Purpose: 

The EDI Considerations Guide aims to develop a standard and shared process of how an organization weaves equity in its structures, practices, and decision-making processes.  Although this guide will operate as an internal tool; the considerations outlined in the guide will have an impact on our staff members, leaders, and community members.

How do I use this guide?

This is a tool that provides structure to integrate equity in your day-to-day. It will support you in answering the question, how do I apply EDI to my work in areas of planning, researching, designing, implementing, and/or providing a service?

To that end, you will find five facets of our day-to-day operations where you can apply, experiment, and work with this guide. Within this guide, you will find questions, best practices, and approaches to ensure we pause and consider EDI’s importance in everything that we do. When we operationalize the behaviors shared in this guide, it can lead to increased innovation, increase employee satisfaction, and provide more positive experiences for staff and communities. Some of the behaviors you may already engage in may be outlined.

Components of the guide

• Welcoming Culture: A checklist of best practices for welcoming new team members and creating an environment of belonging for current employees.

• Equitable Meetings: A checklist divided into three parts of a meeting (before, during, and after) to ensure a sense of belonging, and safety, and making each person feel seen, valued, and heard.

• Interviewing and Hiring

  • Best practices on how to effectively post an inclusive job description on your job board

  • How to read a resume without bias

  • Interview checklist divided into three parts (before, during, and after) that identify interviewers’ biases

• Policies & Processes: Includes line of questioning that centers solutions that promote fairness and belonging for all

• Customer-facing services: a list of equitable and accessible vocabulary to use with customers, clients, and community members

• Sample DEI interview questions