As part of its E-Race (Eradicating Racism & Colorism from Employment) Initiative, the EEOC has identified a number of best practices that are applicable broadly, including the following: ^[1]

Training, Enforcement, and Accountability

Ensure that management—specifically HR managers—and all employees know EEO laws. Implement a strong EEO policy with executive level support. Hold leaders accountable. Also: If using an outside agency for recruitment, make sure agency employees know and adhere to relevant laws; both an agency and hiring organization is liable for violations.

Promote an Inclusive Culture

It’s not just enough to talk about diversity and inclusion—it takes work to foster a professional environment with respect for individual differences. Make sure that differences are welcomed. Being the “only” of anything can get tiring, so make sure you’re not putting further pressure on people by surrounding them in a culture that encourages conformity. A great way to promote an inclusive culture is to make sure your leadership is diverse and to listen to the voices of minorities.

Develop Communication

Fostering open communication and developing an alternative dispute-resolution (ADR) program may reduce the chance that a miscommunication escalates into a legally actionable EEO claim. If you’re not providing a path for employees to have issues resolved, they’ll look elsewhere. Additionally, it’s essential to protect employees from retaliation. If people think reporting an issue will only make the situation worse, they won’t bring it up, which will cause the issue to fester and lead to something worse than it once was.

Evaluate Practices

Monitor compensation and evaluation practices for patterns of potential discrimination and ensure that performance appraisals are based on job performance and accurate across evaluators and roles.

Audit Selection Criteria

Ensure that selection criteria do not disproportionately exclude protected groups unless the criteria are valid predictors of successful job performance and meet the employer’s business needs. Additionally, make sure that employment decisions are based on objective criteria rather than stereotypes or unconscious bias.

Make HR Decisions with EEO in Mind

Implement practices that diversify the candidate pool and leadership pipeline. Provide training and mentoring to help employees thrive. All employees should have equal access to workplace networks.

Enforce an Anti-Harassment Policy

Establish, communicate and enforce a strong anti-harassment policy. You should conduct periodic training for all employees and enforce the policy. The policy should include:

• A clear explanation of prohibited conduct, including examples
• Clear assurance that employees who make complaints or provide information related to complaints will be protected against retaliation
• A clearly described complaint process that provides multiple, accessible avenues of complaint
• Assurance that the employer will protect the confidentiality of harassment complaints to the extent possible
• A complaint process that provides a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation
• Assurance that the employer will take immediate and appropriate corrective action when it determines that harassment has occurred