Resources for Business
Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace have become increasingly important to both small and large employers, locally and across the country. Having a diverse workforce brings new perspectives and ideas to your business, and prioritizing DE&I can help attract top talent to your company.
So how do you get started? The Greater Phoenix Chamber knows that embarking on this journey isn’t easy. Implementing D&I strategies takes time and effort. The good news is you don’t have to be a large company with a Chief Diversity Officer on staff to get started! You will need buy-in from your leadership, and at least one team member willing to learn best practices and begin implementing them within your organization.
The Chamber’s D&I Committee, comprised of diversity, equity, and inclusion professionals across various industries, have developed this toolkit to help your company begin your journey.
Before you jump in, we want you to know a few things about the toolkit and building a D&I program within your company.
This D&I toolkit is…
- Designed to be a starting point for your company
- Meant to be an ongoing process and engage your entire team
- Intended to promote awareness through relevant examples
- Likely to help you improve your workforce and your bottom line
This toolkit is not…
- Completely turnkey. The concepts in the toolkit will enable you to begin the process, but your company will have to put in the work to implement new practices to achieve your desired results
- Meant to be tackled all at once. We recommend picking one area of focus and begin integrating it into your company
- Going to change your business overnight. There is no check list for D&I. But it WILL get you started down the right path, one positive change at a time
Ready to get started?
Great! The implementation page walks you through some initial thoughts to begin your journey.
- Review the full toolkit to gain a better understanding of what it has to offer
- Share the information with key members of your team who will be a part of the process
- Pick one area to begin focusing on. Read through that section and, with your team, begin to develop a plan to incorporate those practices into your business.
The toolkit is available for everyone! It will be available via the Chamber website as well as a comprehensive PDF. The Chamber will host quarterly forums, facilitated by D&I professionals, where tips and best practices will be shared. These forums will allow you to ask questions and discuss challenges and successes with other businesses starting this journey as well.
We’re excited that you are committed to a more diverse and inclusive work environment. Our business community’s continued growth in this area will make Phoenix, and Arizona, an even better place to live, work and do business!
Implementation
Defining your company’s current status is key to choosing your priorities and customizing your implementation strategy.
The Role of Culture
Understanding what culture is and how to shape the collective values of a company acutely impacts business results, from customer loyalty, to innovation, to achieving strategic financial goals.
Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, action, and decisions in an unconscious manner.
The Role of Employees
Employees need a clear understanding of diversity goals & vision and have an inclusive mindset to learn & practice inclusive behaviors.
Recruiting
The final element of a successful diversity and inclusion program involves being intentional to attract, hire, and retain candidates that represent the diversity you are seeking.
Allyship
As awareness around DEI has increased, many are contemplating how they can offer support to underrepresented and marginalized communities to impact meaningful change inside and outside the workplace.
Calendar
Your organization can celebrate holidays and nationally recognized months as a way to increase DEI awareness in your organization.