Does your company have a formal statement about how you value diversity and inclusion? Do your employees come from diverse backgrounds and do they offer unique perspectives? These are important questions to think about in your hiring process. This article will discuss why.

What is D+I?  

According to Great Place to Work’s Why Is Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Important page, “diversity and inclusion are two interconnected concepts—but they are far from interchangeable. Diversity is about representation or the make-up of an entity. Inclusion is about how well the contributions, presence, and perspectives of different groups of people are valued and integrated into an environment.”

In the workplace, it is about interviewing, hiring, and promoting all different types of people while making everyone feel supported and included no matter their background.

There are also laws to protect individuals in the workforce. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that “the United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.”

Why is D+I Important?  

Workplaces that are more diverse have been shown to be safer, happier, and more productive.  2021 research from Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture research on company culture shows that when employees trust that they, and their colleagues, will be treated fairly regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or age, they are…

• 9.8 times more likely to look forward to going to work
• 6.3 times more likely to have pride in their work
• 5.4 times more likely to want to stay a long time at their company

Research has suggested that “diverse and inclusive workplaces earn deeper trust and more commitment from their employees.” Also, 76% of job applicants say D+I is important when evaluating companies. This may suggest that companies should make their perspective on the topic clear during the recruitment process. Diversity in the workplace also improves morale. 

How Can My Company Improve D+I?

Great Place to Work suggests 9 methods to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It includes… 

1. Identifying D+I as a strategic priority
   1. This involves setting goals and seeing if they were met 
2. Conduct pay equity reviews
   1. Women currently earn 82 cents for every dollar males make 
3. Recruit and promote from a diverse POV
4. Create a robust mentorship program
5. Consistently train and engage employees on D+I
6. Make sure benefits and programs are inclusive
7. Set your Employee Resource Groups up for success
   1. Groups need to be supported and recognized by the company
8. Scrutinize board and executive team representation
9. Make leaders accountable

-

Are you interested in working for a company that supports diversity and inclusion? Check out the careers page for Relevance Advisors!