Bringing folks together for diversity and inclusion in the workplace events is both challenging and rewarding. As a Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Impact Manager, I’ve been responsible for organizing a number of these events, and the first time I remember thinking: “OK, how do I even start?” I want to share my knowledge and experience so that more people can skip past the early growing pains of implementing DEIB events and find success more readily. That means sharing the process, goals, and hosting tactics that have worked for me, as well as the things that didn’t.
I’ll outline here exactly how to hold a DEIB workplace event. With a little guidance, you can avoid the pitfalls I’ve encountered and make sure your next event is impactful for everyone.
Why have diversity and inclusion workplace events?
Even if you were “volun-told” to put on a diversity and inclusion workplace event, it’s important for you to understand (and buy into) why it needs to happen. When it comes to DEIB, it’s not just generic team-building — there should be a clear purpose. Why?
A 2023 study found that companies with better-than-average diversity are 2.4x more likely to outperform their peers financially. Workers want diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their organizations. Pew Research found that 56% of all workers think DEIB is important. And when we drill that down by demographic, we find that the people who value DEIB the most are women (61%), Black workers (78%), Hispanic and Latino workers (65%), Asian workers (72%), and Millennial workers (68%). Underrepresented professionals want to see that their company is intentionally making space for them and their needs, including in the form of DEIB-geared programming.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplaces events are an opportunity to help your employees feel seen, valued, and respected. These activities and events should strive to be safe spaces where employees can learn, engage in conversation, and offer feedback on their company’s DEIB efforts. Employees who are pleased with their company’s commitment to DEIB are 2x as engaged as dissatisfied employees. That makes DEIB events good for worker satisfaction and retention, too.
Planning
When it comes to DEIB events, the first thing I do is get organized and create an action plan — being underprepared isn’t always a bad thing, but we want to minimize that in order to maximize our event. Solid planning is crucial to a DEIB event’s success. Like Oprah Winfrey said: “Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.”
For diversity and inclusion in the workplace events, the first thing to decide is this: Should it be an in-person or remote event? That decision has to be based on your specific circumstances and your back-to-office policy at the moment. Both types of events can be equally valuable but differ slightly in their planning.
In-person events
For in-person diversity and inclusion activities, first secure your logistical elements. These are the facility, capacity, tables/chairs, a projector, and whatever else you might need. That’s the low hanging fruit.
Food. We know that people need — and like — to eat. When we’re talking about diversity, most cultures around the world value food and come together through sharing meals. Consider focusing on one specific cuisine per event.
Don’t get cheap here. Providing delicious food is one way to support a local business (on that subject: can you connect this to your DEIB committee’s community engagement goals?) and draw attendance to the event. Advertise the yummy grub on all of your invitation flyers, emails, and social posts. Some of the most engaging conversations I’ve had at work have been over mouth-watering food, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Conversations centered on DEIB topics can be exhausting, so nourishment of our bodies is crucial to sustain discussion.
Activities. Take advantage of the physical proximity of in-person events. Incorporate small breakout groups and provide structured challenges or tasks for each group to tackle. You could create a hypothetical scenario where an employee is facing a DEIB challenge. Have them come up with solutions from the perspective of HR, the employee, or other coworkers. Ensure groups are mixed across departments so that folks have a chance to interact with coworkers they don’t typically engage with.
Have each group share what they discussed and came up with. Bear in mind that these types of group activities require time. If you choose to go this route, consider a meeting structure like:
- Icebreaker - 5 minutes
- Framing/introducing your scenario - 10 minutes
- Group work - 20 minutes
- Reporting/discussion - 15 minutes
- Wrap up - 5 minutes
Facilities. When it comes to your event’s physical location, always ensure the facility is accessible to everyone. I’m inspired by Swedish comedian Sofie Hagen, who doesn’t book a stand-up show unless the venue will print the size of the seats on their website and promotional materials. Hagen self-identifies as a fat person and is vocal about facilities being, if not comfortable for all body types, at least transparent. Her rule for booking ensures that people with larger bodies know ahead of time if they can attend.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace events are also a time to think beyond the meeting room’s access ramp or seat sizes. For the bathroom closest to the event, why not work with the venue to see if they can temporarily cover the more commonly found male/female symbols on bathroom doors with a gender-inclusive sign? These actions may seem superfluous to some, but to others, they can make all the difference in feeling included and seen. Friendly reminder: The person who is uncomfortable or who may need accessibility aids in certain facilities is often also socialized not to speak up about their individual needs.
Remote events
Strong agenda. For remote events, it’s even more important to have, proactively communicate, and try to stick to a clear agenda wherever possible, while still allowing room for robust discussions. No one enjoys a never-ending virtual meeting. Review the agenda at the beginning of the meeting and move up as the facilitator to help guide the conversation if needed.
