Diversity in the workplace, or the lack thereof, has been a hot topic for decades. While a lot of progress has been made in the last three years, a looming recession has many companies bending to budget constraints – ultimately, stalling diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs in 2022.  

2023 without a doubt will be a challenging year for DEI leaders. More importantly, it will be a year for HR leaders and organizations to prove that building diverse, inclusive, equitable workplaces – where everyone feels they belong – benefits the bottom line.

According to experts, employees will also hold organizations accountable, asking for increased transparency into demographic metrics that demonstrate DEI.

“With additional transparency and reporting requirements, businesses that have fallen behind on DEI will have their progress shown publicly,” Kyle Holm, VP of Total Rewards Advisory at Sequoia, shared with HR Daily Advisor. “As a result, there is going to be more work needed in this area so that companies can show measurable progress in diversity and inclusion. Businesses will need to work harder to make sure their organization reflects the demographics of their operating environment. More transparency means more accountability – and this will be examined in all areas from recruitment to benefits.

As the new year quickly approaches, let’s look at HR Daily Advisor’s best diversity and inclusion content of 2022.

HR Works Presents HR Work Break: Do Your Company Values Truly Encompass Everyone? (Part 1)

While 90% of companies cite diversity as a priority, only 4% of companies feel that hiring people with disabilities is part of that initiative. John Register (Paralympic silver medalist, Board Member of the American Association of People With Disabilities, and Member of Kanarys’ Advisory Board) joins HR Work Break to discuss disability inclusion in the workplace. Tune in as we discuss diversity, equity and inclusion, the true meaning of belonging, and the importance of representation.

HR Works Presents A Seat at the Table: Reframing the Workplace Lens

In this episode of A Seat at the Table, Dr. Marlette Jackson, the Global Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Virgin Pulse – the world’s largest provider of digital health and well-being solutions – discusses the value of employee voice, authenticity in the workplace, how to bake DEI into your performance management process, the importance of reframing conversations in the workplace, and more.

HR Works Podcast: Buying into the Belonging Experience

“Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a behavior. Belonging is an experience.” In this episode of HR Works, licensed therapist, author, executive coach, and CEO and founder of Soul Trained, DDS Dobson-Smith, digs deeper into this quote and explains how a culture of belonging can have a massive impact on workplace performance. Learn why DDS feels we are in an era that should be referred to as the Great Realization, and the first steps HR leaders can take to create a culture of belonging.

HR Works Presents Pages of HR: An Inclusive Workplace for All (Part I)

This episode of Pages of HR discusses what it means to create an LGBTQ2+ inclusive workplace. Listen in as Michael Bach, author of Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work, discusses sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression (yes, they’re different things, and it matters), defines what a Safe Space is, and how to turn your space into one, and more. Alphabet Soup serves as a critical guide to creating a truly inclusive workplace for all, regardless of sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. Whether you consider yourself an ally, or don’t know what it means to be one, you’ll come away armed with everything you need to know to create a safe, productive, and thriving organization.

HR Works Presents A Seat at the Table: Having a Voice That Counts

In this episode of A Seat at the Table, Neha Mirchandani, leader of the people and marketing functions at BrightPlan – an HR tech company specializing in total financial wellness—discusses the importance of having a voice that counts, the evolution of leaders, rise of the empowered employee, why DEIB should be a C-suite issue, and how inclusion is tied to well-being, and more.

Do Your Remote Employees Feel Invisible? 5 Tips for Creating a More Inclusive Culture

We are living in a fledgling new era. In the wake of a 3-year pandemic, the days of watercooler chats and after-work happy hours have dwindled as a greater proportion of the workforce sets up camp in their home offices, Zoom-ing in for meetings and bidding adieu to long commutes and business casual. In short, your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts just became broader, and a lack of action could easily undermine or even reverse existing initiatives. Therefore, it is incumbent on organizations and leaders to address inclusivity and bias as they relate to remote workers—and do it quickly. Here’s how.

5 Practical Suggestions to Improve Pay Equity

Employees, shareholders, and many other stakeholders are beginning to see pay equity as a fundamental expectation among public and private companies―and for good reason. A more equitable pay practice drives better attraction and retention of talent, a more diverse culture, and better financial performance over the long term. As pay equity becomes more standard within corporate cultures, several companies are instituting a new process or revisiting their old process to ensure it meets these increasingly complex requirements. Here are five important considerations to keep in mind when addressing pay equity within your organization.

At Voya, DEI is for Everyone

It may sound obvious, but diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are much more successful when they’re truly inclusive. For this installment of our series on corporate DEI leaders, Angela Harrell, our subject, is Chief Diversity and Corporate Impact Officer at Voya Financial. One of the things that stood out most to us in our conversation with her is her message that DEI efforts are for everyone—and benefit everyone. It’s this inclusive approach to DEI, among other factors, that has helped Harrell and Voya become so successful in their corporate DEI efforts.

Benefits Disconnect: Closing the Perception Gap for Mental Health

People don’t want to be told what to do; they want to be heard. In my experience as a clinician and an executive in people operations, the greatest opportunities for both personal and organizational change occur in a psychologically safe environment that invites engagement. Such safety is established in one-on-one conversations and by fostering company-wide programs and behaviors that encourage inclusion, compassion, and equitable day to day practices. Nowhere is this more important than during discussions on mental health.

Use Employee Resource Groups to Unify Employees (And How to Do It)

Companies face several challenges in today’s landscape, including high employee turnover and political polarization. These issues make it difficult to keep the fabric of their company intact and promote a unified workforce. However, both employee retention and unity can be addressed by strategically launching a network of employee resource groups (ERGs). A successful ERG program can be used to combat the negative effects of the Great Resignation by giving a voice to employees; enticing new hires; and supporting a company’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts.