Neha is an HR manager in an organization. Recently she attended a seminar on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). She understood what each term means, the difference, and the positive impact of curating a talent pool aligned with the thought process of DEIB.
She approaches her boss, the HR head of her organization, and presents her learnings from the seminar. Her boss is convinced and appreciates Neha’s open-minded approach about Inclusive Diversity. Now she asks Neha, ‘How do you propose implementing the concept of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the organization?’ For the first time in the conversation, Neha doesn’t have a response.
Although many of us may understand the principles and benefits of DEIB, we may not know how to convert this theory into practical steps of Inclusive Diversity. Here are five ways to implement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in your organization.
Honouring Diversity While Recruiting New Employees
When an organization wishes to implement the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging(DEIB), one of the first and most obvious areas is in the recruitment space. This is the starting point, i.e., inducting people from diverse backgrounds into the organization. This practice can be done by consciously curating profiles, keeping diversity as one of the criteria, alongside education and prior experience, while creating a pool of potential candidates.
There must be extra marks for those candidates who can bring inclusive diversity and different perspectives to the existing team. Recruiters must ensure that the candidate’s diverse background translates to a difference in thought process to add value to the organization.
Sensitization for Facilitating Belonging
Hiring a diverse workforce is just the beginning of Inclusive diversity and equity. To make the most of such a workforce, organizations must provide a wholesome experience to each employee. For this, an organization must invest in sensitizing all its employees about the basics of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
There are two different aspects to this activity, as discussed below.
- The ‘Why’:Unless the existing employees thoroughly understand the benefits of a DEIB-positive workplace, they may not be able to contribute to it. The HR team must illustrate the advantages of having different lines of thought and approaches; a diverse team is a dynamic team, and inclusive teams offer a sense of belonging in the organization.
- The ‘How’: One might want to be empathetic but not know how to be so. Employees must be sensitized on how to support and facilitate individuals who are very different from them. HR must educate employees on the physical needs of the organization, common misconceptions, ways to be inclusive and supportive, and create a sense of equity and belonging in the organization.
Most importantly, employees must know to identify insensitive questions, comments, or behaviours and be strictly advised to avoid these.
Informal or Semiformal Interactions to Understand Different Backgrounds
Conducting small informal or semiformal events and interactions at the workplace to increase the understanding and acceptance between all the employees will improve the interpersonal relationships and equity among the employees. A camaraderie built on informal closeness will translate to a better reception of viewpoints that varies significantly from one’s own perspective. This will ensure that diversity translates to inclusion, equity, and belonging. Otherwise, the benefits of diversity cannot be reaped.
Anonymous Redressal Mechanism
Employees from minority backgrounds may hesitate to raise issues they face in the organization since they may already feel out of place and may not want to attract attention or may be afraid that they will not be taken seriously. At times, HR, superiors or fellow colleagues may not take sufficient cognizance of the issues of a particular employee from different background since they may not be able to relate to them.
Redressal mechanisms can be made anonymous to avoid such delicate situations. This will offer a sense of equity and belonging for employees from minority backgrounds. There can be a physical or virtual drop box, which does not mandate the disclosure of the employee’s identity.
Leveraging Technology to Support DEIB
Companies use software for various employee-related activities ranging from recruitment and payroll to performance appraisal and leave tracking, to name a few. As the world is migrating to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning which use various data points to analyse and conclude, the management must adapt steps to ensure that there is no bias in the auto-generated algorithms toward any particular culture, religion, or other background for creating a workplace that fosters Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. A team member’s evaluation or interaction with the employee portal must not be influenced by their background.
Implementing DEIB brings freshness, creativity, and zest to keep an organization afloat even during turbulent times. Companies that foster a work culture that integrates Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging assure that their employees can help themselves and others, contributing to productivity, both consciously and subconsciously.
Implementing DEIB is a conscious activity that requires specific actions. These five methods of implementing the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging can help an organization practice what they believe in. Most importantly, companies must have a sound policy on behaviour that cannot be tolerated. They must also encourage conduct and conversations that can contribute positively to DEIB.
To know more about our Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D,E&I) and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) solutions do write to us at connect@cecureus.com or call us at +91-7200500221
