DEI Initiatives: Meaning, Examples & Benefits

With opinions somewhat divided on the issue, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) can be a touchy subject. But make no mistake—there is a proven business case for investing in DEI initiatives.  

Culture Amp’s 2024 Workplace DEI report found the following: 

• Companies that hire DEI consultants scored 8% higher on building teams that are diverse.
• Employees who strongly believe the company values diversity are 84% engaged, while those who don’t are 20% engaged.
• Companies that value diversity have a 6.8% higher stock price than those that don’t.

With mounting pressure to make sure the playing field is leveled for everyone in your organization, DEI initiatives will play a key role in the future of work.

Here we’ll cover what that looks like, starting with how to build a strong foundation for your DEI initiatives. Plus, we’ll look at some successful DEI examples in the workplace. 

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What are DEI initiatives?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of a thriving workplace. DEI initiatives refer to the specific actions an organization takes to promote these values. These initiatives include strategies, policies, and programs, all of which aim to move you towards a more diverse workforce, equal opportunities, and an inclusive culture. 

Before we go further, let’s quickly define these key concepts.

• Diversity is the presence of a variety of different individuals in a given workplace, across demographics like race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, and more.
• Equity in the context of DEI means that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, is treated fairly and has equal access to opportunities and resources.
• Inclusion focuses on creating a work environment where all individuals feel welcomed, valued, respected, and empowered to fully participate and contribute.

DEI, redefined - More recently, there’s been a change to the DEI concept. Enter DEIB—for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The addition of “B” for “belonging” puts an important twist on your DEI program’s meaning and goals. Belonging builds on inclusion by focusing on making employees feel truly welcomed, valued, and respected. Read more about DEIB programs in the workplace.

Why are DEI initiatives important?

DEI initiatives are critical in the modern workplace. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives and experiences, which spark creativity and innovative problem-solving. Let’s say you’re creating a fitness app. Your diverse team members will be more likely to suggest value-add features like: 

• Voice commands to accommodate visually impaired users
• Incorporating workout trends or music from Latin America 
• A simplified interface and navigation for older users

Simply put, a workforce that mirrors your customers delivers sharper market insights, helping you serve more people, more effectively.

Prioritizing DEI can also enhance your reputation, increase customer trust and deepen brand loyalty. It could land you a media feature, like this Forbes list of best employers for diversity. Or better yet, it can spark invaluable word-of-mouth buzz about your culture—the kind of marketing money can’t buy. 

4 pillars to guide your DEI initiatives

Cultivating DEI in the workplace is no simple feat. So, it can be helpful to have a framework to guide your efforts. 

There are four pillars any effective DEI initiative should be built on — education, empathy, engagement and accountability. These pillars serve as a foundation for creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture.

1. Education

Education helps us recognize and challenge our biases, stereotypes, and prejudices. Through education, employees understand others’ lived experience and the obstacles they face, especially those from diverse backgrounds. The more we learn about others, the more sensitivity and respect we gain for our differences, and the less likely we are to discriminate.

Here’s how you can educate your team about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion at work: 

• Start DEI training programs for all employees. These programs should cover topics such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, and the importance of diversity.
• Provide educational resources, articles, books, and videos that promote understanding of DEI issues.
• Invite experts or guest speakers to conduct workshops and seminars on DEI topics.
• Establish channels for employees to provide feedback on training and educational programs to continually improve them.

Stanford’s self-paced online course ‘Leverage Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence’ educates leaders about the importance of DEI initiatives, explores potential hurdles, and offers solutions for creating and maintaining a diverse workforce.

2. Empathy

Empathy helps create a safe and inclusive environment where employees feel valued and heard. It encourages open dialogues and allows individuals to share their experiences and concerns.

When empathy is a core value, employees are more likely to support one another, collaborate effectively, and be proactive in addressing DEI issues. This leads to increased trust and a stronger sense of belonging for all.

Here’s how you can use empathy in your DEI initiatives:

• Encourage open and honest conversations about DEI issues. Create safe spaces for employees to share their experiences and concerns.
• Hold regular listening sessions where leaders and employees actively listen to and empathize with one another's perspectives.
• Share personal stories and experiences related to diversity to humanize the DEI journey.
• Implement mentorship programs that pair employees from different backgrounds to foster understanding and empathy.

Salesforce implements empathy through an initiative called Ohana Groups. Ohana Groups are employee-led resource groups that provide a supportive and inclusive community for employees with shared backgrounds, experiences, or interests. These groups cover a wide range of themes, including LGBTQ+ rights, women's empowerment, racial and ethnic diversity, and more.

