Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Why It’s Important and How to Promote It

We may not realize it, but many of us bring implicit bias to everything we do. We make decisions based on things we subconsciously assume about a person’s appearance, background, and identity. 

Not only does this invisible bias hurt the person it’s directed towards, it also carries huge consequences for organizations around the globe. Everything from recruitment, to innovation, and building high-performing teams suffers in workplaces where implicit bias goes unchecked.

Enter diversity and inclusion (D&I), an important trend aimed at unraveling the harmful effects of implicit bias in the workplace. It’s a topic every HR and organizational leader should know well. Unfortunately, as D&I becomes more widespread, so has misinformation about what it is, why it’s important, and how to best promote it at work. 

D&I is more than fostering a culture of respect and belonging for all employees; it’s about making a real business and human impact. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What does diversity and inclusion in the workplace mean, anyway?

Perhaps no corporate term has been more misunderstood in recent years than “diversity & inclusion.” To help understand what it means when we say “D&I”, let’s break it up into its component parts. 

Diversity refers to any environment that represents an array of different perspectives. While it’s often used to describe teams made up of different races and ethnicities, diversity also refers to a list of other unique perspectives, including:

Inclusion refers to the idea that everyone should be afforded the same opportunities in education, resources, opportunities, and treatment, regardless of the qualities that make them unique. 

Combined, diversity and inclusion become an effort to rewrite implicit biases that exist in the workplace. These biases influence decision making at every level, unfairly punishing individuals based on their unique background as well as robbing your organization of new, creative ideas that can lead it to grow in surprising directions.  

What are the most common challenges around D&I?

Even after understanding what diversity and inclusion is and why it’s important, many workplaces still face hurdles in implementing programs and policies effectively. 

These common challenges offer a glimpse into what you might face in elevating D&I at your workplace, helping you prepare for the road ahead.

Communication

Ask any HR leader and they will tell you that nothing gets done in the workplace without proper communication. Advancing D&I in organizations presents unique challenges in this area, including language barriers and differences in communication preferences (e.g. cross-generational, cross-cultural, etc.)

The Lack of a Measurable D&I Strategy

Especially in its early stages, D&I initiatives can feel like an uphill battle. While several explanations can explain this resistance, the lack of a formal plan is one of the most common. A solid strategy begins with defining objectives, strategies, and KPIs that funnel up into your organization’s larger goals, such as improving employee engagement, boosting recruitment, or improving their reputation.

Not Enough Resources Allocated for Inclusive Programming

Because many HR leaders don’t have this measurable strategy in place, they can also face pushback when requesting budget and support for more inclusive programming. Traceable results help build the business case for D&I initiatives by demonstrating its tangible value to upper management in your organization. Without the right resources, D&I programming is doomed from the start. It’s not enough for organizations to talk the talk when it comes to improving diversity and inclusion—they need to put real weight behind it.

Implicit Bias

Implicit bias—the very thing diversity and inclusion hopes to dismantle—also poses a common threat to D&I initiatives because it refers to decision making based on subconscious attitudes about diverse perspectives rather than on objective fact, stemming from a lack of empathy. These biases are often deeply ingrained in our minds, requiring explicit training and open conversations to overcome. 

5 Proven Strategies to Transform Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace

Now primed on the possible challenges ahead, we can start to imagine the strategies that actually work in fostering a more inclusive workplace. These five proven methods will help get you started.

1. Organize Employee Resource Groups 

Visibility, acceptance, and support sit at the center of effective diversity and inclusion efforts. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an effective way for workplaces to address all three angles of D&I, creating safe spaces for diverse populations to share resources and experiences.

In short, ERGs are employee-led groups based on shared characteristics or life experiences. Often featuring their own unique charters and missions, ERGs can help workplaces foster inclusion, improve diversity, and promote external impact through things like outside volunteer opportunities. Today, as many as  90% of Fortune 500 companies offer ERGs to support diversity & inclusion in the workplace. 

While ERGs are grassroots by nature, workplaces can support their formation and growth by providing educational materials and encouraging participation among employees. ERGs offer many benefits to its members, including: 

  • Volunteering opportunities in the external community
  • A sense of allyship among members
  • Channels to engage with company leadership
  • Employee community building
  • Career advancement opportunities

2. Create a Platform for Employees to Share Their Experiences

Everyone has a unique perspective to voice. Sadly, employees can go through their entire careers without the opportunity to share and hear others share their experiences. This dynamic erects unnecessary barriers between team members and reinforces implicit bias.  

Organizations can break through these walls by creating platforms to allow individuals to share their experience. Holding regular “culture days” is one effective way to achieve that. Encourage members of different communities to share their unique perspectives on their culture on these days, giving them the proverbial microphone to increase empathy among employees. 

More likely than not, team members will see that, even though superficial differences might exist between them, they have more in common than they may have previously thought. 

3. Offer Mentorship Programs

In 2020, about 90% of CEOs and more than 60% of board members of Fortune 500 companies were caucasian men. This imbalance signals broad problems in leadership development pipelines, with opportunities more limited for people of color, women, and non-binary employees. 

Mentoring is a critical way to break down these biases. Not only do mentorship programs encourage personal and professional development, but they also offer opportunities to connect more diverse employee populations with senior leadership. These programs foster greater communication, inclusion, and retention, especially among Gen Z and younger employees who are more likely to leave jobs due to the lack of advancement opportunities. 

4. Offer a Comprehensive, People-First Employee Assistance Program

The impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives can take time. But for employees who are struggling to feel welcome and appreciated where they work, asking for patience is a tall order. 

EAPs like Carebridge provide immediate, 24-7-365 support for employees who need it. Diverse employee populations can struggle with added stress, anxiety, and productivity in work environments that don’t feel inclusive. EAPs can help them promote mental health and wellness by offering:

  • Unlimited support from a Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  • Work-life coaching
  • Personal growth and career development training
  • Emotional wellbeing services and digital resources

Best of all, these resources are confidential for employees, helping to break down the inherent stigma in raising your hand for help.

5. Track, Evaluate, and Report on D&I Progress

Organizations can’t expect to improve diversity and inclusion without defining and tracking the metrics that matter.

Start by understanding the complete picture of D&I in your organization in order to set realistic and attainable goals. Gather data on existing demographics, employee retention, compensation, and advancement, in addition to qualitative feedback from your team on their personal experiences. Only then can you begin to see the fuller story of how inclusive (or not) your organization is.

This groundwork lets you identify the benchmark metrics that are most important to the impact of your diversity and inclusion strategies. Not only will a data-driven approach to D&I help inform your programming, it will also help you build a case for requesting more resources from senior leaders who want to understand its business impact.

Build an Environment Where Everyone Belongs

Growth is at the other end of a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Help create a more welcoming environment where every employee brings their best by offering support from Carebridge EAP: Get a Personalized Quote