How to Build Your Diversity and Inclusion Plan

Building a workplace where everyone feels they belong is worth the effort, and (when done right) incredibly rewarding. But where do you start? Figuring out the right programs and policies can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

This guide is your blueprint to creating a diversity and inclusion plan that works. We’ll show you what to include in your workplace diversity plan. Plus, we’ll walk you through the steps to get your DEI program up and running. 

With the right approach, building a successful DEI program can be simpler than you think.

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What is a diversity and inclusion plan?

A diversity and inclusion plan is a strategic guide to creating an equitable, inclusive workplace where employees feel empowered to contribute, no matter their background or identity. The plan serves as a roadmap for this ongoing process, outlining the action steps, policies, programs, and communication strategies you’ll use along the way.  

A well-developed diversity and inclusion strategy is not just a document that lives in the HR department. Rather, it’s a dynamic framework that gets integrated throughout the entire company, including: 

• Policy development
• Hiring and recruitment
• Internship and returnship programs 
• Training and mentoring programs
• Company culture
• Activism and philanthropy
• Official communications 
• Career development
• Internal networking groups
• Broader business objectives

What’s the purpose of a diversity plan?

When it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) programs, the “why” is just as important as the “what.” A diversity and inclusion plan is designed to transform your organization’s culture by: 

• Celebrating individual differences 
• Meeting the needs of your diverse workforce
• Nurturing an environment of genuine inclusion

When employees feel supported, valued, and respected, they’re more engaged. And when your people thrive, your company does too.

What should be in a diversity and inclusion plan?

When done right, a diversity and inclusion program does more than just check a box — it makes an impact. According to research, companies that hire DEI consultants scored 8% higher on building diverse teams. And, employees who believe their company values diversity show higher engagement levels.

To drive meaningful change and build an environment that reflects a wide range of ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, your plan should include a few key elements: 

• Clear goals and objectives that tie back to business goals
• Concrete initiatives, such as mentorship programs or employee development strategies
• Action steps for implementation, including roles and responsibilities
• Measurable outcomes and metrics to track progress
• Communication strategies to promote the plan and engage employees
• Accountability measures to ensure follow-through

Steps to building a diversity and inclusion action plan

Ready to build a meaningful diversity and inclusion action plan? Here’s how to get started and what to focus on along the way.

Gather data around your company’s current demographics 

Before you can set meaningful DEI goals, you need to examine your company’s current demographics. Knowing your “starting point” will highlight areas for improvement and clarify which business outcomes to prioritize.

Traditionally, demographic data has focused on federally and state-protected categories like age, gender, and ethnicity. More recently, organizations are expanding their view to include factors such as personality type, goals, skills, and learning styles. These expanded data points may include:

• Age
• Gender identity or expression
• Ethnicity or national origin
• Race
• Family status
• Language
• Disability
• Organizational function and level
• Personality type
• Physical characteristics
• Religion, belief, and spirituality
• Sexual orientation
• Thinking/learning styles
• Veteran status

Your organization may already have some of this information from the onboarding process or within your HRIS system. If not, consider conducting a voluntary employee survey. 

Encourage participation by emphasizing the value of their input. Explain to employees that leadership will use this data to guide initiatives like mentorship programs or engagement efforts. 

As for personality types and thinking/learning styles, consider a framework like: 

• Enneagram
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder)
• 16 Personalities 

Personality testing benefits the entire workforce by helping managers adapt their leadership and employees leverage their strengths for better collaboration.

Identify pain points or areas of concern

Next, review the data you’ve gathered to pinpoint weaknesses and uncover blind spots. Start by asking questions like:

• Do you need more diversity in management?
• Are women and people of color earning less than their male and/or white counterparts?
• How are you supporting employees whose first language isn’t English?
• Are promotions distributed equitably across gender identities and ethnicities?
• Do some branches, locations, or departments have more diversity than others?

• Are you taking advantage of return to work programs for moms?

The answers will highlight current challenges and unconscious biases — these are key areas to address first in your diversity planning. 

Take a closer look at referral programs too, as they might encourage “like me” referrals, where employees recommend candidates similar to themselves in race, religion, national origin, or other traits.

Set specific goals for your diversity program  

Once you’ve captured the necessary information and identified your biggest gaps, you can begin setting DEI goals. These performance goals should aim to build a diverse workforce, align with business goals, and focus on specific outcomes.

Exact goals will vary based on your findings from the previous steps, but these ideas should get you started: 

• Create a style guide to standardize inclusive language across job postings, internal communications, and marketing materials.
• Set a goal for diverse representation in your branding, such as featuring underrepresented groups in 50% of marketing materials by a specific date.
• Commit to publishing DEI-related content, such as quarterly updates on your initiatives or employee spotlight stories.
• Aim to have X% of applicants or interviewees from underrepresented groups in the next hiring cycle.
• Set a target for engagement in DEI training or events, like 80% of employees attending an inclusion workshop within six months.
• Define measurable goals, such as increasing diverse representation in leadership roles by a specific percentage.
• Launch a culture survey and aim for a response rate of at least 70% to gauge how included employees feel.

