Is your organisation genuinely committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), or is it just staying on trend with token initiatives? A half-hearted approach won’t bring real change. To genuinely improve DEI in the workplace, a holistic approach is necessary. It means DEI shouldn’t just be a side project or a one-person effort. Instead, it should influence every aspect of the organisation, from the everyday work culture to the policies, involving everyone from entry-level employees to leadership.
What is the holistic approach to DEI?
A holistic approach to DEI is a company-wide commitment where every employee, regardless of position, plays an active role in promoting and upholding DEI values. It is a lot more than just about organising a workshop here or creating a policy there. Instead, it is about making diversity, equity, and inclusion a core part of the organisation’s structure and daily functioning. These values should influence everything, from how companies make decisions to how employees interact. It is about ensuring DEI becomes a natural part of the company’s identity, not random or one-off actions.
A holistic approach to DEI: Strategies for an inclusive workplace
When developing a holistic strategy for your DEI initiatives, here are some strategies to consider:
It is more than just filling the DEI quota
DEI is not just about hiring diverse employees. It is also about their long-term success and satisfaction in the workplace. Simply filling positions to meet diversity targets is not enough. It is essential to ask if those from underrepresented groups will feel comfortable and supported enough to stay in the organisation. What kind of experiences will they have once they join? Are the company’s policies and systems set up to help them?
Often, companies hire women just to meet DEI quotas. However, the real question is: what happens to them after they are brought on board? Women employees often experience greater levels of burnout.
Research shows that 43% of women leaders report experiencing burnout, compared to only 31% of men in similar leadership positions. One major factor contributing to this disparity is the lack of support from their workplaces. If the organisation fails to create an environment where these employees feel valued and empowered, the inclusive hiring efforts become meaningless.
Stop hiring for culture fit
Hiring for “culture fit” has become a common practice in many organisations. This hiring concept means screening candidates to see how well they align with the company’s beliefs, values, and behaviours. While it makes sense to want employees who share the organisational values, focusing too much on culture fit can lead to a homogeneous work environment that lacks diversity.
For example, imagine a tech company with primarily male employees. If hiring managers prioritise culture fit, they might unconsciously prefer male candidates who resemble the existing team. This practice can create a cycle where the company keeps hiring men. That makes it harder for women to join the workforce.
Instead of forcing employees to change to fit into the current workplace culture, employers should work on improving that culture to make it more inclusive and welcoming. It means looking for candidates based on their unique talents, skills, and goals rather than just whether they match the existing team’s “vibe.”
DEI should be a collective responsibility
Some people think that DEI is solely the responsibility of the HR department. They believe that HR should handle unbiased recruitment practices, hire a diverse workforce, and ensure every new hire feels welcomed and supported from day one. But is that really enough? Does DEI stop with HR? What about other departments within the organisation? Many companies tend to overlook this aspect.
The truth is that an organisation becomes truly inclusive when all departments embrace DEI. For instance, the marketing department should also implement DEI when creating campaigns. Similarly, in product development, teams should prioritise input from diverse voices to ensure that products meet the needs of all users. By involving different perspectives throughout the organisation, companies can foster a truly inclusive culture that benefits everyone.
Creating safe spaces
An organisation must check if all employees feel comfortable being themselves at work. This means that they should feel free to express their true thoughts and ideas in any setting, whether in casual places like the break room or formal spaces like conference rooms.
For example, if an employee has a unique perspective on a project, they should feel safe sharing it without worrying about being judged or facing negative consequences. When people feel safe to speak up, they can bring diverse ideas to the table, which can lead to better solutions and creativity.
To create this safe environment, organisations must build trust and psychological safety. It means encouraging open and honest communication. For instance, regular check-ins or feedback sessions should be held where employees can voice their thoughts without fear.
Inclusion needs more than workshops
Unconscious bias training doesn’t really promote DEI in the long run. After all, these unconscious and implicit bias workshops are usually quick one—to two-hour crash courses in awareness. While unconscious bias training is essential, it alone fails to make a lasting impact. Everyone’s understanding of DEI varies, so relying on a one-size-fits-all training module for diversity issues can backfire.
If companies want to reduce biased behaviour and the unfair outcomes it creates, they need more than just awareness. They must implement operational changes that prevent bias from influencing crucial decisions like hiring and promotions. Deloitte Insights summarises that organisations need to make structural changes, use transparent, data-driven solutions, and give leaders real-world experience with bias to show how it affects decisions and business outcomes.
Holistic approach to DEI: The final thoughts
When an organisation adopts a holistic approach to DEI, it shows that all employees, not just a few select groups, are recognised, valued, and appreciated. Of course, we all know that the DEI won’t appear overnight. Change takes time. However, taking action now shows that your company is not just paying lip service to diversity and inclusion. Ultimately, when DEI becomes a collective responsibility, it approaches problems from multiple angles and can lead to sustainable change that continues to improve over time.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content, which we broadly define as media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and gender-queer individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
