Diversity Goals: 9 Ways To Create A Diverse Workforce

Diversity goals are foundational and crucial to bringing an all-inclusive organization. It is a must if you are leading your company in the direction of innovation and growth. Fostering diversity is the best way to develop a comprehensive culture.

More often than not, there is confusion on how to approach the idea of establishing diversity at your workplace. So, here is all you need to know about the foremost step you are required to undertake to take your community towards greater heights. 

9 Diversity Goals You Need to Achieve

1. Identify the Composition

The foremost step concerning diversity goals is identifying the composition of your organization and compiling data in terms of age, disability, ethnicity/national origin., family status, gender, gender identity or expression, generation, language, life experiences, organization function, and level, personality type, physical characteristics, race, religion, belief and spirituality, sexual orientation, thinking/learning styles, veteran status.

By capturing data on employee demographics, an employer will better understand the makeup of their organization and the areas of concern that need immediate attention. For instance, the data can disclose the job profiles where diverse candidates are not chosen or how some recruits are gender-biased.

2. Implementing the Plan

On collecting the data, identify the problems, and for this, you need to start by reviewing the demographics. While identifying the areas of concern, one may seek answers to these questions:

• Is the majority made up of white males?
• Do black females receive less pay than their white counterparts?
• Does the research department show a record of hiring only females?
• Do people with English as their second language receive a promotion at the rate of those with English as their primary dialect? 

You can conduct surveys for additional information in identifying the areas of concern. 

3. Address the Shortcomings

Employers must determine if barriers impede the employment, opportunity, or inclusion of individuals from different demographic groups. What can we do in this regard?

• Employee referral programs- referral program software is increasingly being done to diversify their hires and reach the diversity goals. It prompts the candidates to drive referrals from a wide range of people, such as their professional network and not just close friends. 

• Biased behavior- Many times, certain departments reflect an underrepresented portion of communities, and other times hiring managers tend to be biased while recruiting. In this regard, a review should be undertaken, and the practices of that particular manager may be warranted.

4. Intercultural Concerning Proficiency

You will come across people from all sorts of backgrounds, and how you address people from different cultures makes a strong impact. To effectively execute this, learn about various cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities. 

Hold team diversity training program sessions wherein different aspects of this topic will be taken up and it will help employees respect and understand all cultures. This will result in better communication, relationships, and most of all, a psychologically-sound environment.

5. Respect New Perspectives

It is normal to find yourself stuck while making certain calls. This is where a new perspective comes to aid, applicable only when diversity is in place. Be open to all opinions irrespective of race or background. Diversity brings with it a creative flow of ideas and, thereby, innovation. This is partly because of the different experiences that we all go through. Practicing this will foster a positive and productive workspace. 

It is essential that you value and make the best use of everybody’s experiences as the team leader. Only then can you formulate an inclusive workspace. What’s more is, giving voice to all will boost your reputation in the market and increase the inflow of great talent, but the concern for diversity should be genuine. 

6. Value Boundaries

Contrary to the popular belief of treating people the way we want to be treated, According to Forbes, the new trend is to “treat others how they want to be treated.” Be considerate before organizing any event and think if it aligns with every employee’s values. Majority or minority, everyone is just as much a part of the organization as you.

Think even before speaking about something that might offend the other person. For example, stay aloof from making racist jokes or making fun of someone’s dressing sense and accent. Your laugh might result in a heavy impact on a person’s psychological situation. Be mindful and educate yourselves. Ensure there is a committee in place to check on any such misbehavior and take action against those who insult a different culture. 

Lead by example and teach your team members the essentiality of the topic. Not just at the workplace, take these values and be mindful of them at your home and any public place, for that matter. 

7. Take the First Step

Often, employees are hesitant to bring to the forefront the injustices and speak out against them. Be a spokesperson for diversity issues that are not necessarily your own. Show your unity and make your workplace an inclusive one for all. Why should someone else bear the mental stress of your lack of understanding and narrow-mindedness? 

As a leader, show them how to generate a positive and open space for all. The change starts with you!

8. A Diverse Recruiting Approach

For talent acquisition, expand your approach to interviewing diverse candidates. Apprenticeship programs create new career pathways for non-traditional hires and re-skill people whose jobs have been — or will be — disrupted by technology. Train apprentices across your state and hire suitable talent. 

Diversity comes not only in the form of culture, race, and gender but also includes elements such as socio-economic background, education level, geographic location, sexual orientation, thought, and many others. Whatever background you come from, whether privileged or not, your perspective and words can enrich the professional experiences of your team.

9. There is Always Room for Improvement

Always strive for improvement, as an individual as well as a team. A consistent approach to learning and accepting feedback from the team can take the company to new heights. Also, educate everyone on diversity. Diversity work is a journey, not a destination. 

Be patient with your coworkers and respect their lifestyle along with how they approach life. Often, negative behavior comes from ignorance rather than malice. A willingness to educate can go a long way.

Why is Setting Diversity Goals Important? 

Setting goals will help accelerate sustainable changes and create values. Here are a few more reasons why setting a diversity goal is important.

• Innovation

The amalgamation of different perspectives when people from varying regions and backgrounds is bound to elevate the creativity level and thus innovation. This is why unearthing diversity goals at your workplace becomes a necessity. 

• Skills Over Education Degree

While resumes and degrees are significant for recruiting candidates, they should not be the only criteria in place. The skillset is not limited to resumes; they go beyond that. For instance, creative thinking and decision making or the potential to get the work done before the said period concerning or embodying workspace values are just as essential. Moreover, diversity is said to yield about 19% higher revenue. 

• Psychological Safety

There is a fine correlation between psychological safety and diversity goals. When diversity goals exist, people from all sorts of backgrounds tend to feel represented and safe. This gives them a sense of empowerment which will also be reflected in their total output in terms of work done. Hence, the better the diversity goal, the higher the work output.

• A Competitive Advantage

When the above-stated factors come into force and the diversity goals align with growth, your company will experience a competitive advantage while also elevating the performance rate and culture.  

Overall, the above-stated diversity goals and their importance highlight the setting of diversity-based goals is important for companies to create a more positive, inclusive culture. We need to embrace the diverse background and varied experiences of people. A diverse culture and its potential to uplift the performance rate of a company are unparalleled.