DEI is an acronym for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. As workforces rapidly globalize they also diversify. This diversity comes in many shapes and sizes, from religious practices to linguistic differences. 

Diversity helps to strengthen multinational organizations, as studies have shown. Understanding and smoothing out differences at work is challenging but incredibly rewarding. 

It’s time to gear your company into effective DEI practices and make your diverse groups work in complete harmony. Variety is, as they say, the spice of life. 

35 DEI tips to boost your workplace

1. Anonymous resume screening

Let’s begin with one of the earliest steps in a company’s DEI improvement efforts. The playing field gets levelled by removing names and personal details from resumes during the screening process. This places a higher emphasis on the merits of the person applying and removes the possibility of any bias that might creep into the recruitment process. Let that talent shine through!

2. Regular diversity training

So let’s open up the discussions into diversity training. You might encounter some initial hesitance from staff at the mere mention of this, but it’s an area of business that just keeps growing in importance. There’s no doubt about how important it is to have an inclusive workplace, and the world’s top ten book-value companies practice it. 

3. Clear career pathways

Taking a moment to consider the Equity part of DEI, how about clearing the path of career progression? You never know who amongst your staff might feel like the odds are stacked against them. Just by starting the conversation, you begin to create a vibe of fairness and justice, an overall air of ‘I feel equal at work’ amongst your employees.

4. Cultural heritage celebrations

Here’s a fantastic and simple way to make sure your staff feel culturally understood. By taking a little bit of time to research and prepare a celebration of diversity in cultures, each person’s background can feel valued and represented. This could be through food, presentations or workshops. You could even decide to take a back-seat and let staff from backgrounds different to yours take charge of it.

5. Language resources

By understanding the broad backgrounds your staff originate from, you might be surprised to see how many of the world’s 7,000 languages they speak. So why not take steps towards creating the ultimate communication station in your office? Think translations and cultural guides, or even take a look at the huge amount of open-source translation software now available. 

6. Diverse imagery

Now this one could be used in an overt way, with inspirational quotes or images of famous people of colour posted on the office walls. You may however find that smaller implementations work better. You could spend a little time researching the styles of warm African patterning, and use them as a border pattern in a staff training PowerPoint. It might even just begin as adding some books on foreign cultures into a shared staff area. Images drive conversations.

7. Pay equity audits

Don’t be afraid to take a peek under the hood of work payment systems. A recent survey from Beqom’s 2022 report showed that 37% of US employers do not share current gender pay gap data internally or externally. So why not begin the process of making your salary systems more transparent? Staff will feel reassured that they’re getting a fair shake, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

8. Microaggression training

Most managers on the cusp of creating a truly effective and harmonious work environment at work understand the dangers of microaggressions, and how silently they can sneak into the workplace. These tiny (micro) forms of aggression can quickly tear apart a well-oiled team, so provide training in recognizing and tackling them head-on!

9. Community outreach

Outreach is integral to engaging with company stakeholders. Effective managers inevitably spend most of their time thinking about how their teams can best deliver products to their customers. Outreach however puts the audience first, and it means understanding the audience beyond the data. Occasionally have a check-up to see if your company has a substantiation relationship with communities of an African, Latin or Asian background. Organize in-person gatherings where possible, and make sure you’re connecting with communities digitally at the right time.

10. Blind evaluations

Your evaluations might be held regularly, and they might be carefully thought out, but have you considered bringing in DEI measures to make the process truly equal? This is done by removing all identifying information, such as names, addresses, educational background and gender. A recent survey of over 800 U.S.-based HR workers showed that around 20% of them worked for companies that had used blind hiring. The number is expected to grow, so jump on board!

11. Accessibility Measures

Let’s take a moment to review the physical space of the office. It has become increasingly important for employers to create a workplace in which disabled staff feel comfortable sharing their disability, and even more importantly, that their needs will be met. While companies have been practicing these measures for a long time, new technological changes mean that employers need to make sure needs are met digitally too. For instance, a deaf member of staff might not be able to take part in a Zoom call if there are no closed captions available. It’s crucial to make sure these needs are met.

12. Inclusive meeting facilitation

How about the well-established setup of weekly meetings? Let’s apply DEI principles here. Make sure the host creates a safe and welcoming environment, set up through group agreements beforehand. Then by practicing active listening, staff are encouraged to listen more deeply to one another. Then, inclusive language can be modelled. Simple steps like asking for a member’s pronouns create a more inclusive atmosphere.

