Employees can play an active role in helping organizations honor their commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
“The Great Resignation” is real.
For leaders, talent retention has risen to the top of the priority list. Company leaders across departments are responsible for setting a culture that creates happy, empowered colleagues – one that offers an enticing environment for new talent.
Anyone that’s been a part of the workforce over the past two years has noticed this trend – people are leaving their jobs at a record rate, and there aren’t any signs of this slowing down.
Roughly 23% of workers will voluntarily leave their jobs in 2022, according to a survey from ResumeBuilder.com. Replacing one in four workers is a daunting task. Leaders have to remain one step ahead if they want to both hire and retain their top talent.
Where should they start? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Now more than ever, employees are demanding a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
The numbers back up the importance of DEI: in January, Deloitte released survey results that revealed 40% of respondents would consider leaving their job if they can’t trust their organization to fulfill its DEI commitments.
Providing opportunities for underrepresented talent is a must. It’s easy for an organization’s leaders to pledge commitments to DEI. Carrying out these efforts, however, is more difficult. The most successful organizations will embolden their talent to help form the company’s DEI vision, and – crucially – take part in the strategy execution.
By the numbers: The importance of trust
The aforementioned Deloitte study surveyed 1,543 workers, the majority of which identified as part of underrepresented populations: Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian, female, and LGBTQIA+.
The study focused on whether employees trust their organization’s commitments to DEI initiatives. Some of the survey’s most powerful insights were:
- 56% of people said they wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending their company as a place to work to friends and family if they couldn’t trust their organization to fulfill its DEI commitments.
- Nearly 40% of all survey respondents believe their organization will experience “commitment drift”, in which a company loses sight and falls short of its objectives.
- 25% of respondents said they would stop doing business with a company if it didn’t commit to DEI.
Deloitte’s findings reveal that employees will notice when their company is falling short of goals – and in many cases expect failure.
Instead of expecting the worst, now is the time for employees to step up and demand change.
Getting involved with DEI
How can employees get involved with organizational DEI goals and initiatives? For some, it may be as simple as asking how to get involved. Participation and engagement level are the key elements of a successful DEI culture.
Here are a few places to start:
1. Help bring in new talent pipelines
Are you ready to become a leader within your organization? Mentorship is the perfect opportunity to step up. Connecting with the next generation of talent will allow you to make new connections and bring in new, underrepresented talent that can help to meet DEI goals.
Further, mentorship is a two-way street. When you give your time to help others grow their careers, it awakens you to your own growth.
2. Join Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
ERGs are designed to connect employees who share similar values or have similar experiences. Not only can they create a sense of belonging, but ERGs can also be extremely helpful tools for recruitment, awareness, and talent acquisition. Joining an ERG can get you more involved with issues you care about within the workplace.
Being involved with ERGs will allow diverse talent to have a voice, and these types of groups are poised to disrupt how companies interact and engage with their employee base.
Start today and be the leader you would want to follow
Are you ready to step up and enact change within your organization?
As the leading mentorship community for talent, Mentor Spaces facilitates conversations between experts like yourself and underrepresented talent ready to join the workforce. We give you access to high-performing talent that can fill your company’s talent pipeline, setting both you and your organization up for success.
We are enabling a world where everyone has something to give, something to learn, and something to grow. Becoming a Mentor Spaces mentor will give you credibility, cache, and an edge when advancing in your career.
