employer branding as a strategic tool.

bringing an inclusive culture to life: employer branding as a strategic tool.

Creating a work environment where all employees, regardless of their background, feel welcome, valued, and supported is the only right ethical choice. And what's more, this can also be a smart business move. Employees from different backgrounds can bring different perspectives to the company and foster creativity, teamwork, and the ability to solve problems.

In 87% of cases, teams with diverse backgrounds perform better than teams who all share the same gender and origin. That's why building a diverse team is not only morally right, but also makes economic sense and contributes to a better work environment for everyone.

According to our 2023 Randstad Employer Brand Research, a positive work environment is the fourth most important factor worldwide in one's choice of employer. When employees feel valued and supported, they are more willing to engage and feel proud to be part of the company.

Learn how workplace diversity can boost your company performance and employer brand.

benefits of an inclusive employer brand.

Research has suggested that companies with a diverse workforce tend to be more innovative and adaptable than their competitors, as building an inclusive employer brand brings with it many benefits:

• Attracting and retaining a diverse talent pool

  Hiring many different talents signals to job seekers that you value and support diversity in your team. This makes it more likely that talented candidates will view your company as an attractive place to work.

• Increasing the company's innovation and performance

  Recruiting staff from different backgrounds brings a range of perspectives and experiences to your business. This fosters creative problem solving and creates a dynamic work environment. This can lead to the development of a continuous learning culture, in which employees learn from the perspectives and approaches of others.

• Strengthening reputation and market position

  Your commitment to diversity will enhance your company's reputation with job seekers and consumers. Purchasers and talents alike value social responsibility, diversity, and equality. Presenting your brand as a brand that supports diversity will appeal to a wider audience.

• Promote employee engagement and retention

  Emphasizing your commitment to your employees' diversity and equality will convey to staff that they are valued, supported, and appreciated in your organization. This makes them feel like an integral part of the company, and develops a strong sense of belonging. When employees feel valued and supported, it has a profound impact on their overall job satisfaction and morale. This makes them less likely to leave your company for other companies.

• Attracting diverse clients

  Many kinds of client often prefer to do business with companies that share their values and principles, including a commitment to diversity and inclusion. When your company actively fosters a diverse and inclusive culture, it sends a strong message to those customers and clients, which increases the likelihood that they will do business with you.

Strategies to build an inclusive employer brand

Building an inclusive employer brand means taking a conscious approach to equality and diversity. Try the following strategies to foster Diversity & Inclusion initiatives in your team and with your customers:

• Diversity as standard

  Incorporate diversity-friendly practices into your workplace policies and encourage small acts of inclusion to anchor this culture within your company. For example, encouraging your employees to include their pronouns in their email signature makes LGBTQ+ employees feel supported. When you allow flexible working practices, you encourage new parents to return to work. According to our global report, work-life balance is the second most important factor in the workplace. You might therefore consider promoting flexible working methods for all employees.

• Celebrate diversity in your team

  Add holidays and days of recognition for minority groups to the calendar and celebrate them. Encourage your employees to become familiar with the history of different cultures and their celebrations, for example.

• Upholding fair hiring practices

  Encourage hiring managers to take advantage of diverse rounds of interviews, evaluate candidates objectively, and pay attention to disabilities and the needs of protected groups during the interview process.

• Hold the company accountable

  It's not always possible to do everything right. When you make a mistake from the point of view of diversity, own up to it. Apologize sincerely, and move on. In 2015, for example, Airbnb was accused of racially profiling its customers. Airbnb dealt with the matter proactively, sending a personal apology from its then CEO and moving forward having resolved to do better.

Remember that while it's important to be proud of your efforts in the field of diversity, all communication must be sincere. Otherwise, it could appear as tokenistic or inauthentic, which would have the opposite effect to what is desired.

Overcoming challenges

Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace isn't always easy to do. Watch out for these common pitfalls:

Microaggressions and unconscious bias

Microaggressions and unconscious biases are insidious obstacles to creating an inclusive workplace. While they are not always obvious or intentional, they can have a profound impact on the individual and the entire work environment.

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional acts or comments that express bias or discrimination against individuals based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other aspects of their identity. These actions can be harmful and create a hostile or unwelcome atmosphere for those whom they target. For example, the assumption that people of Indian descent do not celebrate Christmas without knowing their personal beliefs or traditions is a form of microaggression.

Unconscious bias, on the other hand, refers to automatic, ingrained stereotypes or biases that influence our judgments and actions without us being aware of it. For example, a board that conducts job interviews may unconsciously prefer women over men, causing a woman to be more likely to get a job. These biases can influence hiring decisions, performance reviews, and day-to-day interactions, often perpetuating inequality.

The consequences of microaggressions and unconscious biases include lower morale, lower job satisfaction, and difficulties in collaboration. They can also lead to a less diverse workforce, as members of underrepresented groups decide to leave a company that tolerates or ignores such behaviors.

The only way to prevent microaggressions and unconscious bias is by training your employees to recognize and avoid them. Through active learning, continuous learning, and a commitment to change, organizations can mitigate the effects of microaggressions and unconscious biases and create a more inclusive workplace.

lack of senior leadership buy-in

Failure to engage your leaders in your efforts for diversity and inclusion can be a significant impediment to progress. This can reduce resource allocation, affect employee culture in general, and cause a lack of accountability.

As already mentioned, the only way to get senior leadership approval is through proper training and support. Executives must promote and instil a culture of diversity and inclusion. Culture is often set at the top, so leaders play a central role in shaping corporate culture.

• Failure to use technology.

• Technology plays a critical role in supporting D&I efforts. For example, your company might try: Use of AI-powered recruitment tools. AI-powered recruiting tools can help eliminate bias in the interview process through automatic assessment tools, anonymized resumes, and advanced analytics.

• Accessibility tools. Advancements in technology can help people with disabilities overcome barriers that normally prevent them from accessing work. For example, automatic screen readers can be provided for visually impaired or blind employees, or subtitle and transcription services can be provided for people who cannot type.

Strengthen your employer brand with D&I initiatives 

There is a clear link between a strong employer brand and those who support D&I initiatives. Indeed, there is not only a compelling moral argument for these business practices, but also a strong economic one.

It's important, however, to strike a balance between supporting and engaging diverse and inclusive employees and not appearing as an alibi or insincere. To do this, you should ensure your commitment to diversity and inclusion is authentic and integrated with your company's core values and practices.

For more ideas on how to strengthen your employer brand, we recommend downloading our global report. This report will help you understand not only why a positive work environment strengthens the employer brand, but also what other steps you can take to ensure a positive and productive work environment.