Workplaces are taking steps at becoming more diverse and supportive of diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a first initiative, many companies have been creating diversity and inclusion specific programs, committees and positions to make sure everyone is supported and represented amongst their colleagues.

The benefits of diversity and inclusion 

There are many reasons for businesses to support a diverse workforce, particularly in the hospitality industry. Hotels and restaurants welcome guests from all over the world and want to make them feel as comfortable as possible. One of the easiest ways to do that is to have employees that represent all kinds of diversity; race, gender, age and more so that you guests can feel a personal connection to your workforce.

When your workforce is diverse, you will also have broader perspectives that are informed through personal experiences of your employees. 

How to create a diversity and inclusion program 

If your employer doesn’t currently have a program, talk to your HR professional or your manager about creating a program. The appointed representative will need to secure buy-in from senior management, which can require an outline for how diversity and inclusion will help the company reach strategic goals. 

Once the buy-in is secured, committee members will need to be appointed. The group leader may have an open call for anyone interested in joining, or managers may nominate employees for participation. Ideally, committees should consist of members from all levels throughout the company. 

Roles and responsibilities will need to be assigned clearly to each member, and a roadmap defining program goals, a clear mission and a defined budget should be created.

There is no one way to create a diversity and inclusion program, but here are some steps that can be tailored to your specific organization to help get you started.

Conduct an internal census

The first step is knowing how diverse your company is. Your organization should conduct an internal census to understand the demographics that make up it’s workforce. 

Companies that are 250 employees or more have to collect this data anyways, but smaller or mid-size companies may want to consider collecting it as well, if their employees are comfortable with sharing the information.

A census should include information from the major federal and state protected groups including: 

• Race
• Gender 
• Disability 
• Age 
• Nationality  

Also consider conducting an internal survey asking for employee feedback on how they think the organization is supporting diversity and inclusion, or how the organization can improve.

Identify areas of concern

Once the data is collected, compare it to the data available on the labor market. There, you can assess any gaps in diversity and help create goals for the organization to work towards closing those gaps by recruiting and hiring unrepresented demographics. 

Questions that can help organizations begin to address underrepresented demographics can include: 

• Is management overrepresented by one demographic?
• Are certain properties less diverse than others?
• Do specific departments have trouble hiring certain demographics? 

Create a plan

Now that your diversity and inclusion committee members have data to inform them, they can start putting together a plan to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives, creating a more safe and comfortable work environment for all employees. 

Some of these initiatives can include:

• organizing staff trainings on diversity and inclusion
• reviewing recruiting hiring policies
• hosting employer sponsored diversity and inclusion awareness events. 

Managers and senior leadership will be the most important resource to create a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace. They should be trained with messages to inform, educate and empower their team members.

Measure your progress

To ensure your organization’s diversity and inclusion program is having a positive impact on employees and the industry, it’s imperative to measure the progress and results of the initiatives.  

Depending on the specific goals your organization has set, you can measure if there is an increased representation of identified groups, or if your employee feedback on diversity and inclusion improves. These are two of the most important metrics for your progress. 

Externally, your organization may also be recognized for valuing diversity and inclusion by organizations such as Diversity Inc, and you may see a change in reservations or customer reviews.