Step 1. Encourage Feedback
Before you even get your first complaint, you should make it easy for your team to give you feedback, positive or otherwise. You need to foster an environment where your employees feel comfortable sharing their opinions on your DEI initiatives. No one likes to receive negative feedback, but that negative feedback matters if you want your DEI initiatives to be sincere. Not to mention, responding to internal feedback early can make it a lot easier to avoid more public missteps.
Fostering an environment where feedback is encouraged is a great first step towards strengthening your DEI initiatives. Your employees shouldn’t have to guess what the appropriate way to give this feedback is. Set up a formal process for how you prefer to receive feedback regarding DEI initiatives and alert all employees to what this new process is. You should create a way that they can make anonymous reports with concerns and a way that they can put their name behind their complaint.
For example, you can start by creating a survey about your current DEI initiatives that gives employees the chance to respond anonymously or to add their name to their complaint. You should also give employees the option to set a meeting with their manager, HR, or whoever is in charge of your DEI initiatives. Whatever path forward you choose, make sure your employees clearly understand how they can raise complaints and that doing so won’t impact them negatively in any way.
Step 2. Follow Up
If you do get a complaint, don’t brush it under the rug. Follow up with that employee if possible to learn more about why they filed a complaint. This doesn’t have to be a one time conversation and if someone feels particularly passionate about DEI, you can include them in building out future initiatives.
Many employees will feel more comfortable giving honest feedback if you allow them to do so anonymously, but you can also give them the option to openly give feedback so you can have deeper conversations about their concerns. Either way, make it clear to them that they have the option to continue to have conversations about this topic—even if they made their initial complaint anonymously.
Step 3. Don’t Penalize Employees who Complain
If an employee brings a DEI complaint to your attention, don’t penalize them in any way shape or form. If they suddenly lose access to their good parking spot, aren’t allowed to work from home, or are passed up for obvious promotions, your team will take notice and will feel like they can’t have an honest dialogue with you about DEI.
You don’t have to necessarily make changes to your initiatives based on their feedback. That being said, just because you disagree with them doesn’t mean they deserve to be punished. You need to separate their complaints from their work production, day-to-day behaviour, and skillset.
Step 4. Take Action
You don’t have to agree with every complaint raised about your DEI initiatives, but some sort of action needs to be taken when someone does raise a complaint—even if that action is simply having a conversation with the concerned employee.
Even if the complaint doesn’t warrant change on your end, you should at the very least acknowledge the complaint if possible and discuss any concerns the employee has. Your DEI initiatives should evolve over time and employee feedback is a great way to fine tune your efforts. After all, DEI is supposed to foster a better and more equal working environment for your employees, so all of your employees should feel like their concerns are being listened to and taken seriously.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue. It should not be regarded as comprehensive or a substitute for professional advice.