As the world of engineering is constantly growing and advancing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continues to be one of the most important aspects for engineering departments to thrive. Being an engineer means problem solving and adapting to produce the best possible result and when those engineers all come from unique and diverse backgrounds this can allow a new purpose and goals to come to light. Here are just some ways DEI is important in your engineering sector.
DEI in Leadership
When there is DEI at the leadership level, this sets a precedent and expectation for your company. Having a high level of representation in management allows other individuals who are like them to strive for the same goals. In 2017 there were 3.2 million Engineers in the United States, but only 16.2% were women. The percentage drops to 14.3% for Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latina/Latino workers. The stats are even lower for those individuals in management positions. Having leadership with diverse backgrounds not only allows for a more inclusive group but also opens the floor up to a multitude of new ideas.
Educational Opportunities
Inspiring employees to be onboard with DEI efforts starts at the beginning of the recruiting process and continues throughout their employment. Your organization can start by adding the importance of DEI to your website pages, incorporate it into company values and culture and even input expectations into job descriptions on your engineering job boards. This way, potential candidates can see if they are a good match even before applying. After a candidate is hired, your company can hold webinars, workshops, events, and even partner with universities and other programs to educate your future and current employees.
Face Unconscious Bias Head On
When running an organization, it is undoubtedly possible that there is a level of unconscious bias occurring among employees and management alike. The important thing is to commit to raising awareness so that your organization can flourish. Companies that are diverse and inclusive are 70% more likely to grow. Unconscious bias is something that people have slowly learned over time and takes tactful effort to undo. By trying to identify and call out those unconscious biases, employees and leadership can stress the importance of DEI in your engineering sector.
Role Models and Mentorship
Mentorship and role model opportunities are just another way for you to stress the importance of DEI in your engineering sector. When young aspiring engineers see people like them succeeding in the engineering space, it naturally encourages them that they could do the same. Your organization can actively promote the achievements of diverse engineers through channels seen by employees of your organization. Creating a strong network of diverse engineers can allow for mentorship programs to guide new hires in the right direction and bring together a variety of ideas.
The Importance of DEI in Your Engineering Sector
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial principles in developing a more progressive engineering department. When you work together and include and promote employees of all backgrounds, you open your organization to a new level of innovation. By focusing on DEI in your leadership, providing educational opportunities, facing unconscious bias head on, and developing role model and mentorship programs you can highlight the importance of DEI in your engineering sector. And as always YM Careers Network can help you find top engineering talent and promote your open positions to get them in front of as many diverse candidates as possible.
