Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remain top of mind for many businesses. Companies must create an environment welcoming employees of all backgrounds to foster inclusivity.
For instance, a company can provide unisex comfort rooms, support breastfeeding mothers, or enable digital accessibility for those with disabilities. In addition, diversity software tools can help with unbiased job descriptions and compensation data that reveal pay disparity.
Recruiting
Recruiting is one of the first steps in building a diverse and inclusive workforce. Companies must create diversity recruitment strategies and implement company policies to get the best talent possible.
This includes implementing the proper screening tools, such as diversity software by Greenhouse, to remove unconscious biases. Tools use anonymized “auditions” to remove common biases such as sex, race, and resume history and instead evaluate candidates on their skills and performance. This helps prevent hiring managers from using unconscious biases to decide about potential hires.
Other software can help identify pay equity issues by analyzing job titles, salaries, and performance data, along with diversity information such as age and disability, to highlight any inequities. It can also improve outreach by identifying community groups that are more likely to have members who would be good candidates for your organization. It can even expand your talent pool by highlighting previously overlooked populations, such as those with criminal records or without college degrees.
Training
Diverse teams bring unique perspectives to the table that result in creative solutions. However, if employees feel included in the team, their skills and ideas will only be fully tapped.
Ensure everyone feels included by incorporating inclusive training into your company policies and programs. For example, ensure managers and HR staff know to use gender-neutral pronouns in employee conversations and meetings. This is a small but effective way to minimize unconscious bias and make a positive impact on your employees.
Also, HR can use software to compose job descriptions compliant with the ADA and FLSA.
Performance
There are many tools available that can help businesses and HR departments with their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Some are simple to use, and others require a more comprehensive implementation.
Some are free; others can be purchased or leased as part of a diversity management software or technology solution. The software may include tools for avoiding bias during the recruitment and interview process, training employees on recognizing and addressing bias, or tracking a company’s progress toward its diversity and inclusion goals.
Retention
Employees who feel valued and their contributions matter want to stay at the company. Fostering diversity and inclusion isn’t just good for the employees and business.
Creating a more inclusive work environment requires the help of leadership, and the best way to do that is by educating managers on how to support diversity in their teams. That includes ensuring managers know to make meeting space for employees who prefer to hang back or might be anxiously arguing a salient point, offering noise-canceling headphones, and designating spaces for solitary work and eating so everyone feels comfortable.
It’s also essential for managers to review existing job descriptions for sexist language and use the gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “them.” Finally, managers should encourage employees to speak up if they notice bias in the workplace. These steps will show employees that the company is committed to being more inclusive and will help reduce employee turnover, saving money in the long run.
