The Benefits of Being an Equal Opportunity Employer

Tips to Help You Write and Effective EEO Statement

As organizations prioritize their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the term “equal opportunity employer” seems to be a hot topic. But what does it mean to be an equal opportunity employer, and what should organizations be aware of to make the most out of their EEO statement? This article will help organizations understand how to be an EEO, its benefits to their culture and growth, and what to include in their EEO statement.

What is equal opportunity employment?

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) prohibits the act of discrimination against current or prospective employees based on the following attributes:

EEO establishes a foundation of the fair and unbiased treatment of individuals in the workplace and provides workers with an opportunity to secure employment solely based on experience, merit, and other non-subjective factors.

Federal reference: Government of Canada’s Employment Equity Act

The significance of EEO

As an equal opportunity employer, you are effectively demonstrating your commitment and understanding of your moral obligation to contribute to the fair, unbiased practices of employee management and hiring. Being recognized as an equal opportunity employer tells your current workforce and job seekers where your priorities are and what they can expect while working for you.

Organizations with EEO policies may also stand out among their respective industries due to an enhanced reputation and building more trust with their workforce, clients, and investors.

Benefits of being an EEO

Aside from boosting morale, job satisfaction, and employee retention EEO can have lasting benefits for your organization.

Read more: Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive: Here’s How to Achieve Them

Promotes diversity in the workplace

Diversity is largely linked to the concept of equal opportunity. It enables people of various backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, etc. to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and feedback that can help propel the organization in an upward trajectory, leading to more productivity, improved employee wellbeing, and overall organizational growth.

When diversity is present in the workplace, employees have the opportunity to:

Read more: How to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace

Stronger reputation

In today’s age of social media and cancel culture, it’s more important than ever to focus on establishing a strong brand backed by an even stronger reputation. But it’s not enough to invest in reputation management practices, organizations and their leaders need to be genuinely invested in what makes a strong reputation – and EEO is a great example.

Think of your workplace as an employee-centric environment that puts the employee experience first. It’s simple – when employees are happy and feel valued, they produce better work leading to happier clients and an overall positive culture.

Here’s how EEO can help your organization’s reputation:

Improved employee engagement

Employee engagement has been a major concern for many organizations, particularly since the pandemic. Remote and hybrid environments pose a unique challenge when it comes to engaging employees, fostering a sense of community, and strengthening company culture.

Luckily, there are plenty of resources that can help you boost your employee engagement, and don’t hesitate to ask your employees how they respond to engagement practices and what they wish to see from the organization.

EEO also offers some great engagement opportunities, here’s how your organization can benefit:

Vast pool of talent

It may seem challenging to secure talent in the current climate. There have been talks about the big resignation causing concern among many employers. However, by taking a closer look at the situation at hand, it’s clear what the issues are and the solutions that can mitigate them.

Fair pay – Some employers are claiming how hard it has been to hire and retain talent and have even resorted to outsourcing workers from other countries claiming that’s their only recourse to maintain their operations. But let’s take a closer look. The problem doesn’t seem to be the lack of available talent, rather the lack of talent that will tolerate pay that doesn’t match their skills and the current record-breaking inflation rate. Fair pay that correlates to the rate of inflation and employee skill level is sure to attract the type of talent that will want to work for your organization.

Flexibility – The pandemic has been catastrophic in many ways, but it can’t be denied that it has also shed a light on some outdated practices in the workplace. Gone are the days of the 9-5 grind. Employees are now demanding flexibility in their schedule so they can maintain a healthy work/life balance. That includes things like remote work opportunities, a four-day work week, creating their own schedules, a hard stop time, etc.

Autonomy – Treating employees with trust, respect, and as autonomous beings goes a long way in the workplace. Think of how you would want to be treated by your employer – would you want to work for an organization that is always suspicious of their staff and oversees every move they make in an attempt to catch them making mistakes? Or would you rather work for an organization that treats you as an adult and trusts your skills and experience while maintaining the idea that mistakes happen so long as you learn and grow from them?

EEO – With EEO, employees can search for the best talent available, and hire based solely on their needs and requirements. They’re also empowered to facilitate a smoother, more efficient hiring process that diminishes bias.

Read more: What Employees Really Want at Work and from Leadership

What should be included in our EEO statement?

An effective EEO policy is a great step in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace. It eliminates bias, prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and bullying among your employees and prospective hires. Take a look at the following elements that makes up a comprehensive EEO policy.

Specifics

Start by stating your organization is an equal opportunity employer. Keep it straightforward and clear – this demonstrates to readers that you comply with the Employment Equity Act rules and value its purpose. You should also make a point to state that your organization will not discriminate based on race, sex, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, medical history, socioeconomic class, or religion.

Emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion in the workplace

To make your EEO policy compelling and genuine to readers, communicate a sincere concern for workplace diversity and your organization’s commitment to fostering a diverse workplace environment. This encourages people from diverse backgrounds and marginalized communities to apply for jobs withing your organization and lets them know you prioritize merit and skill over anything else.

Highlight practices your EEO statement applies to

EEO practices aren’t just for hiring. They can be applied to all areas of human resources, such as promotions, training, onboarding, terminations, layoffs, apprenticeships, and other employment opportunities. Be sure to clarify how far your EEO policy reaches.

Confirm hiring is based on merit

A simple way to eliminate bias and prejudice in your hiring practice is to write a statement in your EEO policy stating that all hiring decisions are based on business needs, qualifications, and merit. This reminds staff and HR where the organization’s priorities are, and it shows prospective talent that you participate in and value EEO practices.

Share/link to your EEO policy

Whether you have an EEO policy or are currently working on elaborating your EEO activities, ensure that a copy is accessible to all staff. You may even consider making it available on your careers page on your organization’s website.

The Takeaway

Equal employment is a basic right extended to everyone in the workforce. Organizations that understand its purpose and benefits lead a positive work culture for their employees that is more productive and unified towards long-term goals.

Whether your organization is an equal opportunity employer or trying to become established as one, workplace conflicts can still arise. Consider consulting with a neutral third party to get help resolving distracting, challenging situations. Professional mediation services empower all participants involved to settle on an agreeable solution that will ultimately propel your organization forward.

At Global Mindful Solutions, we have established a process that aims to provide insightful, comprehensive solutions with a compassionate and unbiased approach. This allows everyone involved to focus on getting back to work and continue making a positive contribution to their organization while leading a fulfilling role in their careers.

Contact Global Mindful Solutions to get started with neutral, knowledgeable, and effective mediation and facilitation services.

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