DEI has recently become a buzzword in business. However, it’s more than just a workplace trend; it’s a critical human resources (HR) initiative for establishing a diverse workforce and providing equal work opportunities. That’s why integrating DEI in the workplace is one of the HR and employment strategies in 2025—and beyond.

For the uninitiated, DEI stands for:

• Diversity—welcoming employees from all walks of life for a dynamically diverse workforce
• Equity—providing fair access to employment and equitable opportunities at work
• Inclusion—ensuring employees feel a sense of belonging in the workplace

DEI initiatives have increasingly become part of national political debates. Some are questioning whether or not they prove beneficial in the workplace. 

Pew Research Center surveyed nearly 6,000 Americans regarding DEI efforts amidst backlash. Over 55% of employees consider DEI a good thing in the workplace. Nearly 30% claim it’s neither good nor bad, while over 15% say it’s a bad thing.  

In addition, over 60% say their company has policies for ensuring fair hiring, pay, and/or promotions. Meanwhile, more than half of organizations (52%) mention they have DEI-related training programs at work. Other DEI initiatives claimed by businesses in the survey include:

• Having DEI staff (33%)
• Transparent salaries (30%)
• Affinity groups with shared identity (26%)

The vast majority of those with access to the abovementioned measures believe they have a positive impact at work. However, implementing DEI initiatives in the workplace isn’t always successfully reinforced. Not all employees are aware of this initiative and thus fail to practice it on a daily basis. 

As a business leader or HR professional, how do you incorporate DEI into your daily workflows? Read below to find out how.

Effective communication is almost always the key to business success. Promoting DEI in your day-to-day interactions is crucial if you have a diverse and inclusive workforce. What better way to do this than to set communication protocols for strict compliance, whether working in-office or remotely using unified communications?

As a business leader or HR professional, here’s how to incorporate DEI into your daily communication:

• Foster cultural sensitivity. It all starts with cultural awareness—how do your employees communicate with each other without offending others? Are they sensitive enough not to hurt others?
• Use inclusive language. Employees should be careful with their expressions—Do they use words and phrases that might exclude or hurt others? Or do they always consider others to feel included?
• Listen actively and respectfully. Active listening is not just hearing sounds but understanding where your employees are coming from. Are they respectful enough to listen to each other?
• Acknowledge and embrace differences. Do your employees understand and accept the differences in communication, working styles, and business interactions? What do you do to allow them to meet halfway?
• Encourage equal participation. Everyone should be encouraged to participate in business undertakings, no matter what department they’re in or where they come from. Everyone should be welcomed, whether it’s a company event, team-building activity, or even a promotion!

2. Weave DEI into Tasks

Who says DEI is dead? Many companies and organizations have started observing DEI in their day-to-day operations. Specifically, they integrate DEI initiatives into task assignments to avoid potential misunderstandings and conflicts. This is especially true for businesses with global operations employing professionals worldwide.

Gary Hemming, Owner and finance Director at ABC Finance, highlights the value of incorporating DEI into daily workflows. “This isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about creating a fair and collaborative environment where everyone thrives. 

Hemming says, “By weaving DEI into task assignments, you unlock diverse strengths, minimize misunderstandings, and build stronger teams. It’s a practical step that benefits businesses, especially in today’s global workforce.” 

Hemming recommends integrating DEI into day-to-day tasks through the following steps:

• Recognize diverse strengths. The focus is on recognizing employee knowledge and skillsets as well as their experience and expertise—not where they come from! There should be no room for bias, impartiality, or discrimination!
• Provide clear instructions. Given your diverse workforce’s backgrounds, the ultimate goal is to avoid confusion and misunderstandings. This entails personalizing communication or correspondence for better understanding.
• Offer equal opportunities. It’s crucial to give everyone access to workplace opportunities. This goes from as simple as joining team-building activities to as complex as getting promotions.
• Avoid unconscious bias. Employees are bound to have personal biases and even stereotypes. However, teach them to rise above these so they can work fairly and make decisions objectively.
• Foster team collaboration. Work together as one towards shared business goals. This is a great way to get to know each other and learn how to embrace differences.

3. Use Tech To Boost DEI

Globalization has paved the way for worldwide operations, with companies and organizations employing a global workforce. Think of the gig economy and business process outsourcing  (BPO) and consider the rise of remote work across different industries. 

