DEI Training
DEI training is a program of learning aimed at educating employees on how they can contribute to a safe and welcoming workplace for all as part of a company’s DEI framework. These trainings can cover unconscious biases, microaggressions, structural inequities and other issues employees of different groups face while providing clear steps all employees can take to ensure everyone gets the support they need in the workplace.
The form of DEI training depends on the needs of an organization and the challenges its employees face. It can be an in-person workshop or a series of workshops that build on each other, or it can be an online course that teaches different components of DEI over several weeks. No matter the format, company leaders should consult with employees — especially members of any related employee resource groups — to develop a DEI training program that is relevant to their workforce.
In the end, a successful DEI framework requires buy-in from all levels of a company, ranging from executives to entry-level employees. DEI training explains to employees why a DEI framework is necessary and what actions they can take to contribute to the goals of this framework. It also shows job candidates that a company is willing to go beyond diversity statements and is serious about creating a fair and welcoming workplace for all.
DEI Initiatives
DEI initiatives are the actual steps companies take to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. While DEI initiatives empower employees of marginalized backgrounds to advocate for themselves, they also provide ways for allies to support their colleagues. In this sense, DEI initiatives engage an organization’s entire workforce by uniting employees behind company-wide strategies, programs and goals.
Investing in DEI initiatives takes abstract concepts and translates them into concrete objectives that benefit both employees and the company. When employees see leadership taking steps to support them, they’re likely to stay longer in a place where they feel like they belong. And employees who are given the resources to overcome challenges may feel more motivated and focused at work, raising their productivity. Job candidates of varied backgrounds may also take notice of a business’ DEI initiatives, giving a company access to a wider talent pool.
With these upsides in mind, here are some common DEI initiatives companies can explore:
- DEI employee resource groups: Companies may allow and encourage employees to form ERGs based on race, gender, sexuality and other categories centered around marginalized traits or backgrounds.
- Unbiased hiring practices: Hiring teams may target candidates from marginalized communities, rewrite job descriptions to make them more inclusive and conduct blind resume reviews.
- DEI trainings: Companies may establish in-person workshops, online courses and other learning resources to educate employees on issues those of certain backgrounds face and steps they can take to make the workplace safe and supportive for them.
- DEI mentorships: Teams may offer mentorship programs catered toward women, Black workers and employees of other underrepresented groups to give them additional professional support and connections.
- DEI policies: Businesses may design stronger policies centered on anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and other topics to ensure employees feel safe at work.
- Fair promotion practices: Companies may establish quotas aimed at internally promoting a certain number of women and those of other marginalized backgrounds into management positions to build more diverse leadership.
Diversity Recruiting
A diversity recruiting strategy is a plan for revising a company’s existing recruitment processes and developing new ones to diversify a workforce. It includes policies and programs aimed at different aspects of recruiting, from how teams write job descriptions to how interviewers interact with candidates. By scrutinizing the recruiting process, leadership can find ways to make the company more accessible and appealing to job candidates of varied backgrounds.
Companies looking to start and strengthen their diversity recruiting strategies can take a number of approaches. For example, recruiters may add statements at the end of job ads that encourage candidates who don’t meet all the requirements to apply anyway. Recruiting teams can also visit institutions like HBCUs to diversify their candidate pool and use technology when appropriate to perform blind resume reviews.
Company leadership can also reinforce diversity recruiting strategies by setting up diversity-focused internships for those of marginalized backgrounds and making sure their recruiting teams are diverse as well. Taking these measures can prove to candidates a company is committed to supporting employees of different backgrounds and convince them this is the place where they want to be.
