DEI HR Initiative: Assessing Policies and Programs to Build a More Inclusive Workplace
An inclusive culture is necessary in today's dynamic and diverse workforce. HR professionals are critical in integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into foundational policies and programs that act as a framework for organizational culture.
Diversity initiatives are a critical step toward a more inclusive future, but building belonging also requires a proactive, people-first approach, and continuous evaluation of existing frameworks. This post will explore several policies and practices that set and enforce values and behaviors throughout an organization, with suggestions for review and tips for change.
Inclusive appearance and dress code policies
A company's dress code strongly indicates its underlying culture and values. They're often set to manage perception for customers and prospects, but these expectations also reflect what your organization values to your employees.
You may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes, require code-switching among employees with diverse backgrounds, or exclude underrepresented groups. In "Keeping Up AppearancesOpens in a new tab," author Julianne Hill includes several examples of how, among lawyers, grooming and appearance standards disproportionately impacted people of color, women, employees with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ employees.
The notion of "professionalism" stems from the viewpoint of the dominant cultural group (i.e., white, straight, cisgender, male, able-bodied), and what is considered appropriate is rooted in conformity.
Dr. Meisha-ann Martin, Senior Director of People Analytics and Research at Workhuman, and Kham Ward, the founder of BLK Men in TechOpens in a new tab (BMiT), interviewed and surveyed black men in tech. This is what one interviewee had to say about his experience:
"When you walk into a corporate environment, all of the preconceived stereotypes are already placed on you as a Black professional."
You're probably regularly reviewing your policies with legal and executive staff to ensure they are up-to-date with anti-discrimination laws and organizational changes. A proactive DEI strategy may also include periodically meeting with leaders within employee resource groups to evaluate your policy.
Surveying employees can help you gauge policy enforcement and may illuminate training or clarification needs within the organization.
If your policy's expectations are not a matter of safety or blanket requirement—one that doesn't put undue expectations on any employee groups—it's worth asking whether they're relevant to the job. A more flexible policy allows employees to dress in ways that help them feel more expressive, comfortable, and productive while working.
For more strategies on fostering an inclusive workplace, explore our DEI toolkit focused on key pillars of a robust and impactful DEI strategy.
Integrating DEI in leave policies
Inclusive, gender-neutral leave policies are central to wellbeing and ensure equal opportunities for employees experiencing potentially sensitive life events.
To start, make sure all leave policies include anti-discrimination provisions and discuss these protections with managers. Coach managers on employee disclosures and reinforce the importance of inclusivity, sensitivity, and confidentiality when handling a leave of absence.
You'll want to review for gender-neutral language and biased assumptions about employee relationships. Consider why you're putting specific relationships in your policy and see if you can be more supportive by removing those distinctions.
Here are a few more specific policy items to look out for:
- Parental—Provide equal leave benefits for all employees regardless of how they became parents. Remove gendered language like "maternity" and "paternity" to be inclusive of all parents, regardless of gender identity.
- Family and Medical—Include provisions for leave for gender transition, which may include medical appointments, surgery and recovery, and mental health support from trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming employees. Expand "family" in policies to recognize diverse family structures, significant others, and close friends.
- Bereavement—Offer flexible durations to accommodate different cultural practices and personal needs. Make sure the guidelines are easy to understand and compassionate. There's a good chance employees won't be familiar with your policy before they experience grief.
Inclusive leave policies help break down bias and reduce stigma. They also support wellbeing, empowering employees to take time to care for themselves or their loved ones and giving them equal opportunity to do so.
Review policies and benefits with LGBTQ+ employee resource groups and adjust based on feedback. Communicate any additions, changes, or updates to benefits with your employees.
Read more: Supporting Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming Employees
DEI initiatives for talent acquisition
Without new talent, your organization may stagnate. Your recruiting process and channels for talent acquisition can be an engine that powers a diverse workforce, or they can hold your company back.
Job descriptions
Ensuring equitable hiring practices starts with the job description. For many candidates in your application pool, it's the first entry point to your company and culture. Unfortunately, job descriptions often include biased or exclusionary language (think "ninja" or "young and energetic").
Here are a couple of tips you can use to review descriptions or coach hiring managers:
- Eliminate bias by using neutral language and keeping the description as factual as possible.
- Encourage more qualified applicants by only listing the essential requirements.
- On job postings, demonstrate your company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with a statement specific to your organization (no jargon!).