Interaction. Just say no to lecturing. Facilitate as much interaction between participants as possible. Keep your talking at an absolute minimum and create space for others to share. All of the popular online meeting platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, MS Teams, WebEx) offer “breakout rooms” so that you can split up the meeting into smaller groups. If you’ve never used breakout rooms, test it before the workshop.
Consider real-time interactive tech like Slido, a tool for live multiple-choice polls, or Miro, a visual collaboration tool, during your meeting. With Slido, once attendees answer your poll, results show up in real-time on your presentation and can be downloaded as a PDF file to analyze later. Mix things up by utilizing interactive questions and role plays.
Bring in an expert. With an online meeting, you’re probably not going to be able to provide food. Why not spend that money to bring in a really cool speaker? You might not have the budget or connections to get Malala, but bring in an expert to teach on a focused DEIB topic or to share their story. This is a great way for you to support underrepresented professionals and build connections while creating an opportunity for folks to hear lived experiences that may be different from their own.
Explore bespoke DEIB programming options from PowerToFly, from virtual and in-person dedicated events to facilitated DEIB trainings and Courageous Conversations.
Let's make your next DEIB event a success, together.
Getting the most out of DEIB events
Diversity and inclusion activities in the workplace aren’t just a fun party. They need to have focus, foster conversation, and follow through on important issues raised.
Safe spaces. Before we can have challenging and productive conversations, we need to strive to create a safe space. Reminder: Safety looks different for everyone, thus, we cannot guarantee it for everyone. But we can begin by naming that intention; by setting norms, like passing the mic and letting others’ voices be heard; and by sharing more around permission and psychological safety. Remind participants that they have permission to:
- Ask questions
- Invite other colleagues to participate (but not put specific people on the spot, as that can be uncomfortable)
- Spend extra time on a topic
- Ask people to expand on a comment
- Express concerns
- Answer candidly
As a facilitator, you can model a lot of this behavior by asking open-ended questions, being honest and transparent, and validating things folks share with genuine responses such as “I’m glad you brought that up” or “I’m sure others were wondering the same thing.”
Provide practical tools. Make sure attendees walk away with at least one practical tool for DEIB, such as:
- How to show up as intentional allies when they see bias
- How to prevent and respond to microaggressions
- How to report discrimination in the workplace
- How to employ more inclusive language
Seek feedback. This can be done in two ways: feedback about the event and feedback about the company’s DEIB efforts as a whole. Your employees are meant to be the ones benefiting from these efforts, so ask how they feel about them. Send out a quick survey after the event to gauge how people experienced it, as well as what they would change for the future. If any feedback comes up during the event, make sure to write it down and thank the person who provided it. And whenever possible, coordinate company-wide efforts to collect employee responses around DEIB programming to inform future offerings. These types of surveys should be done on an annual basis at minimum to ensure data is relevant.
Follow through. You’ve got to follow through on any feedback that participants provide. It’s not enough to say “thank you” and “I see you.” By following through on feedback, we say “I respect and value you.” By demonstrating that actual change will come from these meetings, you’ll build enthusiasm, engagement, and attendance.
Pitfalls to avoid
Here are some pitfalls I’ve seen folks encounter when staging DEIB events, as well as some I’ve experienced myself.
Mandatory attendance. Unless you are planning to incorporate trainings into employee onboarding, try not to make diversity activities for the workplace mandatory. To facilitate real impact, that includes diversity training events, too. If the event is relevant and attractive, people will want to come. And as you remain consistent with offerings, more buzz will be generated around them, resulting in more people wanting to attend.
Trying to fit in everything. You can’t cover everything DEIB-related in one event. Don’t try to fit it all into 60 minutes. Keep it really simple. Focus on one thought-provoking topic at a time. You’ll be able to dig deeper and come up with some interesting ideas and solutions. Keeping things bite-sized will help employees get excited about a series and hype future sessions to colleagues.
Planning in a vacuum. It’s easy to plan everything yourself without consulting anyone. It gets done, right? Unfortunately, this method could create more problems than it solves. Engage your ERGs and leaders from underrepresented backgrounds, even if it’s just as a sounding board. Ask for their opinion or feedback on specific aspects of the event. Another great option (if you don’t already have it) is to advocate for a DEIB committee of passionate individuals who can help support more org-wide programming. This group could be leveraged to help plan future events.
One-and-done. Don’t stop with just one or two DEIB events. Consistency is key! This way it becomes part of your work culture. Your first event may not be wildly popular, but remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. DEIB is all about the journey as we collaboratively work towards reaching the destination.
