The case for building diverse, inclusive workplaces has never been stronger. In fact, in its December 2023 report, “Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact,” McKinsey & Company found that “the business case for gender diversity on executive teams has more than doubled over the past decade,” and that “companies in the top quartile for both gender and ethnic diversity in executive teams are on average 9 percent more likely to outperform their peers.”
For almost 25 years, the executive search team at DRiWaterstone has been committed to identifying and recruiting diverse professionals for purpose and mission-driven organizations – and the impact of building more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces is clear. Here are three tips from our recruitment experts for organizations looking create a positive, more diverse and inclusive workplace:
Make DEI everyone’s responsibility.
What can this look like? Taking the sole responsibility for DEI out of the leadership or HR role and ensuring that everyone on the team understands their role in building a diverse, equitable and inclusive space. Giving team members the opportunity to contribute to DEI efforts by establishing/growing employee resource groups. Building measurements and goals around DEI efforts into the organization’s strategic plans, leadership scorecards, etc.
Strive for unbiased language and tools in your recruiting process.
What can this look like? Developing unbiased job descriptions. Assembling diverse interview panels. Implementing interview scorecards that rate candidates on standardized, pre-determined criteria. Identifying new talent pools using job boards that target diverse communities. Undergoing anti-bias training and implementing anti-bias toolkits for hiring managers/hiring panels.
Focus on building a psychologically safe work environment.
What can this look like? Encouraging team members to show up as their authentic selves. Establishing feedback loops to allow employees to share their experiences and concerns. Developing (and enforcing) DEI policies.
To learn more about how DRiWaterstone can help your organization create a positive, more diverse and inclusive workplace, schedule a call with our team today.
