When we have a diverse and inclusive workplace amazing things can happen!

Why is DEIB important? 

A workplace with a strong sense of inclusivity and diversity has the power of diversity of thought. Why is that a big deal? 

Well, here’s an example. One well known beauty brand discovered just how powerful a strong workplace can be when an improvement in their DEIB policies saw some exciting changes develop both internally and externally. Not only were their workplaces thriving, they noticed their customer base diversifying. A bigger and more diverse audience means more customers, which means more sales. 

Takeaway: Inclusivity = diversity of thought = bigger and better bottom dollar 

Getting rid of quotas 

It’s time to throw away the idea of DEIB as simply a tick box exercise.  

Improving diversity and inclusivity is about more than just having a certain percentage of demographics in certain roles. While quotas can be a useful catalyst in signalling the need for change, the reality is they don’t make much of a difference on their own.  

In fact, before any quotas, policies or targets are even put in place, the first step should be awareness. Without understanding the experiences and issues of employees, how are businesses supposed to know what they need to improve on? Combine this with incremental and tailored improvements and you’ve got a recipe for a tasty DEIB strategy.  

Takeaway: Say goodbye to checklists and hello to getting real feedback from real people.  

Measuring the effectiveness of DEIB initiatives 

Now that we’re all up to date with our education and training, how do we make sure all of this is actually working? It’s a step-by-step process and it all comes back to the people. 

We need to take a closer look into the experiences of those actually in the workplace and understand why they choose to leave. This can provide a deeper understanding of what is and isn’t working and why. 

To do this, we need to have authentic conversations with our employees to get a better understanding of the issues they face. From here, we can develop a baseline for an unstoppable DEIB strategy. 

Takeaway; Turn awareness into action, then action into advocacy! Capturing real time data and having authentic conversations with employees is key to crafting effective DEIB strategies. 

DEIB on a global scale 

One of the world’s leading professional services firms highlighted that close to half of their international hires were not having a great experience when relocating to Australia. 

What does this tell us? It can be challenging to create and implement an all-encompassing DEIB strategy. However, we need to make sure our policies do encompass everybody, no matter what part of the world they travel from. 

With spelling and translations differing across countries and regions and businesses at varying stages in their DEIB devotement, it can be tricky to create a singular journey. This is why individualised DEIB strategies are key. 

Takeaway: Tailored DEIB strategies are important to ensuring they encompass all people, countries and cultures. 

The significance of empathy in achieving DEIB 

Sometimes the simplest of things can make the biggest impact. For example, just asking someone ‘how are you?’ and ‘what do you need?” 

When employees transfer from other parts of the world, it’s important they have a background and understanding of the country they are transferring to and the nuances of the corporate culture. They should also feel included and their heritage and culture respected. 

This all boils down to one thing - empathy.  

One great way to ensure this is through wellbeing groups. These programs allow transfers to connect with others who have gone through the same move, providing unique support through lived experiences. 

But remember, this is a two-way street. We can’t forget about the education of our leaders. Ensuring managers understand the cultural differences of their onboarding employees is also key to a smooth transition.  

Takeaway: Embrace empathy - check in with your employees and see how they’re doing. Take the time to get to know them and help them feel at home as possible.  

EVP to drive inclusivity 

When looking at your talent attraction and retention strategy, where does diversity sit within that EVP? Could it be improved? Here are a few examples of how to improve your EVP strategy for better DEIB: 

• Include sessions that focus on getting to know your leaders, potential career pathways and culture within the company - these can help employees feel more connected to and supported within their workplace. 
• Break down your EVP by milestone, gender etc. This creates inclusivity across the lifecycle of your strategy. 
• Connect milestones with belonging - celebrating the loyalty and achievements of all employees allows them to feel valued as a collective. 

Takeaway: There’s always room to improve. Consider taking a look at your current EVP strategy and see if there’s any changes you could implement to help improve your DEIB. 

To find out more about our upcoming roundtables and how to be involved, contact costa@talenza.com.au