Convey Workplace Culture to Protect DEI in Your Organization

It’s no surprise that you want to include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace. DEI is the right thing to do and these initiatives are beneficial to the productivity and success of the business. But even while welcoming DEI in the workplace, you may have left out one step that makes that DEI difficult to implement — and you probably don’t even know that you’ve left it out. Are you adequately conveying your workplace culture in your hiring practices?

Hiring Practices That Convey Workplace Culture

What kind of information do you include in job postings? Likely the duties and responsibilities of the role, desired skills, education, and experience as well as salary range and benefit expectations; but are you including an impression of your workplace culture?

When you implement DEI initiatives in your organization, you want to make sure that you include those initiatives and expectations in your hiring practices and demonstrate that DEI work is an important part of your culture. Whether you’re hiring with the goal of diversifying your workforce, or you want to attract like-minded workers who also work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, it’s important to convey your workplace culture to applicants.

Often, companies want to hire toward diversity, equity, and inclusion but haven’t been able to articulate that goal in their job postings and hiring practices.

How to Articulate Workplace Culture in Hiring Practices

Here’s how you can make sure that you articulate your workplace culture and attract candidates who will enjoy working with you.

Archive your DEI efforts on social media: most candidates are checking your business’s social media profile before they hit send on their resumé. Your social media accounts are your opportunity to demonstrate the many great efforts your business has taken toward implementing DEI efforts in the workplace.
Uplift the employees who reflect the candidates you want to attract: do the employees who already reflect the culture you want to build know how valued they are? If not, make sure they do. And even if they do, make sure you tell them again. Feature these employees in social media posts and don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth. These employees will share with their friends, families, and communities how your business uplifts their voices and champions DEI efforts, helping to attract more of the same.
State your workplace culture in your job posting: And, of course, clearly articulate what your workplace culture looks like and how a candidate should fit. This can be as simple as including your mission in your job postings explaining how your company is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

By articulating your workplace culture, you will be able to: attract candidates who reflect that culture; protect the DEI strategies you’ve already implemented and your goals to come; diversify the labour pool that you want to work with.