Digi-digest | Digital and DEI
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is at the centre of any good business strategy. If it’s not having that day-to-day impact you’re looking for, empowered online communities might just hold the key. Lead digital consultant Tony Stewart shares how.
Feeling recognised by your organisation and the people you work with is essential to the employee experience. A lot of folks out there won’t join companies that can’t boast a well-rounded approach to DEI
That’s because when you have access to a wider talent pool, improved performance, reduced attrition and better quality of life, it manifests in new and different perspectives and innovation.
But disappointingly, we’re seeing businesses put less and less resource into DEI. This will have a knock-on effect on how safe people feel at work. We could even see an increase in diversity-related incidents.
So what role does digital play in all of this?
We have to think about how our online spaces could – and should be supporting our communities and commitments. How do you make DEI an always-on part of your business?
There’s a lot of buzz around DEI initiatives across the calendar year that’s pride during summer, increased discussion and visibility of disabilities during the Paralympics and various religious holidays. But once these moments pass, so do our commitments to that community.
What if online communities could keep that recognition, activity and discussion alive in between those milestone moments? Most organisations already have spaces where people can get together, discuss and flourish.
This helps create the real-world change we want to see – far more than any one-off event could. Indeed, some of the most powerful changes I’ve seen in DEI have been from these communities who get together across the year and make sustained change.
Digital is a tool for community managers
Most of these DEI communities will have someone nurturing, maintaining and managing that community – as well as doing their regular day job. Do you know how much of a pain it is to use Excel to organise communities like this?
That’s where these online digital platforms can step in with easy-to-access collaborative hubs, avoiding the headache of Excel. It decentralises them too, meaning everyone in the community has an equal voice and the outcomes are so much richer.
t’s one of the easiest ways to support your DEI initiatives without the need for extra resource or extra time investment. And it’s certainly worth looking into what platforms you already have in your business.
Digital equalises information
If your employees have access to policies, innovation hubs, toolkits and education, they can do their best work. They’ll also have more visibility over your DEI commitments. By signposting these important resources, you’re helping employees, managers and communities be their best selves.
So ask yourself: how are these kinds of resources distributed in your organisation? And are your online spaces accessible to the people who really need them?
Digital means measurement
Creating online communities and signposting digital resources will encourage more DEI activity in those spaces. And with a clearly designed purpose, you can measure whether these communities are having the kind of impact you want.
As they’re online, these interactions will naturally be available to view in your measurement dashboards. You can see where these conversations are spiking, where to encourage more activity and what hot topics or concerns are front of mind.
These insights can be incredibly powerful and help reshape your approach to DEI so it truly reflects the needs of your people.
Digital is diverse
Don’t underestimate the power of day-to-day activity when it comes to your DEI efforts.
The first step of DEI is accepting that our world is diverse. But without equity, it isn’t nearly as inclusive as it should be. Curating these digital spaces for discussion, conversation, support and action builds the foundations for the change we want to see in the world.
Who in your business can make DEI happen?
If you want to talk more about how these digital platforms can help support and enhance your DEI efforts, give us a shout.
