By Alysha M. Campbell, CEO and Founder of CultureShift HR

As your company grows, it’s important to make sure that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remain a core part of your culture. Many companies struggle to scale DEI as they grow and face new challenges in the process. With challenges come opportunities regarding DEI – from expanding your recruiting pipeline to ensuring all employees feel comfortable and welcome in the workplace, there are many ways to continue to align your DEI strategy as your business and objectives grow and expand. With the right strategy in place, any company can successfully scale DEI initiatives company-wide. Doing this is easier than you might think. Here are some of the tips I give to my clients at CultureShift HR to help them to shift their cultures and transform their businesses.

1. Keep communication open. As your company grows, it can be difficult to maintain open communication between employees and management. This is why it’s important to have regular check-ins with your team and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up about diversity, equity, and inclusion concerns. Additionally, you should make sure that your DEI policy is easily accessible to all employees and that they understand how the company is prioritizing DEI and how they can get involved 

2. Expand your recruiting pipeline. One of the best ways to ensure diversity in your company is to expand your recruiting pipeline to include a wider range of candidates. This includes making an effort to recruit from underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. You can also work with diversity-focused recruitment firms who can help you find qualified candidates from a variety of backgrounds.

3. Create an inclusive workplace. It’s not enough to simply hire a diverse workforce – you also need to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels comfortable and respected. This includes things like offering employee resource groups, providing training on diversity and inclusion, and ensuring that your workplace policies are equitable. Additionally, you should make an effort to celebrate diversity in the workplace and create an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves.

4. Revisit and recalibrate your DEI strategy. As organizations grow, their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies may need to be revisited and recalibrated. Here are some questions to consider as you reassess your own DEI efforts:

– Are your diversity goals still relevant? Have your priorities changed?

– Do you have the right people in place to champion DEI initiatives?

– What processes do you need to put in place to ensure equitable treatment of all employees?

– How can you foster a more inclusive environment within your organization?

By asking these questions and beginning to evaluate where you are, where you started, and how much progress you’ve made, you’ll be able to outline new areas of focus, realign direction, and ensure you are set up for success as the company grows. 

5. Measure your progress. Scaling DEI initiatives can be difficult to measure, but it’s important to set goals and track your progress over time. This will help you identify areas where you’re doing well and areas where you need to improve. Additionally, regular check-ins with employees can give you valuable insights into how they feel about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

Scaling diversity, equity, and inclusion is a challenge for any organization, but it’s one that’s well worth the effort. By taking the time to grow your DEI initiatives company-wide, you’ll create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for everyone. When people feel like they belong and are valued, they’re more likely to be engaged and productive, leading to more voices being activated and innovation being a core outcome of your work and efforts.

To learn more about CultureShift HR and Alysha M. Campbell and to receive her newsletter on DEI in the workplace, please visit www.alyshacampbell.com.