What do you do if your accounting team lacks diversity and inclusion?

1 Assess your current situation

The first step is to evaluate your team's current level of diversity and inclusion, and identify any gaps, challenges, or areas for improvement. You can use various tools and methods to collect data and feedback, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, performance reviews, employee engagement scores, retention rates, and diversity metrics. You should also review your policies, practices, and culture, and see how they support or hinder diversity and inclusion. For example, you can examine your hiring, promotion, training, mentoring, and recognition processes, and check for any biases, stereotypes, or discrimination. You can also assess your team's communication, collaboration, and decision-making styles, and see how they reflect or respect diversity and inclusion.

3 Monitor and measure your progress

The third step is to track and evaluate your progress and impact on diversity and inclusion, and adjust your goals and plans as needed. You should use both quantitative and qualitative measures to assess your performance and outcomes, such as diversity statistics, employee satisfaction, turnover, productivity, innovation, customer loyalty, and profitability. You should also solicit feedback and input from your team members and stakeholders, and listen to their opinions, suggestions, and concerns. You should also recognize and reward your team's efforts and successes on diversity and inclusion, and share best practices and lessons learned. Moreover, you should be open to learning and improvement, and seek new ways to enhance your team's diversity and inclusion.

4 Engage and empower your team

The fourth step is to involve and enable your team members to participate and contribute to your diversity and inclusion initiatives, and leverage their diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You should create a safe and supportive environment where your team members can express their authentic selves, share their ideas and opinions, and collaborate and learn from each other. You should also respect and value your team members' differences, and appreciate their strengths and contributions. Furthermore, you should empower your team members to take ownership and leadership of diversity and inclusion projects, and support them with resources and guidance. By engaging and empowering your team, you can build trust, loyalty, and commitment, and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion.

6 Keep learning and growing

The sixth and final step is to continue learning and growing on your diversity and inclusion journey, and embrace the challenges and opportunities that come along the way. You should recognize that diversity and inclusion are not static or fixed, but dynamic and evolving, and require constant attention and effort. You should also acknowledge that diversity and inclusion are not perfect or easy, but complex and challenging, and involve mistakes and failures. Therefore, you should be humble and curious, and seek feedback and guidance from others. You should also be resilient and adaptable, and overcome obstacles and setbacks. Most importantly, you should be passionate and committed, and celebrate your achievements and milestones. By keeping learning and growing, you can make your accounting team more diverse and inclusive, and more successful and competitive.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?