Checklist: How to Create an Inclusive Employer Brand

In today's workforce, having an inclusive employer brand is crucial as talented individuals are unwilling to work for organizations lacking in this area. To attract top early talent and promote diversity and inclusion branding, consider implementing effective employer branding solutions.

To achieve this, consider implementing inclusive recruitment strategies that actively seek out candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, it's important to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion values into your brand promise to signal to potential candidates that these values are integral to your company.

Creating an inclusive employer brand requires a solid plan, and the following five tips can help guide you in developing one. By following these best practices in diversity and early talent recruitment, you can establish an employer brand that attracts and retains underrepresented talent while also appealing to candidates who prioritize working for an inclusive inclusive.

1. Rethink Employer Branding

Employer branding is often viewed as a short-term campaign by some organizations, believing that it will improve their image among job seekers for years to come. However, this approach is misguided as employer branding is an ongoing effort that requires a company to embody its principles every day. This includes not only how a company communicates with the outside world but also how it treats its employees.

To create an inclusive employer brand, companies must prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in every aspect of their organization. This includes:

• Communication with candidates 
• Hiring decisions
• Salaries and benefits they offer
• Opportunities they provide to employees
• Hiring processes 

An inclusive employer brand demands a holistic approach where all candidates and employees feel welcomed, appreciated, and valued. To further strengthen your DEI efforts and create a more inclusive employer brand, consider implementing additional strategies. 

• Educate all employees on DEI Issues

One approach is to provide employees with information about DEI issues, including unconscious bias, prejudice reduction, and addressing microaggressions. By creating educational programs for all employees, everyone can participate in helping your company reach its DEI goals while understanding how their own biases can influence how they treat others.

• Form partnerships with group that cater to underrepresented communities

Another effective employer branding strategy is to partner with organizations that serve underrepresented groups. By cultivating relationships with organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, you can connect with potential candidates and demonstrate your support for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Inform your employees about the DEI strategies you've implemented

Lastly, promote your employer brand internally by educating your employees about the D&I strategies you’ve implemented through newsletters and other communications. This will help your employees become brand ambassadors and vouch for your employer brand among their friends and family members. By keeping your employees happy, you can ensure that the story they tell about your organization is a positive one.

Incorporating strong DEI strategies into your employer branding efforts is crucial for attracting both customers and top talent. By implementing these tips and strategies, you can weave DEI into your messaging and demonstrate your commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion in your organization.

2. Leadership 

To build an inclusive employer brand, it's important to ensure that historically underserved groups feel welcome and have access to the same opportunities as everyone else. One effective approach is to involve leaders from underrepresented groups in your organization. By showcasing these role models and sharing their stories with candidates, you can demonstrate that there is a path for success and growth for all employees, regardless of their background.

Invite these leaders to speak candidly about the challenges they've faced and how they overcame them. This can help candidates from underrepresented groups see themselves succeeding in your organization, and it also shows your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

3. Use Inclusive Language

To create an inclusive employer brand, it's important to be mindful of the language you use in all communications. This means using inclusive language that resonates with all readers, including gender-neutral language and avoiding terms that are racially and culturally insensitive, ableist, ageist, sexist, and homophobic. Create an inclusive language guide that all employees can use in their own communications to ensure consistency and inclusivity throughout the organization.

Two critical places to pay close attention to your language are your company's careers site and job descriptions.

1. Your careers site is often the first impression that potential employees have of your organization. It's important to use inclusive language that accurately represents your commitment to diversity and inclusion. This includes showcasing your diversity initiatives, employee resource groups, and policies designed to appeal to untapped populations.

2. In job descriptions, avoid using jargon and terms that may be biased based on gender or race. Instead, aim for language that is welcoming and inclusive to all candidates. Consider using tools that analyze the text of job descriptions to ensure they are diversity-friendly and resonant with all potential candidates. The way you word your job descriptions can communicate to potential talent whether or not your company values diversity and inclusion, so be mindful and intentional with your language to create an inclusive employer brand.

By implementing these strategies, you can create an inclusive employer brand that attracts and retains underrepresented talent while also appealing to candidates who prioritize inclusive values.

4. Share Your Vision

Authenticity is crucial in DEI employer branding, but it's also important to share your vision for the future, even if you haven't yet met your diversity and inclusion goals. Be transparent about your current level of diversity and let candidates know that you're actively working to increase the representation of untapped groups in your organization. This honesty and commitment to improvement will impress candidates and show that you're dedicated to creating a more inclusive workplace.

Creating partnerships with groups that cater to the needs of underrepresented communities is another effective way to demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By cultivating relationships with organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, you can connect with potential candidates while demonstrating your support for diversity and inclusion. These partnerships can also help you better understand the needs and desires of underrepresented communities and create more targeted diversity recruitment goals.

Sharing your vision for the future and partnering with underrepresented groups can help you build an inclusive employer brand that attracts and retains underrepresented talent while also appealing to customers who prioritize inclusive values. By remaining committed to diversity and inclusion, you can create a workplace where everyone feels valued and appreciated.

5. Take Advantage Of Social Media 

To effectively weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into your social media for employer branding, it's important to be authentic and intentional. Consider using a variety of mediums, such as photos, videos, audio and infographics, to showcase your company's commitment to DEI in the workplace. Share stories of employees from underrepresented communities, highlight your diversity initiatives and partnerships, and celebrate cultural events and holidays that are important to different communities.

You can also use social media to start conversations around DEI topics, such as unconscious bias, microaggressions, and allyship. Encourage employees to share their experiences and perspectives, and use your platform to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives.

Finally, make sure to consistently and authentically incorporate DEI messaging into your social media strategy. This includes being mindful of the language you use, acknowledging the historical and systemic barriers that underrepresented communities face, and actively working to create a more inclusive workplace.

By intentionally weaving DEI into your social media strategy, you can create an inclusive employer brand that resonates with untapped candidates while also demonstrating your commitment to diversity and inclusion to customers and stakeholders.