1. There is diverse representation at all levels of the organization.
Strongly Agree: The company I work for has employees that come from different backgrounds and have different skills. The diversity is not siloed into specific departments, but spreads throughout all levels of the organization, including the management/leadership team. Employees differ in age, ability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious background, etc. For example: Our production team is made up of women and men from ages 20 – 65with different nationalities, ethnicity and educational backgrounds. The same is true for our administration and leadership teams of the company.
Strongly Disagree: The people working at our company in specific departments are mostly from the same background and have similar skills. For example, the Administration team consists of all women in their 30s and the production team is all male, stemming from the same area with the same educational background. Diversity at the company remains in silos.
Resources for improving representation:
Eliminating Implicit Bias in Recruiting, by Danica Chin, PLASKOLITE
Developing The Social Capital of a Diverse Workforce: Accelerating Inclusive Career Progression in Performance Plastics Organizations, by Keith Hechtel, DBA, Curbell Plastics, Inc.
2. The organization that I work for tracks the diverse demographics of our job applicants and employees.
Strongly Agree: My company tracks the demographics of job applicants and employees by ensuring they have a balanced representation of different genders in the workplace, having employees from different backgrounds and ethnicities, hiring employees who range from boomers to Gen Z and by creating a supporting an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Strongly Disagree: My company does not promote diversity in the workplace. They hire mostly men and have overlook women as candidates for new positions and promotions. Entry-level positions require college degrees that are not necessary to perform the job.
Resources for improving diversity of job applicants:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Workplace by Exude HC
Culture Amp Diversity & Inclusion resources
3. The diversity of the senior management team reflects the overall diversity of the company.
Strongly Agree: The leadership team differs in age, ability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious background. For example: The Executive Leadership team is made up of people in the age range of 30 – 60 coming from different genders, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, religious believes etc.
Strongly Disagree: The leadership team lacks diversity. For example: The Executive Team is made up of white men, between 40-60 years of age that went to similar educational institutions.
Resources for improving diversity of senior management teams:
Eliminating Implicit Bias in Recruiting, by Danica Chin, PLASKOLITE
Developing The Social Capital of a Diverse Workforce: Accelerating Inclusive Career Progression in Performance Plastics Organizations, by Keith Hechtel, DBA, Curbell Plastics, Inc.
4. Recruitment efforts, including the wording of job advertisements, reflect and invite diversity.
Strongly Agree: My company promotes diversity in their recruiting efforts by creating job postings and applications that uses gender neutral and inclusive language all while continuing to include the company’s commitment to DEIB.
Strongly Disagree: My company does not promote diversity in their recruiting efforts. They sometimes discourage candidates by using gendered language and limiting vocabulary. They sometimes list education and experience requirements that are not necessary for entry level roles.
Resources for improving diversity of job applicants:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Workplace by Exude HC
5. Opportunities for career advancement are equitably available without regard to an employee’s age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability/disability, or sexual orientation.
Strongly Agree: My organization allows for career advancements available to everyone regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability/disability and sexual orientation. They identify employees that wish to move up in their careers. They implement training programs and assign mentors to help promote career development.
Strongly Disagree: My organization has continued the same hiring practices of posting for internal requirement as well as online job platforms. There is no emphasis on eliminating bias, blind resume options, etc.
Resources for improving inclusivity in opportunities for career advancement:
How to Cultivate Diversity in Leadership by Hiring Monster
6. The organization has a process in place for documenting and responding to employee concerns of discrimination.
Strongly Agree: The organization offers their Human Resource Business Partner as much visibility to the workforce as possible, empowering employees to connect with this individual on sensitive issues. A compliance hotline where employees are able to provide confidential reporting on any experience of discrimination is available and employees are made aware of the resource.
Strongly Disagree: There is no established process for documenting and responding to employee concerns and available resources are not promoted or easily accessible to employees. Concerns are not addressed in a timely manner and involved parties are not kept informed of the process or decisions made.
Resources for improving processes related to concerns of discrimination:
Good Practice Guidelines for internal Complaint Processes by Australian Human Rights Commission
How to Get Started with Ethics & Compliance by NAVEX
7. Exit interviews for departing employees document and take action on instances of discrimination.
Strongly Agree: Exit interviews are conducted by Human Resource Business Partners, rather than supervisors or managers. Questions included in your exit interview discussion with offboarding employees focus on learning if that employee is choosing to leave because of circumstances they perceived to be bias, discriminatory or otherwise rooted in inequitable practices. Responses are documented in writing and a process is in place to address grievances.
Strongly Disagree: Exit interviews are not offered. If exit interviews are offered, they are conducted by supervisors and managers, which could lead to bias or discomfort for employees that may have grievances about their supervisor, or other employees working under the same supervisor. Responses are not documented in writing and there is no process in place to respond to grievances in exit interviews.
Resources for improving exit interviews:
Offensive Strategies for Employee Issues: Using an Exit Interview to Identify Potential Claims by Hughes Lawyers, LLC
8. The company provides diversity training for all employees.
Strongly Agree: Part of the onboarding process for new hires includes diversity training. In the training DEI+B resources and policies are clearly communicated. Training addresses: Understand one's individual role in promoting diversity, implementing policies correctly and modeling desired behaviors, treating others with dignity and respect, expectations for behaving inclusively at all work functions on and off site and proper processes for responding to and reporting instances of discrimination. Trainings are provided annually to existing employees to keep all staff informed of any policy changes, new DEI+B goals and to keep good DEI+B practices top of mind.
Strongly Disagree: Trainings do not go beyond legal requirements and diversity training is not a priority for new or existing employees. No annual trainings are required and trainings are not offered when HR policies change or new DEI+B goals are created.
