As many studies have shown, implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion program has several advantages for companies, both for corporate culture and financial benefit.
When employees feel valued, supported, and respected in their workplace, they are more likely to feel engaged and empowered to share their ideas and collaborate with their colleagues.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion has been widely talked about in the HR industry. In fact, that are so many resources available, it can be hard to navigate the ones that can have a truly profound impact on your culture.
We’ve scoured the web in search of the most helpful and thought-provoking diversity & inclusion resources. And what we found is nothing short of amazing.
You’ll find reports, in-depth studies, TED Talks, podcasts, infographics, statistics, and complete handbooks that will walk you through cultivating a more diverse and inclusive culture step-by-step.
In no particular order, here’s the list:
Favourite Resource: The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias
Authors: Pamela Fuller, Mark Murphy, Anne Chow
Date Published: November 10, 2020
Resource Recap: The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias is a fantastic resource for HR professionals or managers looking to understand and overcome unconscious bias. This book is available in paperback and hardcover, but you can also listen to it on Audible. In addition to providing unique tools for reframing our unconscious thoughts, this book also includes exercises to walk you through the process one step at a time. The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias is a must-read (or must-listen) for anyone looking to make an impact on workplace diversity and inclusion.
Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)
Favourite Resource: Inclusion Guides & Education Guides
Author: CCDI
Date Published: 2020
Resource Recap: CCDI provides a variety of resources relating to Diversity and Inclusion in Canada. The organization has created a wealth of resources to educate employers on the various ways to improve diversity and inclusion initiatives at the respective companies. One resource we really like is their Inclusive Leadership Guides, including a three-part series on Leading Inclusively During This Pandemic.
Favourite Resource: 2020 Diversity Disclosure Practices: Diversity and Leadership at Canadian Public Companies
Authors: Andrew MacDougall, John M. Valley, Jennifer Jeffrey
Date Published: October 5, 2020
Resource Recap: Osler conducts an annual comprehensive report that analyzes diversity in TSX-listed public companies and CBCA corporations. This report focuses on diversity in Canadian workplaces, compares year-over-year statistics, and provides best practice examples for improving gender diversity.
Favourite Resource: Race at Work Podcast Series
Podcast Host: Porter Braswell
Podcast Seasons: 2020-Present
Resource Recap: Porter Braswell discusses the role that race plays in the workplace in his podcast, Race at Work. His candid discussions with corporate leaders and government officials explore a variety of topics relating to equity and inclusion. His goal is to create a safe space to talk about race and help employers learn from their mistakes and triumphs.
Favourite Resource: How to Build a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program
Author: Glassdoor for Employers Team
Date Published: June 2018
Resource Recap: Looking for diversity and inclusion statistics? Glassdoor’s guide is a great place to start as they’ve compiled some of the most important statistics when it comes to workplace diversity, along with recommendations for how to set up a D&I program for your company. You’ll learn how to set aggressive and transparent goals, how to audit your internal D&I numbers, and understand the link between D&I and business performance.
Favourite Resource: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: A Guide
Author: Priyakshi Sharma
Date Published: March 25, 2021
Resource Recap: If you’re new to the topic of Diversity & Inclusion, Vantage Circle has put together a fantastic guide to bring you up to speed. This guide introduces Diversity & Inclusion, discusses how they are different and the risk of confusing them, and identifies the benefits of incorporating D&I in the workplace. The best part? It’s a quick 13-minute read and manages to cover all the crucial information.
Ryerson University – Diversity Institute
Favourite Resource: Diversity Leads
Contributors: Dr. Wendy Cukier, Ruby Latif, Akalya Atputharajah, Harryharan Parameswaran, Henrique Hon
Date Published: August 2020
Resource Recap: This unique report by the Diversity Institute at Ryerson University, supported by TD via the TD Ready Commitment explores diverse representation in leadership across eight major Canadian cities (Vancouver, Calgary, London, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax). The report examines the percentage of board members belonging to under-represented groups (women, racialized, black) in various sectors compared to population percentages. Data included a total of 9,843 board members across five sectors. This extremely detailed and comprehensive report is also summarized in a slide deck, which you can read here: Diverse Representation on Boards.
Favourite Resource: Why Diversity and Inclusion Has Become a Business Priority
Author: Josh Bersin
Date Published: December 2015 (Updated March 16, 2019)
Resource Recap: Despite being published in 2015, Josh Bersin’s post is a must-read for all HR professionals today. Bersin digs deep into diversity & inclusion research from McKinsey, Catalyst, and Deloitte to explore talent practices and their impact on business performance. By categorizing companies into four levels of maturity and analyzing their practices, Bersin concluded that truly inclusive companies outperform their peers across several metrics, including financial success, thought leadership, and talent outcomes.
