If the pandemic and the resulting Great Resignation trend have caused employees and job seekers to reconsider what is important in their career, then one factor that is increasingly key when choosing who to work for is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It is no longer enough that a company can provide the right career path or salary; job seekers now demand that DEI be a major initiative of all employers.
What is DEI?
The phrase ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ is often bundled together into a blanket term meaning fairness and equality for all. However, DEI has a more complex and far-reaching meaning than this.
Diversity
Diversity is a concept of difference depending on the viewer’s point of view. It also doesn’t apply to any one person, but rather the make-up of a grouping. A diverse team may contain individuals who have different:
- gender identities
- ethnicities
- ages
- physical abilities
- educational backgrounds
- religious or spiritual beliefs
Diversity is therefore a relational concept, and its pursuit in the workplace is to represent individuals from all walks of life.
Equity
Equity is often confused with equality, but the two terms have different meanings. Equality provides the same opportunities and rights for all. Equity, however, focusses on what each individual needs so that everyone can be raised up to a level playing field.
Inclusion
Theoretically, if a company seeks to recruit and maintain a diverse workforce and listens to individual needs so that all their employees can access opportunities, inclusion should exist. However, that isn’t necessarily the case.
Inclusion is the extent to which employees feel valued by their employer and have a sense of belonging at work.
The benefits of DEI to employers
Beyond attracting candidates, what are the benefits of DEI to employers? A 2020 report by McKinsey & Company, Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters, states that DEI benefits to employers are:
- increased profitability
- better performance than companies that do not embrace DEI
- reduced likelihood of being penalised
2019 global research carried out by the International Labour Organisation concluded that companies who had embraced DEI saw an increase in innovation and developed a better understanding of customer needs.
Actively seeking to create a diverse, equity-led, and inclusive work environment also increases employee engagement, which is a key factor in reducing staff turnover and retaining valued personnel.
5 key DEI moves for employers in 2022
With the realisation that DEI will play an increasing role in the choices made by jobseekers, what key moves should employers be making in 2022?
1. Build an understanding of DEI
It is imperative that everyone within an organisation understands what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean. This is not simply the remit of the HR department and hiring managers. A clear definition of each aspect of DEI is an effective starting point for beginning the discussion about how DEI can be embraced in the organisation by all members of staff.
2. Start the discussion at the top
Education on DEI is important for all members of staff at all levels, but it must start at the top. The most effective way to disseminate knowledge throughout an organisation is to begin with the most senior employees and filter that understanding down.
For any change to successfully be made to a company’s culture and strategy, it must first be understood and adopted by those individuals who play the largest role in how the organisation is run, that is, the senior management.
3. Create inclusive job descriptions
If first impressions are important, then employers should view their job descriptions as that first impression. Inclusive job descriptions require an attention to the terms and phrases used to ensure that ideal candidates are not dissuaded by language that excludes them. For instance,
- Use gender neutral language and avoid nuanced terms that are generally connected with a specific gender.
- Avoid jargon and technical terms to attract candidates with a range of work experience.
- Keep sentences short and avoid complicated vocabulary to attract candidates with a range of literacy skills.
4. Develop transparency around DEI
While developing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a company’s culture is a goal in itself, it will not serve to attract candidates unless its existence is made obvious. Transparency, both internally and externally, is therefore key. Internally, it boosts employee engagement. Externally, it announces that DEI is an important element of the company’s approach.
Many organisations provide annual DEI reports that are publicly available online. An employer’s website also provides an excellent opportunity to talk about the company’s approach to, plans for, and successes in DEI.
5. Create a method of measurement and reporting
Companies may express a desire to improve their approach to DEI but without definitions, guidelines, and accountability, progress can be difficult to gauge and track. This is why it is crucial to create a method of DEI measurement and reporting.
This method must include:
- setting up accountability – who is responsible for what?
- establishing baselines – such as the ethnic or gender breakdown of candidates recruited over the last six months or how well specific groups are represented at different levels of seniority
- monitoring employee engagement – for instance, through staff questionnaires
As with any process of change and improvement, an employer’s approach to DEI must always be to measure, report, and re-assess.
For a deeper dive, read 9 metrics to help you understand (and prioritize) DEI.
Final thoughts
An employer’s approach to DEI will always be at its most effective when there is a thorough understanding of what diversity, equity, and inclusion are, an appreciation of how these three factors will benefit the company, and a cross-company push to ensure the success of the initiative.
Author biography:
Fi Phillips, Freelance Copywriter working with JobLookup. Fi specialises in blog posts and web articles about the world of work and business. She is especially interested in how the pandemic has changed our attitudes to work-life balance and career development.
