Article contributed by John Henderson
Diversity, equity and Inclusion – are they just the buzz words in the workplace? What happens if your organization does not embrace diversity, equity and inclusion?
According to a recent study conducted by Glassdoor, 57% of employees think that their organization needs to be more diverse. And, 67% of job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor in deciding if they want to accept a job offer or not. Deloitte also found that 83% of millennials are actively engaged at work if they see that their organization promotes a culture of inclusivity. With today’s competition for talent, any organization would be wise to develop a recruitment plan that puts diversity at the forefront.
There are many ways to define diversity, inclusion and equity but in simplistic terms, we can say: Diversity is recognizing everyone is an individual and we are all different. Equity is providing equal access to opportunities for all. Inclusion is having a sense of belonging; feeling respected and valued. See more critical DEI definitions in our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Glossary of Terms.
In a recent EANE article, HR Business partner, Ellen McKitterick, wrote: “By having your employees engage in training on DEI topics – such as workplace respect, identifying and mitigating unconscious bias, or harassment and discrimination prevention – you can meet them in this moment of cultural awareness and provide them with a better vocabulary, greater communication skills, and a greater understanding of how they can play a part in creating a workplace culture founded on respect and belonging.”
So what’s the real impact of offering training to your employees on diversity, equity and inclusion?
A recent study by Boston Consulting Group found that companies who increase the diversity of their leadership teams led to more and better innovation and resulted in 19% higher revenue due to innovation.
To help organizations build a DEI mindset, EANE has partnered with Advancing Workplace Excellence and will offer a 3-part series that will offer the following sessions:
Begin With DEI In Your Workplace
Like many HR professionals, you may find yourself struggling with how to promote the need for a company-focus on diversity, equity and inclusion – and, what that will mean for your role. Through this session, we share the business case, data and results diversity and inclusion have within a workplace and how to pitch it within your organization, as well as come up with actionable steps for you to begin your journey.
How To Manage Effective & Inclusive Conversations In The Workplace
As HR professionals, the need to communicate is essential to the relationships we manage each day. However, like many, we may struggle with communication because we are applying an inward-facing lens of communication preferences. Through this session, we go through practices toward better understanding others, their communication preferences, and how to ensure that it remains inclusive to consistently drive forward belonging.
Future-Proofing Your Workplace Through Inclusion
In our workplaces, we may struggle with the questions :
“Is trust given? Or is trust earned? And WHY?”.
Through this session, we go through mindset practices that help us move forward in this new reality and how to build an environment of trust through inclusion. Together, we ask challenging questions and move towards future-proofing our constantly changing workplaces.
Click here to learn more about this exciting new series!
In our world today, it is important for all organizations to look at their workforce and ask some soul-searching questions that can help them recognize if there are gaps in their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. EANE has developed a list of questions to help you self-assess your organization’s path to a culture that reflects DEI as an honored value in the workplace. Take a look at the self-evaluation, and let us know if we can offer you a FREE 30-minute consultation about ways we can support your efforts to build a culture of respect that attracts and retains top talent.