In fact, Owl Labs’ State of Remote Work revealed a nearly 25% increase in preference for remote work, a 15% rise in hybrid setups, and a 24% decline in traditional office work.

Given all these global business trends, it’s all the more necessary to implement DEI initiatives. However, companies and organizations should leverage technology to aid in their DEI implementation. For instance, you can harness the power of DEI videos for organizational change.

Hemming suggests leveraging digital tools and technologies for DEI initiatives, such as the following:

• Robotic process automation (RPA) automates tasks by reducing manual work and accelerating processes. Harness the power of automation to empower diverse employees in their day-to-day tasks, no matter their circumstances or where they are in the world! 
• Artificial intelligence (AI) involves simulating human intelligence into technologies, allowing them to work without human intervention. Unleash the potential of AI in DEI initiatives, like screening applicants, discovering customer preferences, and understanding employee behaviors.
• Workforce analytics entails leveraging machine learning (a subset of AI) to analyze datasets and make predictions based on patterns or trends. Take advantage of data analytics to make informed DEI decisions on recruitment, employee engagement, and promotions.

4. Train and Gather Feedback

Promoting DEI attracts the best talent in the world and makes the workplace a dynamic environment. However, some business leaders are pulling the plug on DEI, claiming it’s costly, time-consuming, and counterproductive. That’s because they fail to train their employees and get improvement feedback.

Maryanne Fiedler, Director of Marketing at Psychic Source, emphasizes the need for training and feedback for DEI initiatives. “DEI initiatives only succeed when employees are well-trained, and their voices are heard. 

Fiedler explains, “Training builds awareness and equips teams with the tools to embrace diversity, while a feedback loop ensures continuous improvement and alignment with employee needs.” 

Fiedler suggests offering training programs and establishing a feedback loop:

• Provide DEI training: Start by incorporating DEI protocols into your company policies. Then, orient your employees, especially the new hires, on these critical guidelines and require accountability on their part. Lastly, regular training on DEI’s best practices should be conducted to keep employees continuously informed.
• Create a feedback loop: It’s also a good idea to seek insights directly from your diverse workforce through one-on-one sessions or employee surveys. Do they feel discriminated against or respected in the workplace? Are they given equal opportunities at work? Do they feel a sense of belonging?

5. Track How DEI Shapes Work 

DEI proves beneficial in the workplace in several ways. Not only does it create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce, but this initiative also gathers the best talent, promotes collaboration, and achieves workplace success. That’s why people look up to companies and organizations that offer DEI programs. 

However, Project 2025 aims to dismantle DEI programs in federal agencies and private organizations. The proponents claim these programs are discriminatory and counterproductive. They’ve shown how DEI initiatives have affected unemployment rates by diverse categories:

As such, we’ve seen a rise in corporate retreats from the DEI initiative due to a lack of performance monitoring. Companies and organizations fail to monitor, measure, and change their strategies, which is why they fail to see the impact of DEI on their workflows.

Hence, Fiedler recommends taking the following key steps:

• Set KPIs. List key metrics related to DEI, which will serve as benchmarks for measuring the success of your initiatives. KPIs include demographic representation, hiring diversity, promotion rates, pay equity, training access, performance ratings, retention rates, and employee engagement.
• Monitor performance. Track your DEI implementation regularly. Measure your DEI practices against the key metrics above—Are all these working? Or do you need to adjust your DEI strategies? Review your performance to see if you need to change your approach.
• Improve DEI initiatives. Finally, optimize your DEI strategies, whether in recruitment, production, or promotion. You want to ensure that your DEI implementation promotes a diverse and inclusive workforce. Ultimately, you want to ensure it contributes to professional development and leads to business success!

With the advent of globalization, DEI has become a critical component in today’s business landscape. For one, it’s crucial to accept employees of different backgrounds and establish a diverse workforce. More importantly, it’s vital to provide them with equal work opportunities and make them feel a sense of belonging. 

As such, consider incorporating DEI into your daily workflows. Follow the crucial steps outlined above, from integrating it into your day-to-day communication to tracking your performance. With all these key steps, you can capitalize on DEI for workforce development and business success! 

Guest writer