6 Diversity Goals Your Company Must Achieve In 2024

Implementing and promoting diversity and inclusion in your workplace is the best way to foster an open-minded, global company culture. But, to make your workplace personally enriching for everyone, you need to set diversity goals in the workplace.

Whether you’re handling an MNC or a start-up business, the perks of an inclusive and diverse workplace are unimaginably compelling in today’s business world. And for that reason, you must acknowledge every diversity form, from culture and nationality to gender, race, sexuality, socio-economic status, ethnic background, race, and many more.

Therefore, it is high time your leadership teams focus on creating an inclusive culture by setting and achieving vital workplace diversity goals. So, in this article, we will talk about the best diversity and inclusion goals and their importance.

But, first, let’s take a look at:

Importance of Diversity Goals

We all know diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace are important factors in attracting diverse talents, eradicating unconscious biases, and a great employee retention strategy.

But, did you know, without diversity goals, your D&I initiatives might fail.

Goal setting also requires an investment of resources, both time and money. So, to experience a diverse representation, you might also need the help of employee resource groups to create an equal and fair work environment.

To understand the importance of diversity goals, we have mentioned some key points right below:

• It attracts creativity and innovation in the workplace as it amalgamizes multiple viewpoints.
• Workplace diversity refers to having a diverse workforce which implies a greater range of skills. Some skills that resumes can’t portray.
• Diversity and inclusion in the workplace keep employees happy and wanted. This means you’re able to retain the best performers.
• Diverse teams can give your company a competitive advantage while also enhancing its performance and culture.

Also, let us remind you, yes, it is important to achieve goals, but it is much more than a mere checklist. Nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce is about shifting the mindset towards making workplace equity a part of your core company values.

How to Achieve Diversity Goals?

It may seem like a loop, but to achieve the best diversity goals, you must ensure you’re choosing the right ones. You can only achieve the goals when you’re bereft of discrimination in the workplace.

Here are some important steps that you can follow to achieve your diversity goals at work.

• Set your goals and keep track of them.
• Measure the progress time-to-time; it can be monthly, quarterly, or annually.
• Transparency is the key, and you must inform your team about the tracking records.
• Identify the roadblocks by communicating effectively.

In addition, you might also want to take help from tools and technology that can help you achieve your diversity goals. You can consider:

• Tools that help reduce biases, e.g., software that can screen blind resumes.
• Conversational and accessible AI platforms and data-driven AI recruitment software
• AI-based chatbots can filter data without being discriminatory towards any gender, race, location, sexuality, etc

Finally, you must ensure your company culture is all about inclusivity. Hiring ethnically diverse employees is one thing and creating a space where they feel wanted and valued is another.

Try to reach out to employee resource groups for further assistance on your diversity goals. Also, diversity goals must include retention and hiring strategies.

6 Amazing Diversity Goals you Must Achieve in 2024

Setting clear and specific diversity goals for your company is the first step toward achieving them. It is an important step, and the sooner you implement better the output. So, we have finally come to the stage where we will discuss the six diversity goals that will upgrade your diversity and inclusion initiative at work.

1. Boost your Cultural Competency

Cross-cultural communication is an important workplace skill. Times have changed, and it is obvious you’d get to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. It could be anyone, a team member, manager, or a client.

But, you must train yourself and your team to understand the different perspectives of people from various backgrounds. And the best way to do this is by organizing various types of diversity training programs that help employees to understand individual boundaries. It will improve communications and relationships at work. It also fosters empathy, kindness and improves peer relationships at work.

2. Education is the Key

The new year is knocking at the door, and it’s time for us to educate ourselves about different cultures, traditions, and approaches to work for us to stay updated with global events and politics.

You must take the initiative to know your colleagues and teammates who come from different countries, backgrounds, and sexuality. For that, you can organize cultural days or ethnic days at work where employees get dressed in their traditional attires and harmoniously exchange cultures and traditions.

By doing so, you will gain a sense of cultural appreciation and sensitivity. You will also make some amazing new friends by finding common ground.

