Having a safe, inclusive and equitable workplace is so important. It’s vital that you feel safe and included at work in order for you to be productive and fulfilled in your role. If your workplace doesn’t have Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) front and centre at work, the organization risks losing staff or fostering a toxic culture. For those with an online Masters in Social Work, the importance of DEI initiatives, and the work that goes into them, might seem obvious. If you feel as though your workplace could lift its game in the DEI stakes, this article is for you. We’ll share how you can advocate for DEI in your workplace in a way that won’t get others offside. So, if this topic is important to you, read on to learn how you can be an effective and strong advocate in your workplace.
Address Mistakes And Encourage Accountability
We’re not perfect, and some of us will make mistakes at work. For instance, we might misgender someone, use their deadname, get someone’s pronouns wrong, or make a racially biased comment or joke. While it’s impossible not to offend anyone ever throughout the course of your career, what is important is admitting when you make mistakes when it comes to DEI. You should also encourage your colleagues to do the same. For instance, if you use the wrong pronouns when talking to a gender-diverse or trans colleague, apologize, and ask what their correct pronouns are. By admitting a mistake, you’re demonstrating an attitude of willingness to learn and an open mind, which will go a long way to fostering an atmosphere of DEI and safety in your workplace.
Have Difficult Conversations
DEI initiatives in the workplace don’t get anywhere unless people are willing to have difficult conversations. You should role model this behavior in your team or division, being willing to bring up difficult topics. For instance, if a minority or someone from a diverse background or community is passed over for a key role in an internal promotion or a lead role on a project, you might have a discreet conversation with the manager about this. If someone says something problematic, you could have a conversation with them in private about why their language or behavior is not appropriate for the workplace. By creating an atmosphere at work where people are willing to have difficult conversations, you’ll go a long way to creating a safe, inclusive atmosphere at work where people value DEI.
Create a DEI Committee and Initiatives
Another way you can foster DEI at work is by suggesting that the organization forms a DEI committee, working group or staff network. This way, DEI is formalized in the workplace, and the organization becomes accountable to the committee. The group of staff on the committee should be diverse and representative of different backgrounds and life experiences, for instance, Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), people from the LGBTIQ+ community or those with a lived experience of challenging life experiences.
Part of the role of this committee might be spearheading diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For instance, suggesting quotas for new hires or generating organizational policies about DEI. The committee might assess company policies, recommend changes to existing processes, and develop initiatives to support underrepresented groups. In addition, the DEI committee might organize or outsource training sessions, advocate for diverse internal promotions, and create safe spaces for open dialogue about inclusion. The committee may also collect employee feedback on DEI initiatives, analyze workplace demographics, and measure company progress toward DEI goals. By partnering actively with leadership and employees, the committee can help an organization integrate DEI principles into company culture and everyday operations.
Ask for Feedback and Foster a Culture of Feedback
Asking for feedback is always important in the workplace, and it is especially important when it comes to fostering DEI at work. If you’re seeking to be more inclusive and safe in the workplace, be sure to ask for feedback on your performance and behavior at work. You might ask a diverse colleague about their impressions of you and if there is anything that you can do to make the workplace safer and more inclusive for them. By role modelling active feedback seeking, you give your colleagues permission to do the same. A company that embraces DEI initiatives will foster the importance of feedback and incorporate constructive feedback into its operations.
Advocate for DEI Training
We’ve touched on this above, but it’s important that you actively advocate for DEI training at work. You might find a consultant or firm that can offer DEI training to your organization and prepare a proposal for training for your team or division. You can present this to management with a cost-benefit analysis that details and outlines the costs of the training compared with the potential benefits it offers the organization. By advocating for DEI training, you’re doing your part to create a safe and inclusive workplace for you and your diverse colleagues.
Host a DEI Event
You might consider hosting a special DEI event at your workplace, such as a morning or afternoon tea during national events such as Black History Month or Pride Month.
This helpful article explains how you can advocate for DEI in your workplace. We’ve included some key tips on how to achieve this, including admitting mistakes, having tricky conversations, creating a DEI committee, and creating an environment where feedback is sought and valued.
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