In the modern workplace, diversity and inclusion (D&I) are interconnected concepts that emphasize building organizations that are supportive of all kinds of people (regardless gender, age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, and more) and make the workplace feel equally welcoming and empowering for everyone. Diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are viewed as assets to be celebrated because they drive innovation, employee engagement, retention, and overall business success.
However, fostering D&I can be challenging in a distributed workforce, where teams may span continents and time zones. Differences in cultural norms, communication styles, and local regulations can make it even harder to build an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
The good news is that building a globally inclusive workplace is not impossible. You just need to be intentional about building your D&I strategy with a global lens. If you’re a People or HR leader at a globally distributed company, you can promote diversity and inclusion by embedding these values into your recruitment and hiring processes as well as your workplace culture.
Recruiting a diverse applicant pool
To build a diverse team, you need to start by attracting a diverse applicant pool. Here are three ways to get your employer brand out there to top diverse global talent.
- Craft inclusive job descriptions: Writing job descriptions may not be your favorite part of the job, but it’s important for attracting the right talent. Some quick tips? Avoid jargon or biased language, focus on skills and responsibilities, and highlight your commitment to diversity and inclusion, flexible work options, and inclusive benefits. (Read this article for a holistic guide on creating inclusive job descriptions.)
- Post your job in new places: To recruit diverse talent, you need to advertise job openings widely. Use job boards, communities, and networks that cater to underrepresented groups to promote your job posting. You can also partner with organizations that focus on diversity to tap into broader talent pools.
- Find ways to remove bias: We’re all human—and sometimes it’s hard to always catch our unconscious bias. For screening applicants, it may be worth leveraging a recruitment software that anonymizes resumes for you.
Ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process
Once you’ve attracted a diverse applicant pool, your next challenge is ensuring that your hiring process is equitable and accessible to all candidates.
- Accommodate diverse candidates: When it comes to scheduling interviews, try to be flexible. If your candidate is located across time zones, they probably don’t want to have an interview at 5 a.m. Or someone who is neurodivergent may prefer a written assignment over a live interview.
- Standardize evaluation criteria: Before entering the interview process, review the job description again. Create a structured list of questions and use a clear, objective scoring rubric to reduce bias.
- Involve diverse interview panels: Diversity and inclusion should be promoted in all aspects of your workplace, including your hiring process. Bring in folks with different backgrounds to provide unique perspectives and ensure fair assessments.
If you’re looking for more tips, we recommend reviewing Oyster’s guide to evaluating global talent.
Creating a safe and inclusive workplace culture
This step—building a safe and inclusive workplace—is one of the most important ones because it’s all about walking the walk. Here’s how you can instil D&I into your workplace culture.
- Implement inclusive HR policies: To ensure everyone across the organization is aligned, it’s important to develop a clear D&I statement, anti-discrimination policies, and mechanisms for reporting issues. Share them at the next All Hands meeting or through an async announcement and document them in a centrally accessible place.
- Offer flexible benefits: It’s hard to build a standard benefits package that’s applicable across geographies. Local laws vary, as do employee expectations. But you can still strive to keep your benefits flexible and equitable. (At least, as best you can, based on local employment laws.)
An example? Provide a WFH allowance with a flexible policy so people can make their home office comfortable, according to their needs. Keep the reimbursement process easy, so they can choose the best local options. - Provide training programs: To build a globally inclusive workplace, you need all your employees involved. Provide online training modules on topics like unconscious bias and inclusive language to build understanding and empathy.
- Ask for feedback: When it comes to improving your D&I efforts, your employees are a great source for ideas. Anonymous surveys are very helpful for identifying gaps and opportunities.
Find more tips for achieving workplace inclusivity here.
Celebrate diversity, drive greater success
Diversity and inclusion is not a one-time initiative, but an ongoing commitment that requires effort, empathy, and adaptability.
By building a diverse talent pipeline, ensuring equitable hiring practices, and carving out official policies, training, and feedback mechanisms, you’re well on your way to building a diverse, inclusive global company.
When your people feel safe and valued, they can bring their authentic selves to work. That means they’re more confident, engaged, and productive—all great things for the business.
Ready to put this plan into action? We’ve got a few handpicked resources for you! As a global employment platform, we’ve navigated the complexities of building thriving distributed teams—and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you.
- Global hiring guides: Find local employment laws for 50+ countries.
- Salary Insights Tool: Use market data across 130+ countries to make fair offers and fix pay gaps.
- Benefit Advisor: Understand statutory and best-in-class benefits for different countries.
- Time Zone Calculator: Discover new, optimal locations to recruit talent.
For more insights on embedding DEI in your organization, check out this episode of Oyster’s New World of Work podcast with Daniela Herrera, an award-winning DEI consultant and talent leader. If you’d like to build a globally diverse team, reach out today to learn how Oyster can help you hire top talent in 180+ countries.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, engage, pay, manage, develop, and take care of a thriving distributed workforce. Oyster lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world—with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