Through these Ohana Groups, Salesforce encourages employees to connect with colleagues who share similar life experiences and challenges. This not only helps employees feel a sense of belonging but also ensures that their voices are heard and valued within the organization.

3. Engagement

Engaging employees in DEI efforts means giving everyone a role to play in creating an inclusive culture. Engagement creates agency, a sense of shared responsibility, and empowers each person to take ownership of change. 

A highly engaged workforce is more likely to contribute to the success of DEI initiatives. Employees become advocates for inclusion, share ideas, and work collaboratively to drive positive change within the organization.

Here’s how you can actively involve your employees in your DEI initiatives:

• Establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that focus on various dimensions of diversity (e.g., LGBTQ+, women, people with disabilities) to give employees a voice.
• With the help of an employee-led team, organize events, workshops, and activities that celebrate different cultures and identities. 
• Encourage leaders to actively participate in DEI initiatives and serve as role models.
• Recognize individuals and teams that foster inclusion at work.

4. Accountability

Accountability means holding people to their word and responsible for their actions. For DEIB in the workplace, this involves setting measurable targets, tracking progress, and holding individuals and leaders accountable for their actions. Without accountability, DEI initiatives can lose direction quickly, and impact suffers as a result.

Then there’s the flipside of accountability—enforcing consequences for discriminatory behavior sends a clear message that it won't be tolerated.

Here’s how you can introduce accountability in your DEI initiatives:

• Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) DEI goals for the organization.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress toward DEI goals and regularly report on results.
• Clearly define consequences for behaviors that violate DEI principles, and make sure that these consequences are consistently enforced.
• Hold leaders accountable for their role in advancing DEI, including their support, actions, and results.

Accenture is a good example of a company that holds its leadership accountable for DEI progress. The company's leadership regularly reviews and assesses DEI metrics and goals. If a leader consistently fails to meet targets or exhibits behavior contrary to DEI principles, it impacts their performance evaluations and advancement within the company.

8 practical DEI initiative examples to inspire lasting change

These DEI examples aren't just ideas; they're real moves that global companies have put into action. Think of them as a springboard to inspire change in your own space. You can push even further, but these proven initiatives are a solid start.

1. Promote pay equity and transparency

Pay equity often flies under the radar in many companies. Run a thorough equal pay audit to assess whether your practices are fair. Dive into gaps, trends, and data on things like representation, attrition rate, and promotions by race and gender. Identify inconsistencies and be prepared to correct unfair practices. Employee pay should be fair, equitable, and rooted in merit—not identity or background.

2. Make your hiring more inclusive 

To make your hiring process more inclusive, start by using gender-neutral language in job postings and sharing openings on boards (or at events) that target diverse talent. Highlight diverse role models within the company,

To cut down on bias, try blind hiring, which means removing all identifying details from applications. Provide unconscious bias training for hiring managers, and use HR software that ranks candidates based on skills.

When it comes to interviews, offer accommodations like remote options or support for neurodivergent candidates. Build a diverse interview panel and use standardized questions. Lastly, create diverse talent networks, and provide entry-level pathways into the company for these candidates.

Google’s Women Techmakers program actively supports women in engineering roles by providing networking opportunities, mentorship, and advocating for gender diversity in tech. Programs like this attract diverse talent and contribute to a more inclusive culture across the tech industry.

3. Establish employee resource groups 

Employee resources groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that bring together individuals with shared characteristics or experiences, such as women, Spanish speakers, LGBTQ+, or people with disabilities. They provide a sense of community and support, fostering a more inclusive workplace. 

A few real-life examples of these DEI initiatives at work:

• IBM’s Abilities Business Resource Group (BRG) supports employees with diverse abilities, including neurodivergent individuals, as part of the company's broader DEI strategy. Group initiatives, like the Neurodiversity Program, offer training to boost workplace awareness and create “Safe Spaces” and sensory-friendly office designs for neurodivergent employees. 
• Salesforce BOLDforce is one of Salesforce's 13 employee-led Equality Groups, which are organizations that support underrepresented communities within the company. The Black Organization for Leadership and Development (BOLD) force aims to empower and support the Black community by fostering retention, professional growth, and community engagement 

ERGs enhance employee engagement, retention, and morale by giving people a platform to share insights, collaborate on projects, and offer suggestions. They also provide your organization with insights into specific demographic perspectives.

4. Provide mentoring opportunities

Mentoring programs pair experienced employees with less experienced ones to provide guidance, support, and career development. These programs promote equity in career advancement by giving underrepresented employees access to valuable connections and learning opportunities. At the same time, it helps you strengthen your leadership pipelines.

