First Steps to Increase Diversity in your Company

The benefits of diversity in the workplace are clear. Increased productivity, new ideas, happier workers, and more equity and inclusion. Diversity is so important that Fortune Magazine lists it as one of the key factors in their lists of the best places to work. 

Ready to work on increasing a more diverse company culture? These ideas can help you make it to the top of Fortune’s 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity ranking:

Focus on the Experiences of All Marginalized Groups

In order to become a truly diverse workplace, your company needs to recognize that diversity comes from many groups and in many forms. This includes people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, employees in certain age groups, those with disabilities, and colleagues of varied religions and national origins. Experts suggest collecting and analyzing diversity data over time to ensure that you are meeting the needs of employees and company wide diversity goals. 

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Empower Workers to Celebrate Differences

A great way to encourage diversity is to give a strong voice to employees who come from diverse backgrounds. Consider creating optional and self-identifiable employee task-forces to advocate both internally and externally for the rights of diverse communities. Many companies find that giving time for workers to come together to discuss issues and solutions pertaining to their character encourages a work environment that strengthens employee confidence.

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Educate Everyone about why Diversity Matters

Unconscious bias is a problem that everyone faces. It’s unfortunate human nature to have bias, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be educated about it. Managers who clearly understand the benefits of diversity are more likely to encourage it, and employees who internalize why diversity matters embrace each of their colleagues. In addition to standardized education, consider giving optional time and space for diversity groups to share their thoughts with their colleagues in a safe environment.

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Protect Diverse Workers With Clear Policies

If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk too. Create and enforce clear policies that protect diverse employees from harmful situations. Be sure to segment your employee surveys by minority group to understand where you still need to improve. Implement policies that eliminate bias from your evaluation and promotion processes. 

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