You’re tasked with building a diverse and inclusive team. How do you get started?

2 Assess your current situation

Next, you need to take a honest look at your current team composition, culture, and practices. How diverse and inclusive is your team right now? What are the gaps and challenges that you need to address? How do you collect and use data on your team's demographics, engagement, feedback, and outcomes? How do you handle issues such as bias, discrimination, or conflict within your team? How do you support and develop your team members' skills, well-being, and career growth? Assessing your current situation can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and prioritize your actions.

3 Expand your talent pool

One of the most important steps to building a diverse and inclusive team is to widen your reach and access to potential candidates. How do you source, advertise, and network with talent from different backgrounds, identities, and experiences? How do you make your job descriptions and requirements inclusive and appealing to a diverse range of applicants? How do you reduce barriers and biases in your screening, interviewing, and hiring processes? How do you showcase your team's culture and values to prospective candidates? Expanding your talent pool can help you find and attract the best fit for your team.

4 Create an inclusive environment

Once you have hired your team members, you need to make sure that they feel welcome, valued, and respected in your team. How do you onboard, orient, and integrate your new hires into your team's culture and norms? How do you foster a sense of belonging, trust, and collaboration among your team members? How do you celebrate and leverage your team's diversity and individuality? How do you provide feedback, recognition, and rewards to your team members? How do you accommodate and address your team members' needs, preferences, and concerns? Creating an inclusive environment can help you retain and motivate your team.

5 Promote learning and growth

Another key step to building a diverse and inclusive team is to encourage and facilitate learning and growth for yourself and your team members. How do you educate yourself and your team on diversity and inclusion topics, such as cultural awareness, implicit bias, or allyship? How do you create opportunities for your team to learn from each other's experiences, perspectives, and insights? How do you support your team's professional and personal development, such as mentoring, coaching, or training? How do you solicit and act on feedback from your team and others to improve your team's performance and culture? Promoting learning and growth can help you enhance your team's skills, innovation, and satisfaction.

6 Monitor and adjust

Finally, you need to monitor and adjust your team's progress and outcomes, and celebrate your achievements. How do you track and analyze your team's diversity and inclusion metrics, such as representation, engagement, retention, or impact? How do you communicate and report your team's results and challenges to your team and others? How do you recognize and reward your team's efforts and accomplishments? How do you review and revise your team's goals, strategies, and practices based on your findings and feedback? How do you address and overcome any obstacles or setbacks that you encounter? Monitoring and adjusting can help you ensure your team's effectiveness and sustainability.