DEI and Workplace Culture

We liked this piece in Personnel Today on culture by Corine Sheratte.

Corine highlights the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in creating a positive workplace culture.

While diverse recruitment is essential, it's equally crucial to ensure that employees feel valued and included.

She emphasizes that without a culture of acceptance and openness, diversity initiatives may result in a revolving door phenomenon, with diverse hires exiting soon after joining due to a hostile work environment.

Corine suggests that the focus should be on fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion, which involves respecting and valuing all employees' opinions, skills, and contributions.

She also advises organizations to measure the impact of their inclusion strategies, practice supportive behaviours, use inclusive language, and provide effective feedback.

A culture of inclusion and belonging is not an option, but a necessity for retaining diverse talent and making DEI a standard practice rather than an afterthought.

Increasingly our conversations with clients are about culture.

Our surveys help them gather information about the culture in their workplace and understand where it matches up to and sometimes falls short of expectations.

The gap between the rhetoric and the reality can be a serious problem for business especially if it is hidden.