Diversity in the Workplace Starts With Your DEI Program

23 of March, 2023

When it comes to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, however, that’s not the case. Sure, you can make a difference by implementing individual practices—but in order to create lasting change, you have to take a systemic approach.

That’s where a strong DEI program comes in. A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program is a suite of policies and practices designed to create fair conditions for all employees regardless of their identity or background. But for such an initiative to be truly effective, it has to be well-thought-out and properly implemented in order for it to have any tangible results.

In this blog post we’ll look at why DEI programs are so important and how tools like People Analytics can provide you with tips on how to get started on creating one of your organization. 

What Is a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Program?

A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program is an initiative that you can use to create a workplace environment where diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds are celebrated, respected, and embraced. A well-crafted DEI program can also help foster an environment of belonging and safety for all employees.

At its core, a DEI program is designed to create a workplace culture where everyone feels valued and respected regardless of their race, gender identity or orientation, nationality, age, abilities or disabilities.

It’s not just about promoting diversity in hiring—it’s about creating an organizational culture that makes sure everyone has equal access to opportunities.

Whether you’re crafting a policy from scratch or updating your existing one, there are three key components of any successful DEI program: creating inclusive hiring policies; implementing initiatives that promote diversity; and establishing channels for feedback from employees. You should also assess the success of your DEI program regularly to make sure it’s meeting its goals.

Establishing Goals for Your DEI Program

When it comes to creating a DEI program, having achievable goals is key. Goals should focus on what your business wants to accomplish—whether that’s increased representation from underrepresented groups, or improved inclusivity for all employees.

No matter what goals you decide upon, ensuring that everyone understands the purpose of the DEI program is crucial for success. Your goals should be specific and measurable, so you can track progress and gage impact. Here are some potential DEI goals to consider:

• Increase representation of minority groups within the workforce by 10% in two years
• Decrease employee turnover among underrepresented groups from 20% to 15% in 12 months
• Create a system of mentor support and resources within the company culture
• Establish quarterly diversity training sessions
• Create an accessible platform for employees to report any biases or concerns anonymously

You can create even more detailed steps towards achieving your goals once you have established them. This is where you’ll need to get creative and plan out what needs to change in order to meet those short-term and long-term objectives.

Creating and Implementing Your DEI Program

The first step in building a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program is creating and rolling out the program. You need to come up with a clear plan of action that outlines your DEI goals and objectives. If you’re not sure how to get started, Sesame can help.

Sesame can provide the advice and data you need to create an effective program. They can also help you track company progress and keep everyone updated on the latest DEI initiatives at your company. Here are some key aspects of a great DEI program:

Mission Statement

Developing a mission statement for your DEI program is essential so everyone knows what it stands for and why it’s important. Your mission statement should include an organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values.

Policies & Procedures

Creating policies and procedures that ensure fairness in the workplace is a must when it comes to DEI programs. Make sure all policies are legal, ethical, enforceable, and well communicated throughout the organization before implementing them.

Training & Education

Another key component of any successful DEI policy is employee training. Everyone in your organization should be aware of these policies, understand how they work, and be able to apply them consistently across all departments.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Your DEI Program

Having a great DEI program is awesome, but you won’t know if it’s really effective until you measure it. Sesame can help you by providing metrics that allow you to track progress and identify areas of improvement over time.

Track hiring progress

Using Sesame, you can see how diverse your applicant pool is compared to your final hires. You can also measure marginal gains (or losses) over time and gain insights into where there may be gaps in the hiring process.

Measure diversity initiatives

Once you start implementing diversity initiatives in your workplace, track the results with Sesame’s People Analytics. See what initiatives have been successful and which could use more work so that you can continually improve the effectiveness of your DEI program.

Benchmarking

Ultimately, your goal should be to become better at creating an inclusive workplace—and benchmarking against industry standards is a great way to identify if and where you can improve. With Sesame, tracking benchmarks becomes easy since we provide a detailed overview of where each company stands on its DEI efforts.

In short, measuring the effectiveness of your DEI program is integral for determining its long-term success—and Sesame has the tools necessary to make this happen.

Conclusion

Real change starts with a well-thought out, holistic DEI program that starts at the top. That means breaking down silos and committing to true cross-functional collaboration. It also means proactively identifying and addressing unconscious bias and microaggressions in the workplace. DEI isn’t a strategic objective; it’s an everyday practice.

It’s also the right thing to do. Studies have shown that diversity in the workplace brings a number of advantages, including better problem-solving, decision-making, and overall performance.

So, if your organization is ready to invest in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, Sesame can help you get there. With our powerful tools and resources, companies can create a DEI program that brings real change and offers a competitive advantage.