You can also use text analyzers to identify biased language, but they might not catch contextual exclusions or infrared biases. Whenever possible, incorporate diverse perspectives in your drafting and review steps.
Recruiting channels and referral programs
Mainstream job boards and algorithm targeting may be working against you. Explore a variety of outlets for job postings, including sites specific to underrepresented groups like Diversity JobsOpens in a new tab. Reach out to local or national networking and professional groups, like Black Career Women's NetworkOpens in a new tab, who will post job listings on their site or may have suggestions.
Employee referral programs are cost-effective and efficient, but you must cast a wide net for candidates or avoid limiting diversityOpens in a new tab. Consider referrals from trusted partners, vendors, or customers. Another approach is carefully designing referral bonus increases for underrepresented groupsOpens in a new tab, especially for roles with known diversity recruitment challenges.
Be vigilant for disparities. If you aren't already, review the impact of recruiting channels annually to identify adjustments that reduce unintentional exclusions. Consider if your budget is better spent on recruiting and funding a referral program or if developing internal candidates could fill gaps and give employees more development opportunities.
Interview process and training
An equitable hiring process starts with effective interviewing. Standardize your process with clear hiring criteria developed with or modified by the hiring manager that concentrates on specific skills and competencies critical to the role.
With unbiased requirements for the position in hand, you can assemble your interviewees. Make sure your panel includes diverse interviewers for a breadth of perspective in the decision-making process and so candidates engage with a wide range of experiences.
Before they meet the candidate, they should be familiar with the hiring criteria, required competencies, and their potential biases so each candidate has a fair chance. During evaluations, challenge any exclusionary language or assessments, primarily if they aren't rooted in specifics from the interview or the hiring criteria.
Mentorship programs and inclusive leadership
Employee growth should be part of your performance management strategy for retaining talent. A formal mentorship program is a cost-effective extension of skills development and support already occurring between managers and direct reports.
Working with a mentor gives employees another pillar of support, and pairing employees with different backgrounds can positively impact career development and psychological safety.
Martin found that the 37% of black men she interviewed had a mentor at their current organization, had "higher levels of psychological safety and connection, and were more secure in their racial identity at work." Of those with mentors, 70% of participants' mentors did not identify as black.
Numerous times, we heard stories from our interviewees about people of a different race advocating for them and making a tangible difference in their lives and careers. Be that person for someone else, regardless of your race and ethnicity. Just do it.
Another interview and survey Martin and behavioral science researcher Julian Wright conducted with The She-SuiteOpens in a new tab found a consistent positive impact of male mentors on female employees, especially regarding their career development. "These positive experiences included helping interviewees be seen by the right people, showcasing their talents, and even advocating for their promotion."
It's essential for employees to feel represented and seen by leadership. While your program goals should focus on skill and community building across your organization, a key measure of success would be the equitable development and promotion of diverse talent to leadership roles.
Learn the secrets to creating an effective DE&I strategy with expert insights from Dr. Meisha-ann Martin and Sarah Morgan. Transform your workplace into a thriving, inclusive environment.
Recognition and reward programs in inclusive cultures
Peer-to-peer social recognition can foster a culture of mutual respect and appreciation. A social platform like Workhuman increases the visibility of an employee's work and makes every achievement a chance for celebration.
"We repeatedly heard about the positive effects of recognition. Not just the act of recognizing women for their efforts and work but making that recognition public for everyone in the organization to see." -Dr. Meisha-ann Martin, PhD and Julian Wright, A New Standard for Workplace Culture: An Intersectional Approach to Women Thriving at Work
Workhuman's NLP team has developed a tool that also makes each recognition moment an opportunity for micro-coaching. The Inclusion advisor reviews recognition messages for potentially problematic language, flagging the phrase and briefly explaining how it could be perceived as prejudiced or offensive.
Data from Social Recognition can also help HR professionals uncover areas for DEI effort, such as imbalances in rewards given and received across employee groups.
Through recognition, we can celebrate shared values and the uniquely human differences that make innovation and progress possible. Whether it's acknowledging a birth, completing a long project, or achieving a career development goal, in-the-moment recognition ties employees together.
Wrapping Up
To unlock the full potential of a truly inclusive workforce, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cornerstones of your organization. By thinking about inclusivity at every level of your organizational framework, you can drive innovation, improve employee experience, and future-proof your organization in the evolving business landscape.
About the author
Alison Enzinna
A content strategist and innately curious person, Ali Enzinna has started exploring the working world, looking for opportunities to make big changes through small actions.