Have you ever heard of the term Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)? This fairly new framework is here to help shape how organizations create fair, respectful, and empowering environments for all their employees.
Diversity entails having a workforce made up of different backgrounds, identities, and perspectives. Equity ensures that systems and processes are fair and inclusive, recognizing that different people may need different levels of support. And Inclusion means actively fostering a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, and able to thrive.
DEI is a term that is at times used far too often, when in reality, it should be more than just a couple of corporate buzzwords. Candidates and employees today expect more than performative statements; they want to see real tangible actions. What does a truly inclusive workplace look like in practice, and how can companies move beyond generic commitments to real, impactful change?
Why are we the ones talking about this?
Throughout last year, we have been gathering insights from over 5000 candidates from the Nordics that have told us all their experiences and expectations in the recruitment and hiring stages up until they are a fully integrated employee at a company. We have then gathered all this data and valuable information into three reports:
And the one thing these reports have in common? They all clearly show that inclusion is not just a nice-to-have cherry on top that companies can brag about online, but a critical and indispensable driver of employee engagement, retention, and recruitment success.
- 73% of candidates say a company’s DEI efforts influence their decision to apply for a job.
- 71% of employees believe companies should disclose and report on their diversity levels.
- 46% of employees express concerns about fairness in AI-driven hiring.
How can you leverage these insights into a plan?
Employees are not just hoping for change – they are expecting it. Companies that fail to prioritize genuine DEI initiatives risk losing top talent to those that simply do better in this area.
Recent research shows that organizations that lack a strategic and well-defined implementation of AI risk to inadvertently marginalize women, as women are statistically less likely to embrace this new technology without clear guidelines and structured support.
Malin Gustafsson, CPO at Talentech
How can you get started?
1. Do not think "culture fit", think "culture add"
Many companies still hire based on how well a candidate "fits" into their existing team. While they might be doing this with the best intentions, wanting to create teams that get along well and do not create unnecessary tensions, the outcome can often be not so positive. In reality, this approach can create workplaces where diversity of thought is limited. Instead, companies should focus on how candidates can add new strengths, experiences, and perspectives to the team.
A couple easy steps to implement this shift:
- Train hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring techniques. For instance, blind recruitment might be a great option to start with. Read more about it here.
- Redefine job descriptions to focus on skills and potential rather than specific career paths or educational backgrounds
2. Make inclusion measurable
It is one thing to implement measures that promote inclusivity and diversity. But if you cannot keep track of how these measures are actually working, what is it all really for? Without clear metrics and consistent reporting, it’s easy for DEI efforts to become mere checkboxes on a to-do list, rather than being integrated into the company culture and operational strategy.
The Nordic HR Report shows that over 70% of employees want their company to measure and report diversity metrics.
Without data, it’s impossible to know whether DEI efforts are working or whether they need to be adjusted. But with the right tools and focus, companies can ensure that their DEI initiatives are not only well-intentioned but also effective.
Here are some steps that can help you create measurable impact:
- Collect and analyze demographic hiring and retention data. It’s essential to track the diversity of applicants at every stage of the recruitment process. This gives you insights into where you’re attracting diverse candidates and where there might be bottlenecks or biases in your hiring process.
- Conduct regular employee feedback surveys to assess inclusion beyond just numbers. And after a successful hire, it is equally important to analyze retention data to see whether diverse employees are staying with your company or if there are patterns that indicate inclusion issues post-hire. Conducting regular surveys will help you measure their sense of belonging, their perceptions of fairness, and the inclusivity of your workplace culture.
As an HR leader, I see anonymous feedback as essential to any serious DEI work. Our Nordic HR report shows that 90% of employees believe anonymous feedback on workplace culture is crucial. It gives voice to those who might not otherwise speak up – and helps us build a truly inclusive workplace by listening, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Siri Stray, Legal & People Associate
- Set clear, measurable DEI goals and publicly report progress. Setting specific, achievable DEI goals is essential to ensuring that progress is being made. It can be highly beneficial to make these goals publicly visible to your employees and stakeholders. This way, everyone will know where you stand and what you're striving for.
3. Rethink you approach to AI-driven hiring
AI is becoming an integral part of recruitment, but its role in fair hiring is still a topic of debate. If you are using AI in your recruitment processes, we have some food for thought for you.
Our AI Report for Recruitment found that 38% of candidates worry AI will introduce bias rather than eliminate it.
AI learns from historical data, which means it can inadvertently reinforce past biases if not carefully monitored. And while it most definitely has the potential to improve recruitment efficiency and remove human bias, it can also replicate or magnify past mistakes. It is therefore important to ensure AI-driven hiring remains fair.
How? We have a couple tips:
- Start by using AI to assist, not replace. Instead of relying solely on AI for final hiring decisions, use it to assist in screening resumes or matching candidates to job roles.
As AI is becoming essential to every organization, a successful AI implementation is not so much dependent on technology, as it is on empowering people to actually use it.
Malin Gustafsson, CPO at Talentech
- Use diverse and representative data. One of the most important ways to prevent bias is by ensuring that the data used to train AI models is diverse and representative of different groups. This might mean simply reviewing your historical hiring data and ensuring that AI tools are not drawing from outdated or biased sources.
- Regularly evaluate AI outcomes. Even if you don’t have a dedicated team for this, you can still review the outcomes of AI decisions – such as who gets shortlisted or hired. Check regularly if there are any patterns or disparities across different demographic groups and make adjustments if needed.
What's next?
Building a truly inclusive workplace is a continuous journey. It requires commitment, transparency, and continuous action. But do not get discouraged – big changes cannot happen overnight. It is also not something companies can do alone. It requires the commitment of leadership, the involvement of HR teams, and the active participation of all employees.
So, what’s next for you? Start small, measure frequently, and keep pushing for change. As you take the first steps toward building a truly inclusive workplace, remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
And if you want more insights, you can download all three full reports we came out with this year completely for free. From the practical data and insights, they contain, you can get a better idea about what employees and candidates expect from DEI, AI and much more in 2025.
