Courtesy / Humza Khan
Humza Khan
Updated: September 3, 2021
How to move forward on your corporate commitment to DEI
By Humza Khan, Inclusion Maine
In the past year there has been an outpouring of commitment from the business community to racial equity and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Organizations have dedicated staff resources and funding, and pledged to build better, more inclusive workplaces.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, is our intentional and conscious commitment to racial equity, justice, equality, human rights, inclusion and empowerment for all people. We strive to create communities and organizations that welcome, appreciate and accept all people.
Here are some ways to demonstrate your corporate commitment to DEI.
1. Become intentional. Conscious organizational commitment to creating workplaces where all can be authentic and are welcomed. Acknowledgment of inequities and a commitment to inclusion. Open dialogue about how a commitment to DEI aligns with our mission, vision, business operations, workplace culture, suppliers, customers, and values. Involve employees, reflect on how this will affect your organization, and develop a roadmap for change.
2. Get buy-in from stakeholders. Buy-in from organizational leaders across business lines to ensure power brokers within the organization adopt inclusive behaviors and ensure change takes place in all key areas. Stakeholders must be able to articulate the mission & vision around DEI, how the organization needs to adapt, and the urgency of change. Offer voluntary and informal opportunities to learn, to become involved, and champion DEI.
3. Improve inclusion efforts. Engage employees and customers from diverse backgrounds and make efforts to create a welcoming environment. Involve staff to bring the best out of people. Discuss how your culture can adapt to be more positive, curious and empowering to people from all backgrounds. Encourage authenticity in the workplace and a culture which appreciates all people. Recognize and appreciate staff from diverse backgrounds and encourage open-mindedness and curiosity. Ensure accountability for exclusion. Promote a culture that encourages innovation, learning, and diversity in perspectives.
4. Update the hiring process. Identify barriers in the hiring process and seek to diversify candidate pools. Seek diverse sources for talent and adopt practices to ensure objectivity and reduction in bias in the hiring process. Work with hiring managers to become proactive about engaging diverse talent and become intentional about seeking talent from diverse sources, such as colleges and universities, community centers, social media, and active recruiting of diverse talent.
5. Offer professional development. Offer diverse talent opportunities to grow professionally, create deep connections and relationships for long-term retention, and promote leaders from diverse backgrounds to empower a diverse workforce within the organization. Offer development programs, advancement policies and flexibility to retain, engage and develop diverse talent. Invest in leaders from diverse backgrounds and foster a welcoming environment to empower and nurture a community of talent from diverse backgrounds.
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