How to manage and promote workplace diversity

If you're struggling with this, it may reflect a lack of safety and trust at deeper levels of your organization. Developing a truly diverse workplace has several important benefits.

Your commitment to diversity has to be reflected in both your company values and in your actions. 

Here are some ways for inclusive leaders to promote cultural diversity within your organization:

1. Employee resource groups: 

Create and promote employee resource groups (ERGs) at work. These peer-led groups provide safe spaces for employees to connect with one another, share experiences, and celebrate both their differences and their similarities. 

2. Implicit bias training: 

Every person has unconscious prejudices, and every person has some kind of privilege to be responsible for. Offer diversity training seminars and talk about stereotypes at work. A coach can help translate the insights from a workshop into action.

3. Watch your language:

If you haven't updated your content and brand guidelines in a while, it’s well worth the time to take a second look. Many terms that were commonplace are now being recognized as insensitive in daily usage. Eliminate ableist, sexist, racist, homophobic, or coded language in both internal (employee) and external (client-facing) content. Make sure you're asking culture add questions in the interview process, not culture fit questions. 

4. Have courageous conversations:

Hold space for your employees to have difficult conversations when issues around race and social justice arise. Understand what they might be feeling. Their experience is important to hear, understand, and validate.

5. Hire a DEI expert:

Putting together a diversity and inclusion strategy it’s probably new territory. Considering adding a DEIB expert to your team can be helpful. A professional can guide you through common pitfalls and best practices for building a welcoming and diverse culture.