Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Guide to Building a DEI Strategy
Building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture is crucial for any business, whether it is a startup or an established company. A diverse and inclusive culture not only fosters a positive workplace environment but also drives innovation, creativity, and profitability.
According to a report by Deloitte Review, 8 Powerful Truths, businesses with inclusive cultures are:
2x more likely to meet or exceed financial targets
3x more likely to be high performing
6x more likely to be innovative and agile
8x more likely to achieve better business outcomes
Accenture has identified 40 factors that are proven to influence advancement, organised into 3 sections.
Bold Leadership
A diverse leadership team that sets, shares and measures equality targets openly.
Comprehensive Action
Policies and practices that support all genders and groups, and are bias-free in attracting and retaining people.
Empowering Environment
One that trusts employees, respects individuals and offers the freedom to be creative and work flexibly.
Below are some steps you can follow to construct your own DEI strategy.
Step 1: Establish a clear commitment
The first step in building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture is to establish a clear commitment to DEI as a core value. This means making a statement of commitment to DEI and incorporating it into the business's mission, values, and objectives. This also involves allocating the necessary resources and support to ensure that DEI is fully integrated into the workplace culture.
Step 2: Evaluate your current culture
The next step is to evaluate your current workplace culture to identify areas where improvements can be made. This involves conducting a comprehensive review of policies, practices, and behaviours to determine where there may be barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This evaluation can be done through surveys, focus groups, and other methods to collect feedback from employees.
Step 3: Develop a tailored strategy
Once you have identified areas for improvement, the next step is to develop a DEI strategy. This involves setting specific goals and objectives for the business and establishing a plan to achieve them. Your DEI strategy should be informed by the insights gained from the culture evaluation and should include a timeline for implementation.
Step 4: Incorporate diversity in hiring and recruitment
One of the most important steps towards building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture is to incorporate diversity in hiring and recruitment. This means creating job descriptions that attract a diverse pool of candidates, using diverse recruitment sources, and implementing unbiased hiring practices. The goal is to create a workforce that is representative of the diverse community in which the business operates.
Step 5: Educate and train employees
Building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture requires education and training for all employees. This includes providing training on topics such as unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion, and cultural competence. Providing regular training and education ensures that all employees have the tools and knowledge they need to support a DEI culture.
Step 6: Hold leaders accountable
Leaders play a crucial role in building a DEI culture at work. To ensure progress is being made, leaders must be held accountable for their actions and behaviours. This includes setting performance expectations and goals for leaders that are aligned with the business's DEI strategy. Leaders should also receive regular feedback on their progress towards achieving these goals.
Step 7: Foster a sense of belonging
Finally, it's important to foster a sense of belonging among employees. This involves creating a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and included. This can be achieved through regular communication, recognition of individual and team achievements, and the promotion of open and honest dialogue.
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Building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture requires a clear commitment from the business, a comprehensive evaluation of the current culture, and the development of a DEI strategy. It also requires incorporating diversity in hiring and recruitment, education and training for employees, holding leaders accountable for their actions and behaviours, and fostering a sense of belonging. By taking these steps, startups and established businesses can create a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and included, and where individuals can achieve their full potential.
Useful resources:
- C3 Template: ‘Setting your Inclusive Goals’
- UN’s Women Empowerment Principles
- Women in Leadership: Why it Matters
- Deloitte Insights: The Diversity and Inclusion Revolution: Eight Powerful Truths
- The Blueprint for Inclusive Leadership
- Podcast: The Diversity Gap
- Podcast: The Forum
