Diversity & Inclusion
Create a culture of diversity and inclusion in your workplace
Create a culture of diversity and inclusion in your workplace
Diversity is traditionally concerned with group identity, defined by common characteristics like race, ethnicity, age, sex, religion - and, most recently, sexual orientation and gender identity. But diversity isn’t the same thing as inclusion. If employees are afraid of retaliation, if policies don’t support diversity or aren’t enforced, or if a company’s workforce and branding don’t reflect a diverse culture, even the most diverse workforce is excluded from contributing their great value to the company.
Embracing diversity is correlated with better profitability, opportunities in new markets, a better customer experience, lower employee turnover and customer churn, an enhanced reputation and increased market share.
Employees are highly sensitive to diversity, equality and inclusion as workplace issues. This is especially true in an era of renewed focus on civil rights, and the influence of a younger generation that prioritises authenticity. A “check-the-box" approach to diversity and inclusion damages trust among customers and employees and sets the company up for potential liability and litigation in the future.
Customers and employees should see themselves reflected in the leadership team, salesforce, marketing materials and anywhere they encounter the company. It’s the right thing to do. But it’s not always easy.
A document that is easily shared and updated that includes specific language about diversity, inclusion and anti-discrimination
Track and report on specific cases and resolutions related to diversity and inclusion.
Collect, prioritise and respond to incidents quickly and consistently with a web intake interface
Train employees on diversity and inclusion, anti-discrimination and combatting unconscious bias
Consistent enforcement and a zero-tolerance discrimination policy are the best way to ensure adoption of the programme
Incidents related to discrimination are best reported through an anonymous hotline where it can be dealt with internally, rather than on social media or in the courtroom
Educate employees with training about unconscious biases, discrimination and microaggressions that undermine diversity and inclusion efforts.
Make sure policies include specific language about diversity, are easy to access and update, and are enforced consistently
Offer multiple whistleblower reporting methods, such as a compliance hotline, so employees feel safe against retaliation and confident their report will get a timely response.
Ensure partners, leadership, representatives, and third-party vendors and contractors don’t compromise your values or expose you to regulatory risks.