Embedding Workplace Policies that Promote Diversity

We’ve written before about the law mandating diversity at publicly traded companies in California. But we’re seeing companies at every stage looking to implement workplace policies that promote diversity – whether they’re private or public, early-stage or mature. Why? Because of the significant benefits of a diverse workplace. In this Weekly Brief, we’re sharing how your company can promote and encourage diversity and inclusion:

Develop Inclusive Workplace Policies

To increase diversity, you should consider your current policies through the lens of diverse workers. Ask yourself: are your policies flexible? Do they apply equally to all employees? Do you allow employees to take leave on diverse holidays? Are your corporate and social events inclusive?

You can create a separate diversity, equity, and inclusion statement policy that outlines your expectations as an employer. It can also include the benefits of diversity, diversity training requirements, an overview of inclusive workplace practices, and details of how employees can promote and foster diversity.

Know Where You’re At & Where You Want To Be

Take time to compile data about diversity in your workforce. You can gather details from your employee files, whereas others may need to be requested from your employees. Disclosure must be voluntary – not required. Where possible, identify traits like age, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, family status, sexual orientation, and race. And include pay when you compile the data for each worker so you can identify disparity.

Then, compare your results to other companies in your industry and location. If you’re not where you want to be, start with a high-level review of the demographic data. Identify the areas where you’re underperforming and develop a roadmap for increasing diversity. Then, develop inclusive hiring processes: advertise through diverse job boards using neutral language, hire using a diverse interview panel, and encourage your employees to refer diverse candidates.

Once you’ve secured diverse talent, work to retain it! We’ve written before about how female attorney attrition can be addressed using holistic promotion standards. You will glean insights into how to retain and promote diverse talent that blog post.

Get Feedback About Your Workplace Policies that Promote Diversity.

Diverse perspectives are a major benefit of diversity in the workplace. It’s important to seek feedback from diverse members of your team to ensure your policies and practices are inclusive – and work out how you can do better.

Routinely seek feedback and develop a schedule for assessing your company culture. It may be worthwhile using an outside source to gather the data and present it via anonymized reports, so your employees feel safe speaking their mind.

If you’d like us to take a look at your workplace policies for you, reach out. We’re here to help!

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