Here are some great activities you can implement to educate your workers about diversity and inclusion in the workplace:

• Organize timely diversity training programs
• Invite speakers and guests from various underrepresented communities to speak about discrimination and equality
• Focus on literature and open a book club that features Black, Asian, Latin, and Queer authors
• Initiate a movie club in which a new movie covering a new cultural context is screened each week.

3. Your Team must value new Perspectives and Ideas.

Are you going through a business block? Yes? It’s time you seek a new perspective and broaden your approach. The United States is a melting pot of culture, and your diverse workforce can come up with different approaches to business problems. Hear them out!

Your colleagues might develop ideas and solutions inspired by their own experiences because they lived through problems that others can't fathom. It has also helped them think, perceive, and see things differently.

Considering new perspectives and ideas can lead you to a solution that you might have never thought could be an option.

When you respect and value ideas without biases, you can foster a productive business environment.

Whether you’re the manager or the director, you must actively seek views and utilize your employees’ expertise to the fullest. This enhances communication and creates an inclusive company culture.

In return, you will be able to retain diverse talents, and your workplace will become a great place to work for many job seekers.

4. Treat others the way “they” want to be Treated.

Remember the saying “treat others the way you want to be treated,” well that is no longer applicable in a diverse workplace environment. According to Forbes, the new trend is “treat others how they want to be treated.”

All you need is a bit of consideration and sensitivity to respect individual boundaries. Something that you find funny might be a triggering point for someone else. Even common office conversations might have negative cultural or gender nuances that might offend your workers.

For example, making sexist jokes, making fun of someone’s fashion, imitating accents, or a mere handshake or eye contact might affect someone else’s viewpoints and cultural boundaries. The idea of this goal is to ensure such workplace harassment never takes place. And for that, you need an internal committee. Frame that committee and let your workers know you're in their support towards any kind of discrimination. And they will receive equal and fair treatment no matter what.

Train your employees to ask. If you or they might feel they have come across as offensive, teach them to apologize. Do not assume people’s gender. Ask their preferred pronouns. These situations are learning opportunities, and you can improve your cultural awareness by following these simple diversity goals.

Lead by example and ask your colleagues to respect everyone’s cultural and personal boundaries. This will enhance employee productivity and positivity.

5. Observe every Celebration and Holiday from other Cultures

As said earlier, diversity and inclusion can have any form, and one fun way is to create a culturally diverse holiday calendar. Ask your HR team to encourage everyone to get involved and celebrate every festival and not only Halloween or Christmas.

Eid to Diwali and Oktoberfest, celebrate every little occasion with shared food, music, and fun team-building activities. This will help your colleagues connect and share a personal bond necessary for a team to function.

If you’re a large organization and cannot incorporate everyone, please make sure this becomes a department event, and don’t forget the social media shout-out! You can also send wishes via emails and internal communication channels. And yes, announce it as a holiday or grant leaves to those who want.

Also, merely wishing them is not enough. You must also be considerate enough to understand their religious practices and beliefs. For example, avoid holding client lunches during fasting or do not call for meetings when it is time to pray.

This is a crucial, fun, and engaging diversity goal to enhance employee engagement in your workplace.

6. Contribute to the Cultural Diversity in your Workplace

Always remember diversity is an amalgamation of culture, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, race, disability, and everything underprivileged. So, do not underestimate the possibility of cultural diversity in your workplace. Whatever background you come from, whether privileged or not, your perspective and words can enrich the professional experiences of your team.

You must set an example for others to get inspired by contributing to equal and fair company culture. It could be something as small as a traditional treat/delicacy from your home that can spark a conversation and deliver the joy of sharing amongst workers. And soon you’ll see it becoming a trend.

You can measure this goal by holding open discussions at work and creating a committee that indulges everyone in contributing to your cultural diversity. Ensure your workers have a voice, and you must hear them out.

Conclusion

With these 6 diversity goals, you can promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace and embrace every individual with equal respect and dignity.

It is always about finding common ground and knowing your colleagues on a personal level. This develops a sense of belonging and promotes an inclusive work environment.

This article is written by Gautam Gayan. He works as a Content Marketer at Vantage Circle. Apart from being a passionate content creator for HR services and employee engagement, Gautam is a theatre enthusiast, an avid reader and an aspiring poet. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com