Diversity and inclusion are vital elements of recruitment and retention strategies. Diversity in a workplace means that a company employs a mixed group of people that reflects the society where it exists and operates. The concept of diversity comprises all the elements that make individuals unique from one another. Diversity is defined by a few social categories like gender, race, age, color, marital status, disability, national origin, etc. These categories help companies find gaps in diversity and develop measures to boost it in the workplace.
Inclusion, often used together with diversity, is the attainment of a work environment where all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully with equal access to opportunities, positions, and resources. It could be referred to as behaviours that ensure that people feel welcome despite their differences and can contribute to the organization’s success. Inclusivity is a sense of belonging and is highly crucial for diversity.
How to Define Your Diversity and Inclusion Brand?
The strategy of diversity and inclusion in the workplace can only be fully established and effective when it is defined. Check out what steps you can take to take your DEI initiatives to the next level.
Create a Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
Your brand should have a diversity and inclusion mission statement, as it gives a guiding principle for your business. It also illustrates your company’s commitment to promoting a workplace that welcomes and celebrates differences. Defining your commitment to diversity and inclusion directs your company to achieve it. Diversity and inclusion statements could either be short or long.
They reveal your values and indicate your pledge to an inclusive and diverse workplace. Some companies separate their diversity statement from their inclusion statement; others combine both as one. You have to determine which would work for your company or organization. While coming up with a statement, ensure that you understand what you can accomplish with it.
Demonstrate Diversity on Social Media
In today’s world, social media is a very powerful and important tool to define your diversity and inclusion brand. It could be used to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace internally and attract more diverse candidates for vacant positions. According to research, over 3 billion people use social media each month, and 90% of them access their social media details on their mobile phones. Social media serves as a great platform for businesses to show the world their diverse team members/employees.
You can also use social media as a job search tool because of its very wide international reach, which will meet your diversity and inclusion goals regarding recruitment. Social media can as well be useful internally to foster the inclusion of employees. With it, employees can have access to different aspects of the company via channels like Twitter. Social media is becoming more effective at attracting customers and employees.
Create a Diversity Commitment Career Page
Your company should have a career page that reflects its diversity and inclusion strategy. A diversity page is a page on your company career site that focuses on diversity and inclusion. With such a page, you can provide a more targeted experience for candidates who are seeking to apply to diverse companies. Your career page serves as your personal pitch to candidates, and this is the reason it must be centered on diversity.
A diversity commitment career page allows candidates to learn about your company’s culture and mission. It gives the impression that you are open to recruiting diverse candidates in spite of differences. It also highlights the kind of benefits they would enjoy while working at the organization with regards to diversity and inclusion.
Have a Diverse Workforce
Diversity in a workplace is simply a company employing a wide range of people with different characteristics. A diverse workforce includes people of diverse ages, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, education, abilities, etc. Having a diverse workforce is a serious competitive advantage. Diversity in the workplace shows that the organization will also have a variety of skills and experiences, leading to dynamic results.
Employees from different backgrounds have diverse views and experiences, which suggests that they will provide diverse solutions to problems. It has been researched and proven that diverse teams have the ability to solve problems faster than similar people. When these diverse employees come together with solutions, it leads to informed and improved decision-making. Having a diverse workforce boosts the brand and reputation of the company. Workplace diversity makes it easier for different individuals to relate to your brand and company, thereby leading to new partners, customers, employees, and so on.
Conclusion
Presenting a diversity and inclusion brand puts you in the position to bring out the best of your employees and allow them to reach their full potentials. With the definition of diversity and inclusion, your brand can enjoy a better perception. In terms of overall performance, diversity and inclusion give a huge boost. A Mckinsey study in 2012 found that US companies with diverse executive boards had a 95% higher return on equity than those absent of diversity.
It is very important for a company or an organization to define its diversity and inclusion brand. Businesses should care about diversity and inclusion because they matter in the workplace and society. Companies that are more diverse in different categories are likely to outperform their peers. They are also perceived as better employers, and potential employees are more interested in an employer who accepts and welcomes their backgrounds.
