Creating a diverse workplace begins with hiring candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures and providing an equitable and inclusive culture for these workers to thrive in. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than buzzwords right now. They are the keys to building the teams that organizations need to compete and succeed in 2022.
While crafting a diversity statement for your organization and saying that you are an equal opportunity employer are starting off points, employers looking to attract and retain employees from diverse backgrounds and cultures also need to provide an inclusive workplace culture and benefits packages.
What do benefits offerings have to do with diversity? A great deal, actually. Companies put together their benefits packages in order to attract workers, to compete for talent. The perks they choose to offer indicate the type of candidate they are hoping to hire.
For example, an organization that offers an on-site cafeteria, a gym, and a games room will be hoping to attract workers who will spend long hours at the worksite. They won't have much of a home life.
Conversely, companies providing flexible scheduling, work-from-home options, and generous parental-leave benefits will be more attractive to family-minded candidates.
How companies can use their benefits to promote diversity
Companies hoping to attract diverse candidates should be open to offering diverse benefits. Because not all workers will be looking for the same support from their employers, providing a one-size-fits-all set of perks will necessarily be exclusionary.
Much like candidates will be looking to your corporate website to see if it includes statements of diversity and inclusion, they may also scrutinize your job postings, and benefits packages to determine if the organization lives up to those messages.
Promote pay equity
The main benefit of any job is the paycheque. The basic exchange of time and service for the reward of a salary is the very definition of employment. But are those rewards distributed in an equitable manner? Employers must take care to provide a level playing field for staff and provide equal opportunities for each team member. Companies can use blind analytics of their salary data to remove bias and identify if any employees are being underpaid for similar job titles or responsibilities. An equitable workplace begins with staff being paid the same for performing the same roles.
Recognize the holidays and significant events of all cultures
Not every employee will celebrate the same holidays, so your organization should take care to not show a preference for the traditions of any one culture. Recognizing the important calendar events of a wide range of cultures and communities can be a powerful way to build awareness of diversity within the team.
In team meetings, ask staff what holidays and events they celebrate and how they acknowledge them. Keep these dates in mind when scheduling meetings, and remember that employees may have different availability or need accommodating at different times.
Recognize periods of importance to different groups throughout the year such as Black History Month, International Women's Day, and Pride events, and use these to highlight the diversity of your staff and to foster communication and dialogue within teams.
Flexible time off
Much like recognizing that having a diverse staff means that you will have employees celebrating a variety of different holidays, it also suggests that you will have team members needing time off at different periods.
People with large families or who live in multi-generational homes may require more flexible schedules in order to balance the demands of their personal obligations with their work life.
Religious holidays will fall at different times throughout the year, and some may include elaborate family gatherings and festivities that may require time off. Devout Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset for the month of Ramadhan which may require some sensitivity or accommodation on an employer's part.
Allowing your staff the option of hybrid or remote work and flexible scheduling can also give your organization an advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining working parents, older workers, and special needs professionals.
Employee-sponsored volunteering
Employer-supported volunteering allows your team members to take time off in order to participate in causes that are important to their community. This has the benefit of allowing the organization to lend its support to a variety of initiatives, rather than dedicating its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to a narrow pre-selected list of causes.
More and more candidates are seeking out employers with strong CSR programs. Allowing staff to contribute company time to their choice of cause creates the broadest possible appeal for your offering.
Learning and development opportunities
Another way to help your company create a diverse range of professional employees is to implement fair and equal training and development programs. Candidates from different backgrounds and cultures will come to the table with a wide range of skills – and potentially some gaps in their skillsets. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You can recognize their strengths and provide training to help them develop their skills.
Along with traditional workplace learning programs, consider offering employees access to coaching, seminars, and retreats as well as online courses. Staff can acquire both hard and soft skills from organization and planning, to software and technology, and language and communications skills.
Another important area for learning and development is in leadership training. One important benefit that many employees will look for when considering a new job is opportunities for advancement. People want to grow in their careers. It is important for equitable employers to see that those opportunities are open to all.
Leadership training programs
Hiring staff from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures is a great step towards building an equitable and inclusive organization. The crucial next step is to provide opportunities for these hires to advance within your company. Leadership, teamwork, communication, and many other soft skills are essential for workers to move up in the ranks. Make sure to include these in training and development programs that are open to all staff.
Many companies also offer mentorship programs along with their training and education opportunities to help workers prepare for the next level of their careers. Fostering internal talent and promoting from within can be effective strategies for building the diverse leadership team your organization needs.
Saying that you value diversity and acting on that statement are two very different things. Remember that you can get your staff involved in the decision-making process when it comes to creating and selecting the employee benefits that best suit their lifestyle. Offer options. Not all employees will have the same wants and needs. Ideally, the benefits package your company provides will not be a one-size-fits-all offering for new hires, but a flexible, inclusive set of perks that appeals to a diverse range of candidates.
