A diverse workplace is likely to attract and retain talented employees. Furthermore, the culture fosters innovation, improves financial performance, and helps employees be more productive. So, how do you prioritize your focus on diversity and inclusion efforts? In this article at The Balance Small Business, Sabrina G. Anwah explains how to form a diversity committee for your business.
Developing a D&I Committee
Compile Data
Before you can create your D&I committee, you must understand what your workforce looks like. Studies reveal that capturing data on employee demographics will help you comprehend the diversity in your organization and identify any areas of concern. You must capture the demographic data, including gender, age, gender identity, disability, ethnicity or national origin, veteran status, and language.
Identify Committee Members
“In addition to having leadership on the committee, it is important to populate the committee with employees who provide adequate representation of underrepresented groups,” says Anwah. The more diverse the committee members are, the more viewpoints and opinions you can consider. Additionally, ensure that the members thoroughly understand their roles and responsibilities while forming a committee.
Define Areas of Concern
After selecting committee members, define the committee’s goals. Ask the committee to conduct a survey to learn how your employees feel about the organizational culture or workplace environment. Identify problem areas throughout your business by reviewing the compiled data.
Evaluate Progress
The committee must track the success and failure of its various initiatives. While evaluating the D&I projects, committee members must ask:
- How many employees attended the D&I events?
- Are hiring managers conducting D&I training?
- Are new employees more diverse?
These questions will help committee members improve their efforts. Additionally, this will help them regularly reassess their goals and annually validate them with employees’ insights.
To read the original article, click on https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-form-a-diversity-committee-5189343.