Resources for improving diversity training:
How Diversity Increases Productivity by Network for Business Sustainability
About the Employment Equity Act by Canadian Human Rights Commission
9. Managers are trained on promoting the careers of employees from diverse populations.
Strongly Agree: Managers at my organization are expected to mentor junior staff members from their team regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability/disability and sexual orientation. Doing so, also provides the mentors the opportunities to demonstrate their leadership skills.
Strongly Disagree: Managers are not involved with training and mentoring employees and promotion opportunities are not available to all employees. It is left to the employee to search the company’s job board and apply on their own.
Resources for improving career advancement of diverse populations:
Optimizing Mentorship as a Retention & Advancement Strategy by Jennifer Brown
Developing The Social Capital of a Diverse Workforce: Accelerating Inclusive Career Progression in Performance Plastics Organizations, by Keith Hechtel, DBA, Curbell Plastics, Inc.
10. Networking events and other company-sponsored events are inclusive and accessible for all employees.
Strongly Agree: When my employer sponsors an event, they select a diverse group of individuals to serve as the event planners. They make sure that each venue is accessible to employees and their guests who have a broad range of abilities and disabilities. If the event includes invited speakers, my employer makes sure that the speakers come from diverse backgrounds so that they can share diverse perspectives with the group. Event invitations and promotional pieces are designed to include all employees and their guests without making people feel more or less welcome based on their religion, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Strongly Disagree: Many of our company events include physically demanding activities such as axe throwing or ziplining. This has the effect of excluding many older employees and employees with physical limitations. The party at the end of the year is always referred to as the “Christmas party”, which makes some of our non-Christian employees feel less valued and less welcome. The invitation to the retreat for our senior managers notes that “wives are welcome to attend the banquet on the last evening”. This language excludes the partners of managers who are not married.
Resources for improving accessibility of company events:
Diversity & Inclusion in Events: 6 Strategies to Improve Event Planning by InEvent Blog
Planning Inclusive Holiday Celebrations for the Workplace by Indeed
Accessible Events: A Guide by Perkins School for the Blind
11. Company policies are written using inclusive language.
Strongly Agree: When company policies were written, diverse perspectives were considered. Policy authors consulted with people at the company from different roles, backgrounds and identities. Language in policies was researched and chosen intentionally, taking care to avoid exclusionary gendered or cultural language, stereotypes, stigmas, offensive and/or outdated terms.
Strongly Disagree: Company policies were written with the sole goal of meeting legal requirements, the company’s culture and DEI+B goals were not considered in policies and diverse perspectives were not involved in the writing or editing of policies.
Eg. Our company’s dress code policy states parameters for men and women, this gendered language is exclusionary to people with other gender identities or expressions. Or our company’s parental leave policy is only offered to mothers, this use of gendered language can be exclusionary to men or people of other gender identifies who are caretakers or LGBTQIA+ families.
Resources for improving company policies:
How Can You Ensure Your Company’s Policies are Inclusive and Equitable by LinkedIn Community
Building an Inclusive Culture: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Effective Workplace Policies by Peoplism
12. The organization’s website and social media posts reflect a commitment to diversity.
Strongly Agree: My company’s website and social media posts are very well designed to showcase the diverse workforce through pictures of employees over different ages, genders, race or abilities which include those in top ranking leadership roles to entry-level positions. In addition, for social media postings during certain world-wide remembrances or celebrations, the company ensures that everyone is represented, acknowledged and celebrated. The company’s DEI+B statement or landing page has prominent navigation from the main page. Information on the company’s website explains the DEI+B mission statement and vision.
Strongly Disagree: My company’s website is utilized to showcase products and company locations only, no information on the company’s culture of DEI+B is publicly shared.
Resources for improving the marketing of your DEI+B commitment:
Inclusive Language for Marketers: A Pocket Guide by LinkedIn Business
13. The company has stated DEI+B goals each year.
Strongly Agree: My company publishes DEI+B goals each year. The goals are measurable and plans to meet the goals are clearly outlined. Annual DEI+B goals are developed to meet the needs of our employees, our owners, our customers and the people who live in the communities in which we operate. Managers are accountable for meeting annual DEI+B goals.
Strongly Disagree: Goals are not planned in advance and are not incorporated in any official written policies, manuals or other formats. Existing goals are vague and difficult to measure. Diverse views were not taken into account when creating the goals. Goals are seen as a something checked off a list.
Resources for improving stated DEI+B goals:
How Companies Should Set – and Report – DEI Goals by Harvard Business Review
How to Be an Inclusive Leader by Jennifer Brown
The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off – Mason Donovan, Mark Kaplan
14. Employees’ online reviews show that the company is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Strongly Agree: Online reviews on platforms such as Glassdoor reflect employee satisfaction with the company’s commitment to DEI+B. Employee’s report feeling respected and comfortable being themselves in the workplace. Reviews mention the ability to discuss DEI+B with managers, equal opportunities for advancement and employee trust in company DEI+B statements or goals.
Strongly Disagree: Online reviews report workplace discrimination and unequal opportunities for advancement. Employees share that they do not feel respected in the workplace and are not comfortable being their authentic selves. Opportunities to discuss DEI+B are not present.
Resources for improving the employee:
Research: Where Employees Think Companies’ DEI+B Efforts are Failing by Harvard Business Review
If you are interested in accessing additional DEI+B resources visit:
https://www.iapd.org/IAPD/Industry_Development/DEI.aspx
If you are interested in contacting trusted DEI+B consultants visit:
https://www.iapd.org/IAPD/Industry_Development/DEI_Consultants.aspx