In 2023, businesses are finally catching up to the 21st century and are doing the work. Diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, are extremely important for all businesses moving forward. Whether you’re curious to learn about DEI objectives or how to make your business more inclusive, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 6 of the top tactics every business should do if they want to improve diversity in their business. Follow this guide and catch your business up to speed with the 21st century in style!
1. Create a plan
There are plenty of ways to make your business more diverse and welcoming. The first thing you can do is set some diversity, equity, and inclusion goals for your company. Create a plan and some goals you’d like to achieve in terms of diversity and see how you can implement them in your business. A strong plan can help you lead the way to inclusivity and diversity at your brand!
2. Educate your leaders
Once you’ve created the right plan, it’s time to put it into action by tackling your leadership first. You need to educate your leaders and heads of your brand first. Make sure they’re up to speed on what the game plan is, what to do, and what not to do. If you want to eradicate prejudice and inequality in your business, you have to start from the top. Once the top of your organization is secured, the knowledge and ideas will trickle down your company much easier.
3. Celebrate worker difference
Your employees and staff may come from a variety of places and may have very different cultures, religions, and ethnicities. The key to embracing and welcoming diversity is not to avoid acknowledging the differences, but to celebrate them! Start by making your working environment accommodating to all cultures. Install prayer rooms, and private rooms, and make your employee’s work life more accessible.
4. Crackdown on prejudice
Creating space for diversity and acceptance is one thing, but keeping prejudice out is another. If you want to truly make your workplace more inclusive and diverse, you need to crack down on those who are holding it back. Keep an eye on your employees and be on the lookout for prejudice, discrimination, and harassment. Make sure to identify, acknowledge, and punish these kinds of behaviors as they are not helping you achieve your goal.
5. Form an inclusion council
Whether you’re new to diversifying your business or you’re not sure you’re doing a good job, there is a way out! To make sure you’re doing right by the minority members in your business, you need to form an inclusionary council. Create a council with representatives for each group that will make sure everyone’s voices, problems, and ideas get heard. You have to diversify the ideas and complaints you hear if you want to diversify your brand.
6. Listen to your employees
Last but not least, diversity in the workplace falls on the backbone of your employees. If you want to accommodate a more diverse workforce, you’re going to need to listen to them and accommodate their needs. Start by creating active communication lines between employees and the higher-ups. Make an effort to hear out your employees and their grievances, and get to work changing and adapting what you can.
So there you have it! Diversity and inclusivity in the workplace can be tough, but it starts with the right plan and education. Celebrate your employee’s differences and crack down on prejudice to create a safe and accepting working environment. Form an inclusion council. make sure to listen to your employees and you’re good to go!
