New Zealand launches national framework to assess workplace DEI

The launch of the national framework to measure workplace diversity, equity and inclusion will help organisations make changes to improve.
By: | May 20, 2021
Topics: DE&I | Employee Experience | Health and Wellness | Leadership | New Zealand | News | Restructuring

The framework will give organisations an understanding of their current capabilities, identify areas for improvement and provide the information they need to create a roadmap for transformation. 

“This evidence-based framework was developed for the unique diversity and inclusion dynamics faced in workplaces in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Diversity Works New Zealand chief executive Maretha Smit. 

The framework uses the Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix (AIM), which measures the maturity of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in seven areas: leadership, diversity infrastructure, diverse recruitment, inclusive career development, bi-culturism, inclusive collaboration and social impact. 

Using the AIM, organisations can see where they stand across five levels –from starter to advanced – in each of the seven areas.  

Diversity Works New Zealand is developing tools to assess individual organisations against the framework which will be ready to use in the last quarter of this year, according to Scoop. 

Smit said, “In time, the aggregated anonymous data will allow us to provide benchmarks by industry and organisation size so employers can assess the maturity of their DEI journey against similar workplaces.” 

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Organisations which use the AIM will be able to: 

  • Understand what good looks like when it comes to workplace DEI;
  • Benchmark the maturity of their DEI journey against other organisations in their sector or workplaces with similar characteristics (size, location, etc);
  • Identify and analyse gaps in current practices;
  • Create a pathway to shift the organisation through the matrix maturity levels; and
  • Prioritise investment in their DEI journey.