Identifying and celebrating the unique differences among your employees – and prospective candidates – isn’t always easy, but it’s well worth it. Companies that value diversity and inclusion experience better retention rates, higher productivity levels, and a far more positive company culture. And it’s important that you make it clear to employees and candidates that diversity and inclusion are central to your mission. But how do you do that?
Show that your company values diversity and inclusion by:
Creating a diversity and inclusion team
Consider creating a specific team or committee at your company focused on diversity and inclusion efforts. The team could meet monthly or quarterly to discuss DE&I efforts throughout your organization, coming up with action plans to improve efforts and make positive developments in this area.
Reviewing your application and selection process
When was the last time you evaluated your recruiting and hiring process through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion? It’s all too easy for unconscious bias to seep into these processes, negatively impacting the candidates that you source, interview, and eventually hire. Make sure you follow a blind resume process, in which identifying information is removed to allow managers to avoid letting any bias cloud their decision-making. Update the language in your job postings to ensure it attracts candidates from every race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and socio-economic status.
Asking your employees for feedback
What better way to demonstrate that you value diversity and inclusion than by asking your employees for direct feedback on the matter? Send out surveys asking how your company is doing in valuing diversity and inclusion. Foster a supportive work environment by soliciting honest feedback and having tough – and necessary – conversations. To make employees feel comfortable, give them the option of submitting the survey results anonymously.
Educating your leadership teams
Educate your senior staff and department heads on valuing diversity and inclusion. It starts at the top. If management doesn’t put these initiatives at the forefront, employees can feel like they need to mask part of themselves at work – and that’s not good for diversity and inclusion in your organization.
Need Help With Your Hiring?
Looking to hire diverse talent from all backgrounds and walks of life? Ascend Staffing is your partner in all things staffing and recruitment. Whether you’re looking for temporary help or a permanent hire, contact a member of our team to get started on your search.
