Leveraging Technology to Enhance DE&I in the Workplace

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are an essential part of company culture. It encourages creativity and new perspectives it brings. Through DE&I, individuals from different races, abilities, genders, religions, ages, sexual orientations, and other marginalised and diverse backgrounds can work with ease in the workplace.

As workspaces continue to be more aware and grow, the importance of DE&I continues to be more prominent. By embracing DE&I, businesses have access to more talented individuals that other companies may have missed out on. By implementing better productivity and logistics software, organisations can improve work environments for marginalised employees, especially in recruitment, communication, employee training, and well-being.

Enhancing Employee Wellbeing

 

The well-being of employees is vital for productivity. If diversity and inclusion practices are mishandled, it can produce frustration and displeasure, negatively impacting employees and the workplace, which could ultimately decrease employee retention. Technology can assist in the precise management of diversity and inclusion, through the removal of bias, employee training, and improved connectivity. This improves employees’ well-being and fosters a safe working environment for marginalised employees.

Through Online Platforms

Work-from-home, which is the new accepted working standard in numerous organisations, has expedited hiring for diverse people across the globe. As multiple companies are now running operations online, diverse individuals can gain access to necessary training and development programs through online platforms. The mentoring process aids in building confidence in underrepresented minorities. In addition, in-person workshops can be conducted in an organisation’s different branches around the world. It maintains connections with various types of employees, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or nationality.

DE&I improves the quality of the workplace and promotes equality in the same.

Eliminating Unconscious Bias

An important approach to achieving diversity and inclusion in the workplace is eliminating implicit bias occurring during the hiring process. Implicit bias surfaces when hiring teams assume certain aspects about the candidate based on subjective information, commonly regarding background and interests, instead of focusing on an applicant’s potential.

In such cases, businesses need to perform an HR auditing process to uncover which aspects of their recruiting and hiring practices are causing a lack of diversity and inclusion, and modify said aspects as they see fit. By utilising correctly developed ethical AI in hiring processes, companies can raise the standard of fairness and mitigate implicit bias from the beginning.

Alternatively, organisations can use science-based interviewing, pre-hire screening, and assessment tools to evaluate candidates objectively. The information used by tools includes behaviours relevant to the role and job-specific skills, which make the hiring process more ethical and fair, subsequently increasing retention.

Structuring Inclusive Job Description

Businesses can foster diversity in the workplace by leveraging software that evaluates word choices and language. This technology ensures that job descriptions are inclusive, because of which fairness is priorities during the hiring process.

Utilising such software also reduces unconscious bias and increases the probability of recruiting individuals from disparate backgrounds. This process results in a more inclusive workforce, which boosts morale and business performance.

Establishing Productivity Software

Irrespective of their cultural backgrounds, race, and age, all employees are allowed equal access to tools that reduce repetitive tasks, without compromising quality.

In addition, employees from different parts of the world can collaborate and communicate on one project by leveraging software tools. This practice ensures that physically absent people are not excluded from important meetings or presentations, increasing morale and a sense of community within an organisation.

Using VR Programs to Replicate Real-Life Scenarios

Virtual reality (VR) training programs can be used to simulate real-life scenarios to help employees observe and understand different experiences and perspectives. For instance, an organisation can make use of VR to fabricate immersive experiences that simulate obstacles that marginalised people may come across in the workplace. Such experiences increase empathy among employees and subsequently foster a more inclusive workplace.

Text-based Communication Behaves as an Equaliser

As text messaging has turned into baseline communications, there is reduced influence on language accents that come from different countries.

In addition, individuals who speak fast become ineffective in dominating conversations, which enables others in the conversation to communicate just as effectively, especially individuals with autism. This type of communication provides non-native speakers with an equal chance to match the speed of communication, resulting in a better understanding of information.

Boosting Accessibility to a Workplace

Technology provides more accessibility to the workplace to employees with disabilities, diversifying an organisation’s workforce. To facilitate this realisation, companies should invest in technologies that equip employees with disabilities with the necessary tools to perform their roles successfully, every day.

Preferably, the selected technology should be personalised to incorporate and assist an employee’s specific impairment. For instance, trackballs, consisting of voice recognition software and screen readers, aid employees with disabilities to fulfil their job roles effectively.

Determining Disparities in Hiring Processes

By using data available in a company and by running it through specialised software, businesses can identify hiring gaps that could be counterproductive to diversity initiatives. For example, organisations can use sentiment analysis to identify implicit biases, such as risk-aversion among superiors, that might not be recognised otherwise.

Therefore, it is crucial to recognise sources of bias vigilantly, instead of depending on complacent procedures and policies. Used properly, technology can be leveraged as a tool to analyse a workplace and subsequently construct independent solutions to accomplish diversity objectives.