9 Ways To Take Your Company’s DEI To The Next LeveL
When it comes to DEI, the newest generation in the workforce is speaking loud and clear: 83% of Gen Z said that a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is important when choosing an employer, and “a diverse and inclusive organization” one of the top 3 things young professionals look for in an employer.
With the workforce becoming increasingly diverse — even in historically homogenous industries like STEM and computer science — DEI in the workplace is only getting more important.
Lots of companies have a DEI plan, but are they following through? Many companies take steps in the right direction, but are they achieving true, sustainable diversity, equity, and inclusion? If you’re looking to attract and retain diverse talent, here are 9 ways to go a step further.
1. Set Clear Diversity Goals
🚶♂️A start: Set goals for how many candidates of color you interview.
🏃♂️Level Up: Set goals for how many candidates of color reach the final interview stage.
2. Assess Diversity Gaps
🚶♀️A start: Identify whether your company is lacking candidates of color.
🏃♀️Level Up: Identify which specific roles are lacking candidates of color and why.
3. Monitor Hiring, Retention, and Promotion
🚶A start: Track how many diverse candidates you hire and retain in a 3-year period.
🏃Level Up: Track how many diverse candidates you promote in a 3-year period.
4. Build and Support DEI Leadership
🚶♂️A start: Hire DEI leaders for your company.
🏃♂️Level Up: Hire support for your DEI leaders — as of 2022, only 12% of companies had a team committed to DEI.
5. Cultivate Public Advocacy & Organizational Protocols
🚶♀️A start: Take a public stance on important social and political issues affecting your audience and staff.
🏃♀️Level Up: Implement internal policies and practices that reflect those values and benefit your team.
6. Implement DEI Accountability
🚶A start: Assign C-suite leaders to oversee and/or support DEI and retention work.
🏃Level Up: Create metrics and hold execs accountable for the success of these initiatives.
7. Enhance Recruitment and Mentorship
🚶♂️A start: Diversify your recruitment channels and talent pipeline for young talent.
🏃♂️Level Up: Bolster your onboarding and mentorship programs to set recent grads up for success.
8. Diversify Employee Resources
🚶♀️A start: Create employee resource groups (ERGs) for employees of diverse backgrounds.
🏃♀️Level Up: Support your ERGs by offering compensation, programming budget, and dedicated time for DEI initiatives.
9. Leverage DEI Initiatives
🚶A start: Create and execute DEI initiatives around race and gender.
🏃Level up: Expand your DEI initiatives to include dis/ability, age, parental status, and other identities and lived experiences.
Ready to level up your DEI and attract diverse young talent? Let’s get to work.
Contact us and let’s chat.
