Bringing Diversity and Inclusion Into Business Strategy and Operations
The movement against anti-black violence and police brutality has forced businesses to rethink their mission and strategy in order to bring Diversity and Inclusion to the forefront of their operations. Brands need to be aware of these shifts and adapt accordingly and responsibly.
This guide aims to help small business owners understand Diversity and Inclusion-related insights and how they can be translated into changes in day to day and overall business objectives. It is the responsibility of strategists at Rem and Company to give their clients relevant and up to date best practices and suggestions, and there is nothing more relevant than helping businesses to be more inclusive of people of color into their business model, employment, and customer base.
1. Advertise to diverse groups of consumers.
Why should small business owners do this?
Data has shown that almost half of kids, the post-millennial generation, are minorities. In the future, this generation will be the new working class and small businesses’ main consumers. In less than twenty years, people of color will make up the majority of the working class. It is important to know how to market to a diverse group, not only because it is morally right to be inclusive of all people, but also because it is pertinent to growing a business and brand.
How can small business owners do this?
Build a diverse marketing team
When reaching new and current customers, businesses rely on what makes the world go round--social media.
But before focusing on the faces who are looking at social media, maybe start with the faces creating the social media. Data and analytics alone can’t help assess how to best market to diverse consumers. Best practice research states that having a diverse team can help unlock diverse customers. Diversifying marketing talent could help provide cultural insights that small businesses can’t simply or only gain from looking at social media data.
In order to effectively communicate with customers, small businesses cannot just guess what they want. Having a staff that represents a diverse group helps to engage with consumers authentically. In order to market to a diverse group, it will be helpful to have a diverse staff.
Understand the data behind marketing campaigns
Furthermore, understanding the analytics from social media marketing strategies and platforms is crucial. Who is interacting with the social media feeds (following, liking, etc.)? With the help of these observations, small business owners can get an idea of which groups small businesses are attracting, keeping their targeted audience in mind
Avoid a “one size fits all” mindset when advertising to diverse groups
When considering expanding a small business’s platforms, keep in mind that diverse groups can’t always be marketed to in the same way. BCT Partners warns against the “one size fits all” mindset--”just as not every male Caucasian thinks or acts the same, not all people of different ethnicities, genders, religions, or sexual orientation are alike.”
2. Building and implementing a more inclusive hiring process and diverse employee pool.
Why should small business owners do this?
Research has shown that diverse teams and inclusive company environments lead to:
Increased revenue
More innovative strategies
More space for creative ventures
Increased talent pool
Better employee performance
For details check out Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (Malorie Lipstein)
How can clients do this?
Expand ideas and expectations for potential new hires
When hiring or looking to build their teams, small business owners should make sure that their hiring process welcomes applicants of different backgrounds and experiences. Having a team made up of members with diverse qualifications can encourage everyone to think outside the box--leading to more innovation.
A key strategy in diversifying the hiring process is paying attention to how and where job openings are marketed. To do this, experts suggest taking a critical look at job networks--who are small businesses connecting with, where do they post their job openings, who do they contact to get referrals? Small businesses when hiring should find a group that they want that is missing from their applicant group and take a concentrated effort to advertise directly to them, and in turn diversify their applicant pool.
Learn from employees--all of them!
Another way for small business owners to create a more inclusive environment is taking opportunities to learn from their employees--don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo, and that can start from within.
“We expect even our entry level team members to train us as well, to let us know about what's the next big thing out there, what are people talking about, how are they communicating, and how are they doing it effectively.”
Ryan Ford, Chief Creative Officer of Cashmere Agency (a lifestyle agency specializing in communication strategies for multicultural millennials/Gen Z).
As stated earlier, Rem and Company takes the utmost responsibility in helping small business owners. We advise and employ up-to-date marketing strategies to make sure their business is being equipped with the most relevant best practices. These strategies will and must include Diversity and Inclusion based ideas and techniques.
We hope small businesses are able to gain insight into how to inject Diversity and Inclusion initiatives into their business, and if there are any more questions on how to implement these practices, feel free to check out our other articles related to Diversity and Inclusion, like How can small businesses embrace D&I initiatives?, or reach out to us directly!
As a social impact initiative, Rem and Company also offers free consulting services and resources to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Our pro-bono consulting teams provide small businesses with the opportunity to identify and prioritize issues facing their business, propose innovative strategies, and facilitate execution. If you are a small business or nonprofit in need of assistance, learn more about how we can help.