How to Design Effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategies in 2022

2021 was a year of much change and adjustment for many of us — employees and employers alike. The pandemic accelerated (and necessitated) digital transformation for businesses in Malaysia and around the world, and we’ve also seen a shift in the mindset of the average employee, as evidenced by The Great Resignation.

It’s safe to say that managing the workforce has changed forever — recent times have shown that it’s an entirely new ballgame in 2022. Ranging from redesigned employee retention initiatives, to new ways to manage the digital workforce, 2022 is set to be a year of evolution for many HR practitioners. And a key part of this transformation involves implementing the right strategies, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

Read on to find out more. 

What are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) generally refers to initiatives and policies that advocate for representation of a wide range of individuals in the workforce. This includes employees from different backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, and religions — or even those who come with diverse skills or educational backgrounds. 

DEI is made up of the following: 

• Diversity: Individuals of diverse backgrounds 
• Equity: Equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of background 
• Inclusion: A culture that is inclusive and free of discrimination 
  

Together, these combine under DEI strategies that are crucial to building a fair environment for your employees. Benefits include a healthier workplace culture, a merit-based system that incentives high performance, and the strength of a diverse set of perspectives and skills. 

Additionally, having a DEI-based culture in place helps to foster respect between employees, with around 48 percent of employees believing in an inclusive workplace. 

How do you design Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives?

To implement the right DEI initiatives for your business, it’s important to first understand that DEI is part of an overall corporate culture change — which means that it needs a holistic approach in order to be effective. Like many things in HR, there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer here, as you’ll need to assess the specific needs of your company’s workforce, or even the industry/location first. 

Here are a couple of general tips to get you started: 

• Conduct analysis/surveys to identify DEI Gaps. This includes reviewing recruitment processes such as interviews, hiring criteria, or even job descriptions/postings
• Set up a DEI committee to undertake transformation of the organisation’s culture — you can even select these individuals from within the company
• Transparency is key in the successful implementation of DEI initiatives. Speak directly to employees about the importance of DEI when it comes to the workforce and other relevant discussions
• Introduce mentor-mentee relationships for employees who need guidance, feedback and support
  

You should also keep in mind that DEI initiatives help to build a sense of purpose and identity for organisations. As discussed in our guide on employee retention, an inclusive culture plays a critical role in ensuring that your company attracts the best individuals — and as we all know, people are among any company’s biggest assets. 

Through all of this, remember that diversity, equity, and inclusion shouldn’t simply be a policy, or something nice to trot out during shareholder meetings. It’s about appreciating — and rewarding — the unique perspectives and ideas that can be a huge benefit of a DEI-centric workforce culture.  

Meanwhile, find out more about how organisations are implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and overcoming bias in an upcoming panel engagement with Digi CEO Albern Murty, Jalil Rasheed of Berjaya Corp, and Ami Moris, CEO of Maybank Investment Banking Group and Chair of the 30% Club by clicking on this link.