an option to take a halfhearted approach to diversity and inclusion in our workplaces. The systemic inequities that exist are affecting employees by hampering productivity, stalling innovation and ultimately, tarnishing corporate brand and goodwill. Having an inclusive workplace has become a core competency. Just like other competencies, being inclusive is a skill that takes practice and development, and it’s become table stakes for any organization to thrive in today’s market.”
Related: DEI and racial equity after 2020: A year of change opens new opportunities
Emtrain developed a checklist of six key areas of focus for employers in its “Workplace Culture Report 2021.” How many of these are you able to check off in your planning?
Decision making
Does your company have an intentional system for making decisions?
Despite the importance of decision-making processes, less than half of employees report that they see their organization using structured processes for meetings, interviews or evaluations. When organizations don’t have structured processes — or people fail to follow them — they create the risk of biased outcomes. Meeting agendas may seem unnecessary, but they enable neurodivergent, introverted and deeply analytical co-workers to prepare to participate.
Encouraging everyone to contribute a comment or idea in a “round-robin” system helps extract information from each person, ensuring different perspectives and views are heard.
Valuing differences
How good are you at appreciating and leveraging different experiences and skills?
Eight in 10 people believe diverse teams make better decisions, yet many individuals don’t feel their differences are deeply valued by their manager or team. Why is there such a disconnect? Because valuing differences takes advanced skills such as talking through different viewpoints rather than overriding them, skills that are not often taught in the workplace. Organizations should seek out and recognize leaders who are good at valuing differences. Not only do they create a more positive workplace experience for more employees, but they have great influence over how people are perceived.
Allyship
Do company leaders use their privilege to make a difference?
Allyship is important, because some people have a much worse experience in the workplace than others. When allies provide support to others who are undervalued or underrepresented, they help to level the playing field. For example, when asked if some people’s ideas are valued more than others, there’s an equal and opposite reaction: Half of people agree, and 42% of people disagree. While it may seem like ideas are valued equally, clearly they are not.
Demographic experience
How often do your employees have direct experiences with people from different demographics?
Nearly six in 10 employees report serving a diverse customer base, indicating that there are both a business need and an incentive for employees to have strong demographic experience. Having experience with people of different ages, races, genders, cultures and socioeconomic statuses helps employees have respectful behavior toward their co-workers, customers and partners instead of relying on harmful stereotypes.
Curiosity and empathy
Can your employees turn their assumptions into questions and switch their perspectives?
Less than a third of employees believe their colleagues engage them on a personal, human level. When someone doesn’t feel their co-workers have made an intentional effort to get to know them, they may feel cautious and less likely to volunteer ideas or engage in problem solving. Even fewer individuals feel their colleagues consistently make efforts to see their point of view. Co-workers can gain perspective and insights from each other. Encourage employees to pause and take the time to understand when there are differences of opinion.
Authenticity and belonging
Can all of your employees bring their whole selves to work?
Three in five individuals do not feel that they can be their authentic selves or that they belong in their workplace. Organizations have opportunities to increase low scores by creating less-restrictive dress codes, encouraging employees to share their stories, using internal channels to highlight different co-workers from different backgrounds and auditing marketing images to make sure they represent a variety of people.
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