Technology has clear uses in business, from creating engaging marketing content to tracking annual sales revenue and much more. But one area where its use might not be so obvious is in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). As employers and employees alike are increasingly focused on this, they should consider leveraging technology to both meet DEI goals and create new initiatives.
But how exactly can technology drive progress in this area? Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members list a few of the ways in which technology can advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and explain why leaders should take advantage of these benefits now.
8 Ways Companies Can Use Technology to Meet — and Exceed — Their DEI Goals
- To create online training programs.
- To recruit using social media.
- To hire remote employees.
- To find and sort job applications.
- To leverage online recruitment platforms.
- To analyze hiring data.
- To give employees access to resources.
- To assess your demographics.
1. To Create Online Training Programs
Technology can help create online training programs for new hires, especially since many new employees today are still fully remote. Well-crafted online programs that aim to reduce common biases in the workplace and build awareness of underrepresented individuals are key for an efficient organizational culture. —Juan Jose Rosas, Rose Hill
2. To Recruit Using Social Media
Recruit on social media with diversity in mind. Many companies don’t engage in social recruiting. Using social media to find possible candidates and share your message to attract talent remains an underused strategy to appeal to diverse candidates. For example, owners can target associations and organizations to appeal to a broader set of candidates with social media as a tool and with a process in place. —Libby Rothschild, Dietitian Boss
3. To Hire Remote Employees
Technology today allows us to work with individuals all over the globe with the single click of a button. It is easier than ever to find consultants or to create an incredibly diverse, part-time Zoom workforce without expanding your physical location. Use technology to hire people from new backgrounds and places and meet your DEI goals without significantly increasing spending. —Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group LLC
4. To Find and Sort Job Applications
Use technology during the recruiting and hiring process. Algorithms can identify candidates who have already gone through vetting and weren't hired but who still have in-demand skills and quality experience. Many times these "silver medalists” are women, veterans and minorities. The system can find these applications and feed them into a hiring company’s applicant tracking system. —Shu Saito, Godai Soaps
5. To Leverage Online Recruitment Platforms
Although filling job roles through referrals and internal hires is convenient, you might end up employing only people from a particular group working in the same company. To avoid this problem, companies should take advantage of existing technology by using online recruitment platforms to reach candidates from different origins. —Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
6. To Analyze Hiring Data
For large companies, data analytics can help collect large quantities of data related to hiring practices, salary history and more. This helps them detect cases and patterns where employees are denied opportunities because of undetected bias. Then, businesses can quickly step in when policies and systems are diverging from their DEI goals and can set them on the right track. —Blair Williams, MemberPress
7. To Give Employees Access to Resources
You can use technology and platforms where employees can access rewards, training and direct contact to HR or managers for employee engagement and retention. These initiatives are helpful in making sure that all needs are met and all voices are heard. —Daisy Jing, Banish
8. To Assess Your Demographics
DEI tech can assesses your demographics and end-user or target demographics to ensure that you are following and implementing DEI principles. We are a diverse agency and, even so, we make sure that our processes are inclusive, down to the technology we use. The new software that does this for you is excellent at picking up on what you may miss or audiences you may be excluding. —Matthew Capala, Alphametic