Bonus Resource: Check out Josh Bersin’s podcast episode Not Just Diversity and Equity: The New Corporate Focus on Belonging for his thoughts on the importance of feeling included and respected based on conversations with more than 40 D&I Leaders. In addition to his podcast, you can also explore Josh Bersin Academy, which is chock full of helpful resources for HR professionals covering a variety of topics.
Favourite Resource: Diversity in the Workplace Statistics: Job Seeker Survey Reveals What Matters
Author: Yello Team
Date Published: November 25, 2019
Resource Recap: Yello partnered with SurveyMonkey to conduct a survey of 500 full-time and part-time employees and 250 full-time talent acquisition or recruitment professionals to gather their thoughts on diversity. Their findings might surprise you. For example, did you know that 70% of employees said they would be reluctant to accept a job from a company that claims it’s diverse, but doesn’t have any executive leaders from underrepresented groups? Find more valuable insights by heading over to Yello’s study to read more.
Favourite Resource: Foster Diversity & Inclusion in Times of Crisis
Author: Floss Aggrey
Date Published: September 9, 2020
Resource Recap: With a global pandemic shifting how companies do business, many employees are now working remotely. This white paper examines how employers can encourage diversity and inclusion in a virtual environment, while ensuring their talent feels connected, supported, and valued. Our favourite part of this white paper are the five tips on how to be an inclusive leader, which provides insightful advice for managers and executives on how to continue supporting diversity and create an inclusive culture during times of crisis.
Broad College of Business (MSU)
Favourite Resource: The Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Author: Chelsea Stein
Date Published: February 22, 2021
Resource Recap: Broad College of Business has several great resources on diversity and inclusion. This particular article discusses the return on investment for diversity, equity and inclusion, in addition to exposing current issues in workplaces such as gender imbalances, discrimination based on natural hair type, hiring practices, and reinforcement of equality.
CEO Health + Safety Leadership Network
Favourite Resource: The Role of Leaders in Building Inclusive Workplaces
Authors: Workplace Safety & Prevention Services in collaboration with Heather West, Fresh Communications
Date Published: October 2018
Resource Recap: CEO Health + Safety Leadership Network’s white paper explores the difference between diversity and inclusion. Specifically, it discusses how companies should really be focused on inclusion – that is, not just ensuring that they employ a diverse workforce, but also taking steps to ensure equitable treatment, fairness, and that every voice is recognized and heard. Additionally, this white paper examines the business case for diversity and inclusion and puts a spotlight on Modern Niagara and how their leadership is committed to cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Favourite Resource: Measuring the ROI: How to Show Diversity’s Value
Author: Emily Douglas
Date Published: December 8, 2020
Resource Recap: HRD recently sat down with Michael Bach, CEO of the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI makes another appearance on this list, so be sure to check out their inclusion guides) to discuss measuring the value of workplace diversity. The key takeaways are that companies should invest in D&I authentically, not just for the financial benefits. With that said, executives and company leadership generally want some sort of numbers to justify the expense. Bach explains that while ROI is difficult to measure, it can be done by looking at things like voluntary turnover and how reducing it be even one percent can have massive financial benefits for your company.
Favourite Resource: What Makes a Workplace Diversity Program Successful?
Author: Lisa Leslie
Date Published: January 21, 2020
Resource Recap: Greater Good Magazine, an online publication from Berkeley examines science-based insights for a meaningful life. While you can find several articles on diversity, our favourite article discusses how to make your workplace diversity program a success and how to overcome any negative unintended consequences.
LinkedIn Talent Blog
Favourite Resource: 50+ Ideas for Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion at Your Company
Author: Jennifer Kim
Date Published: September 15, 2020
Resource Recap: Having a diversity and inclusion plan is one thing but coming up with ideas on how to actually implement change and encourage an inclusive culture requires some creativity. Thankfully, Jennifer Kim has assembled a list of more than 50 ideas to cultivate diversity and inclusion in your workplace. Some of our favourites on this list include conducting blind screenings to minimize unconscious bias, inviting a guest speaker from the D&I community, and holding meetings in a round robin technique to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
Favourite Resource: The New ROI: Return on Inclusion
Author: Sonya Sepahban
Date Published: August 4, 2020
Resource Recap: OurOffice has published a great piece on Return on Inclusion, which not only discusses financial benefits for companies who prioritize diversity in the workplace, but also the impact on employee satisfaction, teamwork and collaboration, employee retention, and decision making.