Consider initiatives to include in your plan

It’s time to think about the initiatives that will help you reach your goals. Depending on your starting point and priorities, you might decide to run multiple programs. Here are a few examples to consider:

1. A diversity and inclusion mentoring program

A workplace mentoring program helps underrepresented employees advance their careers. Whether through mentoring models like group or one-on-one mentoring, mentors guide mentees in learning the ropes, building essential skills, and working toward career goals like promotions or skill development.

2. Employee resource groups

ERGs provide advocacy and support by fostering communities for employees with shared experiences, such as working moms or LGBTQ+ team members. These groups help participants build connections, reduce feelings of isolation, and support one another in their career growth.

3. Diversity and inclusion training

Diversity training is vital but can sometimes create friction. To approach it effectively, consider methods like reverse mentoring, group mentoring, sponsorship, or ERGs. These options encourage employees to connect, collaborate, and support each other in meaningful ways.

4. Fireside conversations about DEIB

Create safe spaces where DEI and DEIB topics can be openly discussed. This might involve hosting fireside chats, company lunches, or other informal gatherings where employees can check in with one another and share perspectives. Leadership involvement in these conversations can set the tone and encourage open dialogue.

Get leadership buy-in and company-wide support 

Building an effective DEI program starts with strong executive support and cross-departmental collaboration. Support from executives as well as HR, legal, and finance leaders is critical to embedding DEI into your organization’s strategy and achieving long-term success.

When executives actively champion DEI, they send a clear message that diversity, equity, and inclusion are organization-wide priorities. This commitment integrates DEI into the company’s mission and strategic goals, which goes a long way for engagement.

Beyond that, the support of key departments will help move your plans forward:

• HR will lead inclusive hiring, retention, and talent development efforts, and integrate DEI into daily operations.
• Legal will manage the legal aspects of DEI, such as aligning initiatives with anti-discrimination laws and mitigating organizational risks.
• Finance can allocate resources and maintain financial accountability, so you can rest easy knowing your DEI programs have adequate funding for long-term impact.

By aligning leadership and resources across key departments, you’ll be able to build a DEI program that drives real change and delivers lasting impact.

Develop an action plan

Once you’ve sorted through your data, chosen the right initiatives, and gotten the support you need, it’s time to plan how to bring your diversity and inclusion program to life. In other words, what do you need to do for this program to be successful?

Here’s what you need to consider:

Who will be responsible?
Assign roles and responsibilities. Decide who will handle specific tasks and give them the resources and training they need. Ideally, you want a team that includes representation across backgrounds, departments, and roles to bring diverse perspectives.

How will you measure success?
Track progress from day one and be prepared to refine your approach as you go. Determine how you’ll measure success and identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess impact.

How will you launch your plan?
Think through the logistics. How will employees join your programs? What aspects will you incorporate into new employee onboarding? What is your timeline? Clearly outline how activities and sessions connect to your organization’s goals to give participants a sense of purpose.

What tools will you lean on?
While you can certainly manage your inclusion plan manually, investing in a diversity and inclusion mentoring or training software may make your life easier. These tools can streamline processes like scheduling, tracking, and communication, freeing up your time to focus on creating meaningful impact.

Communicate DEI initiatives company-wide 

Your plan can’t succeed if no one knows about it. To be sure your message reaches everyone, use a mix of channels to appeal to different communication and learning styles, such as:  

• Presentations 
• Newsletters
• Intranet posts
• Emails
• Social media 

Tailor your messages to different stakeholders based on their needs — informing, educating, engaging, empowering, etc. 

Leadership should also openly share their commitment through town halls, videos, and other communications.

Measure results and share progress 

To prove the success of your DEI program, measuring progress is key. During the planning stage, you should have identified specific metrics, milestones, and goals that would indicate the program is on track, like:

• Increased representation in leadership
• Number of members participating in the program
• Diverse employee promotion rates
• Hiring targets reached
• Employee feedback

Thanks to modern technology and tracking tools, gathering data is easier than ever. Use the tools outlined in your action plan to track concrete progress toward your goals. For example, “We have 26% more women in management positions compared to last year,” or “Adjustments to recruitment strategies have resulted in 15% higher applications from diverse candidates.”

You can calculate these metrics manually or use mentoring software with built-in reporting capabilities, such as Together’s mentorship software, which offers detailed reports on registration data, session tracking, skills development, mentor-mentee feedback, and more.

Once you have your data, share it with leadership through presentations, briefs, emails, and other communication channels. Keep communication flowing with regular updates to maintain momentum and show the impact of your DEI initiatives.

Monitor and refine your diversity and inclusion strategy

No program is perfect from the start. Check in regularly — whether monthly or quarterly — to evaluate progress and make improvements. Look at feedback, identify gaps, and learn from any missteps. Expand your plan to include more employees and departments as you go.

Encourage ongoing feedback through open dialogue, like Q&As or surveys, to understand employee sentiment around your programs. Research shows perceptions of DEI dropped in 2023 for both employees and HR teams. So, keeping close tabs on this will help you stay relevant and aligned with employee needs.

Building a strong foundation for diversity and inclusion

A diverse workforce that feels included and heard is non-negotiable. When employees feel welcomed and can clearly see opportunities for growth, they’re more likely to stay and contribute to your organization’s success.

A successful action plan for diversity in the workplace creates an environment where all employees thrive.

Ready to take the next step? See how Together can help — view our interactive demo and book yours today.