Show, Don’t Tell: How to Make Diversity a Visible Part of Your Employer Brand
For as long as there has been business competition, employer branding has been crucial in attracting top candidates and retaining current employees. A company’s excellent reputation can entice a wider talent pool with more diverse prospects and experiences — that’s precisely why promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is critical for employer branding.
The Business Case for Visible Diversity Measures
Companies that showcase their commitment to diversity are shown to outperform their competitors. A company is 39% more likely to surpass its competition financially if it is ethnically diverse.
Another research study shows a staggering 750% difference in profits between companies with mature cultures and those that neglect cultural cultivation. The challenge now lies in making it an integral, visible and authentic part of their reputation. Here’s how your employer branding can move beyond lip service.
1. Share Employee Stories That Reflect Diversity
Storytelling is a powerful way to connect with an audience. It creates a more lasting impression than any amount of facts or numbers. The human brain is hardwired for a compelling narrative, and using stories helps humanize your brand.
Instead of cookie-cutter statements about diversity, highlight your employees’ unique experiences. Feature stories that showcase their career journey and achievements within the organization. Make these narratives public by posting them on the company website, social media platforms and even during recruitment events. This puts a face to diversity claims and makes them more relatable and real.
For instance, you can create a series of blog articles or video interviews wherein the spotlight is on team members from underrepresented who have excelled in their roles. Highlight how the company’s inclusive culture was able to support worker growth. This strengthens the sense of belonging within the current workforce while signaling to potential hires that the organization values and uplifts diverse talents.
2. Use Visual Content to Reflect Your Commitment
Images and videos are powerful. There will be prospective employees who will scrutinize your company’s diversity claims to gauge its alignment with reality. This is where you ensure your visuals authentically represent the diverse talent within your organization.
Avoid the trap of performative inclusivity, where staged or tokenistic photos attempt to convey diversity but fail. Tokenism is not the goal, as it can have detrimental effects on the tokenized individual and can lead to workplace-related depression and anxiety.
Instead, showcase genuine moments — team celebrations, collaborative work sessions and employee-led events that reflect your workforce’s unique makeup. Infographics and data visualizations can also be used to communicate your progress on diversity metrics and goals transparently.
3. Leverage Employee Testimonials
Nothing resonates more than hearing directly from employees. From a candidate’s perspective, they tend to trust an employee three times more than the company to provide veritable information about what it’s like to work there. Testimonials offer an authentic peek into your work culture and how the company supports its employees and embraces unique perspectives.
Record a video testimonial to get more impact — it’s so effective that 37% believe they’re more authentic than any written statement. Make these testimonials prominent on your website’s careers page and recruitment materials. When paired with tangible efforts, such as mentorship programs, employee resource groups or leadership development opportunities, they will allow potential hires to envision themselves and their success within the company.
4. Incorporate Diversity and Inclusion Metrics
Transparency builds trust and fosters accountability. Making your diversity and inclusion metrics public — both successes and areas for improvement — demonstrates how committed you are to improving.
A report on the percentage of diverse hires, promotions and leadership representation offers valuable information to track the organization’s efforts toward inclusivity. Complement these statistics with your ongoing measures to build credibility and boost employee confidence in your commitment to diversity.
5. Provide Equal Opportunities for Growth and Development
A commitment to diversity means ensuring each employee has access to equitable growth and promotion opportunities. This includes clear career progression and training and mentorship programs to hone skills.
Your organization can establish leadership development programs targeting well-performing employees from underrepresented groups to prepare them for higher responsibilities. You can also offer continuing education opportunities such as workshops, certifications or tuition reimbursements and ensure they are accessible to all employees.
6. Highlight Diverse Leaders
Diversity in higher leadership positions positively affects employees by giving them a visual of their potential career progression. Business leaders set the tone for company culture, and seeing a leader of color speaks louder than any diversity statement.
Give the spotlight to diverse leaders through speaking engagements and events. This positions them as role models within the company while demonstrating the organization’s dedication to equitable leadership representation.
7. Celebrate Cultural Holidays and Events
A diverse talent pool means your workforce celebrates different holidays and traditions outside your own. Do not just acknowledge these cultural events on a surface level. It’s crucial to educate teams about them, encourage active participation and allow employees to avail of holiday leaves to celebrate these events.
For example, your company can host Black History Month, Pride Month or International Women’s Day events, where employees can participate in planning and execution. Share these moments through social media campaigns. This demonstrates cultural appreciation and reflects a truly inclusive and accepting work environment.
8. Align Policies With Diversity Values
Action must back your words. Your workplace policies should reflect your views and values toward diversity and inclusion. This includes implementing a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, offering flexible work arrangements and providing equitable access to career progression. To do this, a company must listen empathetically to its employees and their needs. This makes workers feel valued and improves deeper working relationships within the organization.
For example, employees who are also working parents and individuals with disabilities can benefit from policies that support their circumstances. Highlighting these policies in your branding efforts reinforces your company’s commitment to becoming inclusive and will also attract top talent.
9. Inclusivity Training and Raising Awareness
Building a truly inclusive workplace requires ongoing education about diversity and inclusivity. Training programs help employees understand their unconscious biases toward others. They also encourage cultural competence and build skills for effective cross-cultural communication.
Workshops should include topics such as microaggressions and inclusive leadership. Encourage open discussions and forums where employees can share their experiences and ask questions without judgment.
10. Engage in Community Outreach
Your diversity efforts should extend beyond the four walls of the office. You can partner with community organizations and attend career fairs at historically underrepresented institutions to bring the company closer to excellent but underserved talents. Supporting initiatives that promote equity also serves as a loud affirmation of your employer brand’s reputation.
Document these efforts through case studies and social media posts to exemplify your active role in pursuing diversity inside and outside the organization. This will paint the company in a positive light and position you as a leader in DEI.
Walk the Talk: Make Diversity More Than Just a Statement
Positioning your company as a leader in diversity and inclusion requires clear, well-thought-out strategies that present the organization in a credible light. Businesses mustn’t just say that they support diversity. It must be evident in their company culture, efforts and policies. By showcasing measures toward diversity, your brand benefits from a diverse, talented workforce and a healthy, supportive work culture.
To start taking the next steps towards creating an inclusive brand for your organization, consider CareerCircle’s InclusiveU DEI training program, giving your team the tools they need to foster an environment of inclusivity that extends across your whole brand.
Written by Content Contributor:
Eleanor Hecks is a business writer and researcher with a passion for bringing awareness to neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace. You can find her work as Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine or as a staff writer at sites such as HR.com and Clutch.co.
