Making diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) a cornerstone of your business is good and necessary, but if your promises to foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable workplace aren’t backed up with action, you risk looking like a dishonest, inauthentic, and performative employer.

Ensure that your anti-discrimination policies and employee manual are updated to reflect your DEI expectations. Host roundtable discussions regularly to see where people see room for improvement and what they think is going well in the company’s DEI work.

Prospective employees want to work for companies that have good cultures. In the current job market where workers have more power, it’s important to make your culture a priority — whether that means improving a weak or toxic existing culture or highlighting a great one that you’re proud of.

There are a number of ways to change your culture for the better. Any culture change will require more than updated policies or workplace mandates; it requires a collective shift in heart and mindset.

Workers want trust and flexibility. For many employees, the flexibility afforded by the pandemic allowed them to be both productive team members and human beings. When you as an employer offer flexibility, you signal to employees that you trust them to do great work and take care of life’s responsibilities. People with appointments, caregiving, and other responsibilities appreciate knowing they are trusted to balance work and personal obligations.