Many successful DEI program examples include mentorship:

• IBM Pathfinder Mentoring Program: Connects university students with IBM professionals, offering personalized career guidance through one-on-one meetings and group events.
• PwC's Mentorship Program: Experienced professionals guide junior staff, providing career advice, skill development, and networking opportunities to foster career growth.
• Deloitte's Emerging Leaders Development Program (ELDP): This program focuses on mentoring emerging talent within the organization by developing their leadership skills and exposing them to various aspects of the business.

To create and implement a workplace mentorship program like the ones listed above, consider a platform like Together.

Together is a comprehensive solution that enhances employee engagement through mentorship. It optimizes connections through mentor-mentee matching, offers robust analytics for data-driven decisions, and supports personalized development plans. 

5. Offer diversity training programs

Diversity training opens our eyes to biases and stereotypes we might be projecting on others. Good training boosts cultural awareness, reduces bias-related issues, and improves teamwork and decision-making by embracing different perspectives.

While most companies create their own diversity training programs, you can also use popular training programs such as:

• eCornell (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training): This program covers a wide range of DEI concepts and teaches the participants about the role they can play in building a more inclusive workplace.
• Leading in a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Culture: This program from American Management Association (AMA) trains managers and leaders who want to promote an inclusive environment and lead a diverse workforce.
• Catalyst edX's Inclusive Leadership Professional Certificate: This training program uses case studies, assessments, and discussions to teach the skills necessary to become an inclusive leader.

6. Provide accessible workplace accommodations

Physical and digital accessibility assures that all employees can fully participate in the workplace. Accessibility initiatives create an inclusive environment, attract diverse talent, and enhance employee satisfaction. They also demonstrate a commitment to diversity and compliance with legal requirements (which will keep you out of hot water).

Physical accommodations include: 

• Wheelchair ramps 
• Height adjustable workstations
• Ergonomic chairs
• Large-print materials 
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Additional light sources
• Accessible restrooms

Digital accommodations might include:

• Screen readers
• Speech-to-text software, or special keyboards
• Closed captioning
• Adjustable display settings 
• Special keyboards
• Virtual collaboration tools
• Time management tools
• Customizable workflows

When it comes to physical and digital accommodations, Google sets a shining example with the Disability Alliance — an ERG that focuses on inclusion and accessibility for people with all types of abilities. The Disability Alliance drives initiatives like accessible product hackathons and promotes disability inclusion across the organization, raising awareness at all levels.

Cisco is another good example of an organization that focuses on physical and digital accessibility for all. Their Connected Disability Awareness Network unites employees affected by disabilities, leading transformative initiatives at Cisco. One such initiative is Project Lifechanger, which enabled remote work for employees with disabilities.The program was so successful, its model has been adopted by other organizations.

7. Build a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion 

Building a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goes beyond a single meeting, training, or award—it’s embedded in your company’s everyday practices. To make DEI efforts stick, transparency is key. Involve employees in decision-making, actively seek feedback, and take action to show you’re listening. Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up without fear of retaliation.

DEI is an ongoing commitment, not a one-off initiative. Yes, you’re supporting employees with DEI programs (training, ERGs, mentorship, etc.). But you’re also stepping up every day to show that you’re committed to a workplace where everyone feels heard and valued. 

8. Measure and monitor your DEI initiatives

If you’re not a data person, tracking can feel like a drag. But measurement is key to understanding what’s working well, what could be improved, and whether everyone’s pulling their weight. 

Track these metrics and KPIs to evaluate the impact of your diversity and inclusion plan:

• Representation metrics — Measure the demographic makeup of your workforce, including the percentage of employees from underrepresented groups in various roles and levels.
• Hiring and promotion rates — Look at the recruitment and promotion rates of diverse employees to see if there are equal opportunities.
• Pay equity analysis — Check for pay equity to ensure fair compensation regardless of background or identity.
• Employee engagement surveys — Use surveys to measure employees' sense of belonging, inclusion, and satisfaction at work.
• Training and development participation — Track how many employees participate in DEI training to assess effectiveness and areas for improvement.
• ERG engagement — Measure ERG participation to see if they are making an impact.
• Leadership and accountability — Evaluate the commitment and actions of leadership in driving DEI goals.
• Customer feedback — Review customer feedback to see if your DEI efforts are positively affecting relationships with clients.

Companies like Salesforce and Microsoft openly share their DEI efforts by publishing annual diversity reports. These reports outline their progress, challenges, and future goals, holding them accountable and setting a standard for others.

Forge ahead in your journey towards inclusivity and equity with Together

An employee mentorship program supports your DEI initiatives by providing opportunities for traditionally underrepresented employees to access guidance, advice, and career development from experienced colleagues. 

Create a workplace where everyone can thrive by providing opportunities for skill-building, knowledge sharing, and networking. See how Together can help — schedule a demo.