5 Ways to Foster DEIB in a Remote or Hybrid Workplace

For many companies, the switch to remote or hybrid work following the pandemic has fundamentally changed the way employees interact with each other. In the absence of a physical office space, more and more coworkers now meet, strategize and socialize on digital platforms like Webex and Slack. Despite the difference in these new forms of communication, questions of DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) remain a top priority for many managers and HR leaders. With another anniversary of the pandemic coming up soon, here are some actionable tips on how to promote DEIB in a remote or hybrid workplace.

1) Set Ground Rules For Digital Communication

Many of the points of conflict (DEIB related or otherwise) in remote or hybrid workplaces arise from a lack of clear rules for interaction. The relative newness of platforms like Slack means that conventions around etiquette have yet to fully develop. As a leader or manager, step in to fill this void. Set clear guidelines for respectful communication over digital platforms. For more information on how to build a culture of professionalism in your remote or hybrid workplace, check out this free guide.

2) Solicit employee feedback

Before you can even begin to promote DEIB in a hybrid or remote workplace, you have to understand the problem: where is your company performing well in DEIB and where can it improve? Your employees can be great sources of information. Ask about their experiences with diversity and belonging in the company – do they feel comfortable being their full authentic selves at work, do they think the company is putting enough effort into hiring diverse candidates? The technology of remote work can help you in this endeavor. Anonymous digital surveys on DEIB make it easy for employees to share their feelings without fear of embarrassment or reprisal. Likewise, digital video conferences allow employees to ask questions in a public forum to the whole community.

3) Include DEI in every level of the employee experience

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging touch every part of the employee experience. While most DEIB efforts focus on increasing diversity through hiring initiatives, the work can’t stop there. Show a continued commitment to DEIB by embedding it into the remote and hybrid work experience. This means:

  • Be transparent with compensation. Make it clear to all employees how compensation and benefits are calculated.
  • Make sure hiring interviews are unbiased. Whether by tweaking the language of questions or offering video interviews to accommodate the needs of different candidates, ensure that interviews don’t favor particular groups or people. For more information on how to conduct a bias free interview, click here.
  • Conduct equitable performance reviews. It can be easy to subconsciously favor employees who come into the office more due to their proximity. Take care to give remote or hybrid employees a fair shake when it comes time to review their performance.

4) Offer Continuous DEIB Training

Companies often frontload DEIB education during onboarding, tapering the training off as new hires enter the company. But learning how to communicate respectfully and mitigate our biases is an ongoing skill-building process. Make your DEIB training more than just a one-off event by holding periodic learning sessions for all employees – no matter how long they’ve been at the company. Emtrain offers a full suite of DEIB training designed to be used continuously by all employees and build employee skills. Our comprehensive DEIB curriculum gives workers access to training on topics ranging from unconscious bias to effective allyship.

5) Measure and quantify your DEIB efforts

Once you’ve set your initiatives in place, you need a way to know how they’re doing. Emtrain can help. The Emtrain Solution’s new Analytics feature gives clients an unprecedented, empirical look at the social dynamics of their company. Using data gathered from its platform, Emtrain Analytics can quantify areas  such as respect, equity, and inclusion to give you hard data on the social health of your workplace. Users can compare their scores across industry benchmarks as well as segment their demographic data. Emtrain Analytics empowers organizations  to learn exactly where their company is thriving and where it can do better.

For more information on how Emtrain can support DEIB initiatives at your workplace, contact us or download a free demo of the Emtrain Solution today!


allyshipbelongingdeihybrid workremote work
Jacob Halabe
Marketing Intern, Emtrain
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