Adopting DI&B, and why it matters for Business Reputation

Inclusion and diversity can be key to improving your company’s reputation management  

As a business, it is fundamental to adopt Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DI&B) in your company’s culture. Modern-day empowerment of social movements makes DI&B more important than ever for business reputation and reputation management. Moreover, it can be a decisive factor for employees who are choosing a company to work for. 

According to a 2021 survey by the job site Indeed, 57% of black professionals in Brazil are looking to work for companies that care about inclusion and diversity. Additionally, 72% of the professionals interviewed believe that companies should have black employees directly involved in recruitment and hiring, to improve inclusivity throughout the process. 

If your organization is in the early stages of considering its reputation management, it pays to understand how diversity and inclusion overlap. The former term means creating a heterogeneous talent pool, while the latter means cultivating a welcoming environment for all.  

Among other things: gender, age, ability, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, and religion. Taking diversity and plurality in the talent pool into account can take your business reputation to the next level. What about the brand reputation of your competitors? Are they considering DI&B? At the same time, inclusion is the key to binding and bringing the best out of a diverse talent pool, while belonging means feeling part of a group, being listened to and being able to speak out. These three categories – diversity, inclusion and belonging – require different approaches. 

Organizations often conflate an impactful D&I strategy with good intentions and ‘social activities’ such as webinars and workshops on diversity. But good intentions aren’t enough when it comes to business reputation management. You need to consider growth from a broader perspective. Does your talent pool reflect the footprint of your clients and the country in which you are based? What happens if you don’t take steps to adapt? Is your organization attracting and retaining the best professionals? The global tug-of-war for genuine talent is only going to intensify. And these talented professionals are focused on working at the best companies – not just those with the best salaries and benefits, but those in which they will feel included and respected.

First of all, if your company doesn’t have a full-time, senior leader with proven DI&B experience, then you should take steps to employ one ASAP. And remember that taking care of a brand’s reputation requires internal and external points of view. Here are some steps to consider in order to improve your company’s business reputation worldwide. 

• Reassess your hierarchy

What are the locations, job functions, departments, management status and level of seniority of your workers? Are they mostly from the same region, of similar race and gender? If so, then we have an issue. It is important to assess the culture of your organization and identify patterns that may be exclusionary. 

• Conduct a survey on your employees’ sense of belonging 

How do your employees feel within your company? Are you really sure that everyone is getting a chance to speak out, and be listened to? It’s not easy for leaders to keep an eye on everyone in their company, but a survey examining your employee’s sense of belonging could provide a helpful overview. If, for example, a single black woman is working in a managerial role, the chances are that she does not feel as comfortable as she would among more people of the same gender and colour in her department. 

• Educate people in leadership positions

Companies aiming to improve their business reputation should introduce and lay down strategies for their DI&B policies. Educating people in managerial roles to be more inclusive in their language and day-to-day interactions is key to avoiding prejudicial and racist incidents. 

• Focus on inclusive hiring 

Diversity starts with the hiring and recruiting process, so the excuse that “there are no suitable people of that colour, that race or that gender to work in this role” won’t cut it anymore. The world is full of possibilities, and top talents won’t accept this as an answer when weighing up job offers. It is essential to consciously reach out to underrepresented groups when recruiting for your company. 

Adopting DI&B in your organization leads to greater employee quality and retention, greater employee engagement, greater innovation, increased revenue, and a better business reputation. Don’t just talk about encouraging diversity and inclusion – take action in the workplace. Doing so will boost your company’s brand identity both internally and externally. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, in the current global political context, where representation is at the core of most discourse and narratives, being inclusive is a must. Being politically aware and empathetic is not just the right thing to do, it is also good for business.