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When it comes to creating a diversity and inclusion strategy that has impact and creates behaviour change, planning is key. Our Inclusion Experts outline 5 steps that explain where to start, what to prioritise and who to involve when you’re planning your diversity and inclusion strategy.
Why you need to prioritise inclusion planning?
When it comes to taking action around inclusion it can be easy to fall into the trap of being reactive or into taking a ‘scatter gun approach’ without having a clear strategic vision.
Any activity requires resources, budget, time and hard work so we want to make sure it genuinely makes a difference. Proactive planning is vital if you really want to drive change and deliver sustainable, impactful results and achieve a strong return on investment.
How to begin planning your diversity and inclusion strategy
Whether you are at the start of your inclusion journey or exploring your next steps, here are a few simple ways to plan a diversity and inclusion strategy with impact:
1. Review progress
A good way to start planning for next year is to review all the progress you’ve made this year. It may surprise you quite how much you’ve done.
When you review progress there might be some obvious tasks to carry over into next year, things that didn’t get done or that are ongoing. There might also be some lessons you’ve learned or some areas that arose that you didn’t anticipate, and you can build into your thinking for the coming year.
2. Use your data to inform decisions
Good diversity data can give you an insight into areas of priority. For example, recruitment and workforce data gives a snapshot of your organisation’s diversity, allowing you to identify untapped communities that could bring fresh perspectives to your workforce.
Data around the attrition levels of different cohorts can give you an insight into how engaged different employee groups are, how included people feel, employee experiences and whether all people have an equal opportunity to progress. You can use your people data to identify any issues or trends, which can inform your priorities.
3. Engage key stakeholders across your organisation
As part of your planning, make sure you involve key groups from across your organisation. If you have staff networks or ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) talk to them to understand their priorities. Use focus groups and surveys to gain an insight into experiences within your workplace. Reach out to I&D leads from other organisations to share best practice and gain ideas to shape your next steps. Having leaders as advocates of inclusion initiatives is key in your planning and execution of current and future programmes, as they can leverage their positions to implement changes and support ongoing culture change.
Good diversity data can give you an insight into areas of priority
Download our 'Diversity Data Guide' and learn how to gather data more effectively4. Set priorities for your diversity and inclusion strategy
Once you have reviewed progress, gathered data and engaged key stakeholders, you can work to identify long and short-term objectives. Organisations often risk trying to do it all at once, spreading their net too wide and not achieving the desired impact for employees and the organisation. It is important to prioritise and think about what actions will have genuine impact.
5. Determine your budget
Developing a diversity and inclusion strategy that has impact requires investment. By planning ahead, you can make the case for allocating appropriate budget to achieve your goals.
Ensure decision makers understand the business case for inclusion and diversity; clearly set out the objectives for your diversity and inclusion strategy, support them with as much data as you have and with evidence from colleagues and peers in I&D roles in other organisations, or from expert organisations like Inclusive Employers, and spend time planning how much each activity costs.
Plan how you’ll measure the impact of your strategy
Once you have set your inclusion priorities you can determine how you will measure the impact of activities. You can use:
- Progress measures – For example, the number of people who’ve attended training, or who are engaging with events.
- Outcome measures – For example, what’s the impact at key points in the employee life cycle? Are attrition levels in under-represented groups falling? Are you seeing a reduction in grievances and disciplinaries? Are you seeing an increase in the diversity of your candidates for internal and external roles? Are you attracting a different customer base?
How can Inclusive Employers support you with diversity and inclusion strategy and planning
For organisations looking to inform their next move, the Inclusive Employers Standard (IES) offers a step by step, evidence-based accreditation. The assessment and thorough feedback provided can support in identifying priorities by helping you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current approach to inclusion. If you are a member looking to focus on strategy and planning, please get in touch with your account manager.
Inclusive Employers membership gives access to a wide range of support, including monthly tailored advice from a specialist consultant and a library of resources including Inclusion Strategy templates. For non-members, please get in touch and we can chat about how best to support you.
Grow your team
When you become an Inclusive Employers’ Member you grow your I&D team.
Your account manager works with you to understand your goals, your challenges and achievable next steps.
Do you need more support for your inclusive culture to thrive?