13. Religious holiday recognition

As a growing number of new employee backgrounds diversify, so will their religious backgrounds. It’s crucial here to make sure staff know that you’re mindful of their religious beliefs. Starting with a diversity calendar is a great way to become accustomed to upcoming religious holidays. Openly communicate with all employees on their religious needs and expectations. By practicing this, you will create a workplace where all feel respected and included.

14. Mental health support

DEI initiatives are making giant changes in reshaping corporate culture. Companies hoping to best implement DEI practices are recognizing the importance of mental well-being in their staff. It is still unfortunately often overlooked, and people of previous generations may be more likely to believe mental health issues are not real. By opening up dialogues and educating staff on the importance of mental health at work, they will feel more able to seek help if they recognize the symptoms. We can’t stress this enough here.

15. Diversifying products

Here’s a smart business strategy for reaching diverse markets. Open up conversations with your diverse teams to brainstorm ways into new markets, or even create variations of existing products to reach different demographics. Don’t just stop with asking your diverse employees either, actively seek input from diverse customers too! Carry out customer surveys and focus groups to create ideas that resonate with a wider audience.

16. Diversity surveys

Having taken some time to analyze diversity in your workplace (as well as your customer base), why not take the tried-and-tested survey and ramp it up? Start by creating anonymous questionnaires covering things like race, gender, age, disability and LGBTQ+ identity. Whizz them around the office to be filled in by employees (remember this can be done with customers too) and use the responses to look for areas of improvement in DEI practices. Transparency is key in your diversity programs. Make sure you emphasize the importance of honesty, as well as making sure everyone knows it’s confidential. 

17. Bystander intervention training

A new powerful step in DEI practices is bystander intervention training, that is, helping staff recognize a potentially harmful situation and teaching them how to respond in a way that can positively influence the outcome. This could come from a slightly uncomfortable office remark that would traditionally be laughed off as playful banter. The truth is thoughtless comments can cause harm, and this training aims to help staff recognize it in and outside of the workplace. Effective DEI practices positively influence outside interactions too, so let’s encourage more proactive positive responses to situations where people usually stay silent.

18. Diversity events sponsorship

Getting involved with diversity-sponsored events is a surefire way for companies to show their commitment to DEI practices. The truth is that getting involved is not as hard as many people think, too. Start by reaching out to event organizers. For instance, during Black History Month, companies can sponsor panels or workshops in the workplace to show their support. Lots of companies are already on-board, so try this out now to step up your DEI game.

19. Remote work options

To make remote work a top priority while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, a company can review its remote work options. This can include setting up flexible schedules and investing in top-notch virtual collaboration tools. By keeping remote-friendly practices in check, companies open doors for diverse talent from the four corners of the world, making sure everyone feels included and valued no matter where they are.

20. Parent return-to-work programs

So here we see a newer innovation in DEI practices. Companies are starting to recognize how critical the transition to parenthood is for their employees, and during this high-risk period, staff face a lot more stress a life disruptions. Carry out an analysis of your current parent programme to make sure new mothers and fathers can maintain a healthy work-family balance.

21. Cultural sharing sessions

Here’s a great way to open up DEI understanding. Use an office to laid back room to encourage staff to swap traditions and customs from diverse backgrounds. Staff can form bonds over differences and learn from each other. Organizing workplace cultural activities helps improve awareness and appreciation of other cultures. By sharing and caring, not only will staff be celebrating diversity but also making your DEI efforts more real and meaningful.

22. Professional development sponsorship

Professional development sponsorship can play a key role in promoting DEI within a company. Imagine a tech company deciding to sponsor a young woman of colour to attend a coding boot camp. She might have felt under-represented for a long time, now she feels supported and enriched with new perspectives, and your DEI culture continues to grow!

23. Pronoun inclusion

An effective way of encourage staff to feel safe at work is the use of gender-neutral pronouns. Staff should be allowed to disclose this if they wish and by opening this area of discussion, DEI practices are promoted. In the U.S., 56% of surveyed people say they know someone who uses a gender-neutral pronoun, and this number is expected to rise. Companies as large as Goldman Sachs are encouraging their employees to use these pronouns, so by opting for they/them usage, staff can safely feel that they are being addressed in a way that suits them.

24. Customer sensitivity training

Sensitivity training is a DEI activity that takes customer service training up a level. It equips them with the tone, demeanour and soft skills to effectively deal with diverse customers. It can be as simple as training staff to practice active listening, creating a sense of empathy with customers. This can go a long way when dealing with any mishaps that occur at work. 