Favourite Resource: Diversity Hiring Strategies: Building Company Buy-in in 2021
Author: Lever Team
Date Published: February 11, 2021
Resource Recap: On their blog, Lever covers a variety of important HR topics, including Diversity & Inclusion. This post in particular discusses how to generate buy-in from leadership and staff to overcome barriers, improve DEI training, and create an inclusive and equitable workplace.
Bonus Resource: Check out The Diversity and Inclusion Handbook by Lever for even greater detail on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including over 40 ideas for cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Favourite Resource: Beyond Diversity: How Firms Are Cultivating a Sense of Belonging
Author: Knowledge @ Wharton Team
Date Published: March 26, 2019
Resource Recap: While many of the resources on this list are about creating workplace diversity programs, this resource drills down to the core of what most employers are really trying to accomplish: developing a sense of belonging in the workplace. All too often, workplace diversity programs focus on statistics, percentages, and numbers, but the end goal is to make employees feel valued and accepted so they can be their more authentic selves.
Favourite Resource: 15 Ways to Improve Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Author: Charong Chow
Date Published: December 5, 2020
Resource Recap: SocialChorus touches on all the major components of fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. Topics include opening dialogue about gender pay inequality, welcoming and respecting every voice, building a multigenerational workforce, and eliminating bias from the hiring and promotion processes, among others. SocialChorus includes relevant examples, supporting research, and thoughtful suggestions for fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment.
Favourite Resource: reWorked Podcast
Podcast Host: Rachael Wilson
Date Published: 2018 - Present
Resource Recap: The reWorked podcast is one of the only podcasts focused solely on diversity and inclusion. The EW Group team interviews CEOs, HR leaders, and workplace activists and gathers their thoughts on how companies can create more inclusive workplaces. The reWorked podcast offers a unique and fresh take on diversity and inclusion, covering topics like neurodiversity, socioeconomics, and authenticity. You can listen to reWorked on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Acast.
Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
Favourite Resource: Infographic: Communicate the Value of Diversity and Inclusion
Author: Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
Date Published: 2019
Resource Recap: This information-packed infographic from Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship demonstrates the various benefits of diversity & inclusion and the activities that corporate citizenship professionals can explore to support the various departments within a company. The initiatives covered in this infographic are aimed at creating and executing an effective D&I strategy.
Favourite Resource: Guide to Developing a Strategic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan
Author: SHRM
Date Published: July 31, 2020
Resource Recap: If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on developing your DE&I management plan, look no further than SHRM. This guide covers everything from getting commitment from your leadership group to leveraging diversity and creating accountability. You can also check out SHRM’s How to Develop a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative for an easy 9-step process.
Favourite Resource: Diversity wins: How inclusion matters
Authors: Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle, Kevin Dolan, Vivian Hunt, Sara Prince
Date Published: May 19, 2020
Resource Recap: If you’ve recently read an article on Diversity & Inclusion, there’s a good chance the author used one of McKinsey’s reports on diversity as a source. McKinsey has published a series of reports exploring the business case for diversity and the relationship between diversity and corporate success. The most recent report is based on findings from more than 1,000 large companies across 15 countries and incorporates social listening to add further insight relating to how and why inclusion in the workplace matters.
Bonus Resource: Interested in seeing McKinsey’s previous reports? You’re in luck. Check out Why Diversity Matters (2015) and Delivering Through Diversity (2018).
TED Blueprint for Diversity Playlist
Favourite Resource: How to serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Speaker: Janet Stovall
Date Published: July 2018
Resource Recap: Janet Stovall discusses her singlemindedness when it comes to racism and her experience at Davidson College where she challenged the school with Project 87, an initiative designed to hold the school to tasks and increase the number of black students, professors, classes, and deans. Now a professional speechwriter for Fortune 500 companies, Stovall discusses how businesses can dismantle racism and be a catalyst for change across America.
Learn More: A new chapter is being written for Project 87 and Davidson College. Janet Stovall joined the Davidson College Board of Trustees in January 2021 and is thinking about Project 2027 to further work towards meeting diversity and inclusion goals and deconstructing racism not just within the school, but across the nation. Read more about Janet Stovall and Davidson College: Project ’87 to Project 2021: A Q&A With Janet Stovall ’85 and Maia Harrell ’20.
Favourite Resource: https://www.empowercanada.org/
Resource Recap: An organization dedicated to removing unconscious bias for Canadian employers through education and awareness, to create a diverse and inclusive culture. Empower Canada provides resources for both individuals and organizations leading to everyone having a fair chance and equal opportunity.
Conclusion
Congratulations to the resources that made this list of the Top 25 Workplace Diversity Resources.
If you’ve reviewed all of these resources (or even just some of them), you are certainly well on your way to creating and cultivating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Be sure to let us know about any other great diversity and inclusion resources!
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