During the Accord Summit, we heard the different initiatives and practices set up to help ensure that Accord signatory firms are cultivating truly diverse and inclusive work environment. Here are some of the key aspects that can easily be applied to your own company.
Data collection
Make sure you’re transparent in your approach – communicate with staff as to why you’re collecting data, and the importance of measuring.
It’s also important you provide an option to remain anonymous, as people may be discouraged to speak up on issues or share their ideas if their name is tied to it.
Check out this Diversity Agenda webinar which goes into depth on the importance of measuring
Diversity Works training
This was highly recommended by our Accord signatories. Diversity Works – Aotearoa’s national body for workplace diversity and inclusion,offer a range of course options, including unconscious bias training, inclusive leadership training, training on privilege – the list goes on!
Several of our Accord firms send their managers on this training, helping workplaces ingrain inclusive behaviours from the top down.
Culture workshops
Many of our Accord firms hold these workshops with staff. A company culture workshop is where a small group of staff participate in a 1–2-day workshop to get to know each other on a deeper level.
It’s a learning opportunity for everyone – these workshops cast visions, set goals, discuss company values, help people understand how their role plays into the company’s purpose, and establishes behaviours that aren’t acceptable.
But importantly – it’s also an opportunity to be vulnerable and allow colleagues to get to know each other’s whole self.
Diversity and inclusion action groups
Action groups are an opportunity for people in your organisation that are passionate about diversity and inclusion to make a difference in the business. These groups are important, especially in larger companies – as they help keep up the momentum and put pressure on leaders to be held accountable for their D&I efforts.
Recruitment
If you want to recruit diverse talent, you have to remove the barriers that might be discouraging this talent from applying for roles.
Firstly, you need to carefully decide who interviews – who are the people interviewing the people you’re trying to bring into your business? Secondly, ask yourself – is there unconscious bias built into your interview process?
Next, think about the channels and places you’re going to recruit via. Are there other areas you can go to that’ll extend your reach to a fully diverse pipeline?
Gender Pay Equity Gap
When it comes to calculating your gender pay equity gap, information is key. If you don’t have the information of what all your staff are paid, breakdown by gender, position, pay band, etc – you can’t accurately work the gap out.
Some helpful tips from our Accord signatories were:
- To help with the messaging to employees, some firms underwent 1.5% pay increases to women staff members.
- To help manage the gap, with every new hire made, the offer gets looked at through a lens of ‘will those offers create a further gender pay equity issue?’
Promotions
Some of our Accord firms are setting targets for their leadership teams, ensuring there’s a 50/50 gender split. By increasing the number of women in these senior roles, firms are helping to close the overall gender pay gap.
Include pronouns
This is an easy one… Putting your pronouns in email signatures makes it clear how we want others to speak of us. And it’s especially inclusive to gender-diverse people – it’s a way for them to indicate how they identify, so others can easily see and respect that part of them.
Become an Accord signatory now and be a part of our first Accord summit in May, where you can pick the brains of some of the most inspiring leaders in our professions.