25. Supplier diversity

With all of this focus placed on the end user, and training your in-house staff, how about a look backwards to the supplier side? More than 80% of surveyed companies in 2021 say they’ve begun taking action on DEI initiatives. So when working with the supplier-side of the supply chain, seeking companies from diverse backgrounds goes a long way. Promote economic growth for under-represented groups to create more diverse chains.

26. DEI metrics for leaders

By taking a top-down approach, companies can identify leaders in the workplace and apply DEI metrics to their performance. It’s easier than ever for companies to leverage technology into data analysis, so why not check how stuff like diversity in hiring and workplace happiness are going? Data is seen as the new gold, so use it to tweak things like hiring practices to make the workplace fairer.

27. Unconscious bias training

There are some biases we don’t even know we have. Truth is, we don’t need to get up in arms about it if we understand it as being a natural part of life. What companies can do, is train staff to recognize unconscious bias and make sure it isn’t denying anyone a fair shot. Make sure your recruitment process isn’t favouring any one characteristic when hiring, be that age, disability or gender. This creates a safer and fairer environment in your office and a more level playing-field for new recruits.

28. Cross-cultural exchanges

Cross-cultural exchanges are a powerful tool in the arsenal of a company that wishes to create effective DEI. More companies than ever are helping their staff make meaningful connections through culture-sharing activities. One great way to do this is with a “Global Food Day,” where employees bring dishes that are meaningful to their culture, to spark those conversations of curiosity. You might be surprised how many staff appreciate new foods, from far-eastern noodle delicacies to hearty East African rice dishes. There’s a reason why these restaurants are doing so well!

29. Diversity organization memberships

As a manager, you know how important boosting workplace productivity is. Here’s a smart move to get staff feeling like they truly belong to something, separate from the standard work teams. Encouraging staff to join groups like the National Association of Asian Professionals, or the Society for Hispanic Engineers, there are more ways than ever before on ways to help staff feel part of a larger circle. By creating membership committees staff are given new networking opportunities and insights into their colleagues. 

30. DEI goals integration

Once plans are laid out and ready to go, implementing DEI goals in the workplace is the most effective next step. Creating an inclusive and diverse organization might be an ongoing journey, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t milestones along the way. By setting up progress markers in your DEI activities, progress becomes measurable. You could try setting up a bi-annual survey of staff feelings at work. Measure their feelings of “inclusion” and aim for a 10% improvement in 6 months. Measuring is key.

31. Language interpretation services

DEI at its core aims to create feelings of inclusion and belonging, and there’s a make-or-break need for honesty from both employers and employees. This honesty can be most effectively communicated through a person’s native tongue, so companies are bringing in translation and interpretation services for their bilingual staff. 

32. Partnership with diversity nonprofits

So many DEI work practices come not from boardrooms, but from the heart. There are hundreds of nonprofit diversity groups functioning in the U.S. and E.U., and many of them are crying out for corporate partnerships. These groups don’t work for money, instead receiving rewards through nonmonetary incentives and honestly, this driver of motivation shouldn’t be overlooked. 

33. LGBTQ+ pride recognition

It’s important to remember that your employees are not just the output of their work. They are whole humans with unique perspectives and backgrounds. Embracing LGBTQ+ pride recognition at work is a great way to help staff feel a sense of inclusion and unity. Hosting Pride Month events, displaying inclusive signage and offering LGBTQ+ sensitivity training is the best way to do this. Give them a helping hand and get that sense of camaraderie growing amongst your marginalized groups.

34. Discrimination reporting channels

As a manager, leveraging discrimination reporting channels is crucial for enhancing workplace DEI. Review your current reporting systems and make sure any concerns can be addressed promptly. Anonymous reporting platforms are usually the most effective way, but you could also appoint a DEI liaison to empower everyone to speak up more. 

35. Virtual tours

To help develop the cultural aspect of DEI, you could treat your staff to a trip on a virtual tour of historic sites, organizations or cultural landmarks. Imagine an interactive virtual tour of a country where a few of your staff come from, in multiple languages for the viewer. It would be a great way to promote inclusivity and spark curiosity, and companies like Unexpected Virtual Tours are making big strides in this area. Wonderful!

Smash your DEI performance for a home-run in a new location. Try out one of our team retreats!

With all of this focus on improving the company’s DEI, a team-building retreat is a fabulous way to spark that curiosity in new cultures and traditions. So why not consider a team retreat with us? Imagine the usual confines of your office settings melting away on a sandy beach or taking the time to appreciate nature on a countryside retreat. A quick change of environment can be as revitalising as a complete office overhaul. Your team will have one another’s backs and be full of harmony, with an open mind towards DEI practices and a sense of teamwork like never before.

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