Diversity and inclusion initiatives to prioritize in 2022

Diversity is a journey, not a destination. You can’t just focus on it for the short term. You can’t say, ‘Ok, we’re planning to get diverse hires for a year.’ Diversity is a never-ending journey. And so, how can we best prepare companies for the future? How can we train our current employees to be leaders?

Across all sectors and industries, it’s crucial that companies continue to strive to create inclusive workplaces. The more inclusive the work environment is, the more likely employees and employers are to report higher job satisfaction.

The Push For Diversity and Inclusion

Companies took part in some of the largest diversity initiatives ever last year. It is important to note that this is not an ephemeral trend – a recent Glassdoor survey found that over three-quarters of employees believe a diverse workforce is an important factor in accepting a job offer.

In 2020 and 2021, promises were made. 2022 will be the year action is taken. But this takes more than just announcing an initiative, but actually implementing measures to accomplish the goals. Here are methods to use to promote diversity and inclusion within your company in 2022.

Keep Flexible Working Hours

The majority of companies wanted to return to the workplace this year, but recent events have pushed some of those dates even further back. Continuing to offer flexible and remote working options is one of the simplest ways to make it easier to diversify your workforce. It may feel tedious to manage your team over Zoom, but allowing remote workers greatly expands your hiring pool and enables you to recruit talent that will diversify your company.

Once you embrace remote work, your reach can be unlimited. You will be able to give your team the diversity it needs sooner if you do away with location barriers.

Promote Diversity Beyond Your Office

Diversity and Inclusion does not begin and end with your company alone. Business leaders on all sides of the globe need to push for it. Look at the makeup of other companies you deal with instead of focusing only on your own – vendors, suppliers, contractors, etc.

It can be challenging to do all of this. The good news is, there are more and more tech tools available that simplify the process.

Maximizing Accountability Through Data

Leaving diversity initiatives to chance is the last thing you want to do. This is not to suggest that you begin to use quotas right away, but you should examine the data you already have.

For instance, what percentage of people who are interviewed for roles are of color? Does that percentage increase once they get past the first round of interviews? In general, what is the percentage of candidates you offer a job? If you want to be able to keep track of your own progress, then you’ll need to have the answers to these questions on hand.

It is possible to work towards improving these numbers once you know them. In order to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace, you must widen the door of recruitment.

Be deliberate about interviewing diverse talent when developing your diversity plan and building your client base. As an example, Hilton aims to interview at least 50 percent of candidates from diverse backgrounds for every open position. Benchmarks like these are vital for both having something to strive for and being able to measure your achievements against.

As a concept, representation refers to the proportion of your team that consists of people who are underrepresented in society. This might include minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, etc. Consider the diverse skill sets you need at all levels of the organization as you construct your growth strategy.

Consider The Benefits Of Your Company And Re-Evaluate

Representatives are recruited and retained, but retention is driven by pay, benefits, and promotions. It’s a circle of mutual benefit, and you should invest in it.

You’ll see a clear story of inequality when you examine Black women at work, for instance; They earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by a white male employee. As a result of making pay, benefits, and promotions core metrics, you will shed light on this common discriminatory practice. As well as increase a brand awareness that diversity and genuine inclusion is core value of the company.

Take heed of your employees’ suggestions

Workplace diversity involves creating a more inclusive and accepting environment. Consult your employees regarding their views regarding diversity and representation. A face-to-face meeting is particularly helpful, but you should consider the possibility of anonymous feedback. Perhaps your workers would like to see a new class of interns from different backgrounds or may be interested in further equality training. Regardless of the situation, put the needs of your employees first – who are the ones really affected by this.