Your number one DEI Guide For Successful Employer Branding
Written By: Destiny Goh
- Why is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) a business imperative in Singapore? DEI gives Singaporean companies a competitive edge and strong employer brand in a crowded market when they value individuals’ differences, backgrounds, and experiences.
- How can DEI contribute to a company’s employer branding and hiring efforts? Implementing diverse interview panels and reviewing job descriptions for bias broadens the applicant pool and strengthens the company’s value proposition.
- Why do DEI initiatives often fail? DEI is treated as a superficial, one-time compliance exercise. There is a lack of genuine leadership commitment and structural changes.
- What are some strategies to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace? Companies can create inclusive language guides and audit job descriptions to remove biased language
Singapore is a vibrant Asian global business centre, sustained by a rich tapestry of competitive talent. In June 2025, the national business registry of Singapore, ACRA, recorded a whopping 613,204 local and foreign companies.
In this robust market, organisational culture success hinges on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as a driver of sustainable growth. Beyond compliance, DEI empowers C-suite leaders, HR professionals, and SME owners to unlock innovation, cultivate successful employer branding, and bolster their company’s ability to adapt and thrive.
GJC recognises that implementing effective DEI can be complex With our deep understanding of the Singaporean talent landscape and specialised expertise in diverse communities, GJC helps businesses not just articulate DEI goals, but actively implement them through inclusive recruitment strategies and talent acquisition, helping companies build truly inclusive organisations from the ground up.
Beyond the Trend: Why DEI is a Business Imperative in Singapore
The journey of DEI, while seemingly a contemporary phenomenon, goes back to the civil rights movements of the mid-20th century.
Developing from affirmative action initiatives to remedying historical injustices, DEI has broadened its scope to encompass a holistic approach to workplace equality and a sense of belonging.
In today’s modern marketplace, it’s about valuing differences in thought, background, and experience to create an environment where everyone feels respected, heard, and empowered to maximise their impact. This gives Singaporean companies implementing DEI a competitive edge and strong employer brand in a crowded market. Despite its clear business benefits, common myths persist.
Some may dismiss DEI as just another piece of Western propaganda ill-suited for the Asian context. This perspective fundamentally misunderstands DEI’s universal principles of fairness and maximising human potential. Others claim it’s too resource-intensive, demanding significant time, effort and a hefty budget.
While comprehensive DEI strategies can be robust, many high-impact initiatives are remarkably low-cost, relying more on intentionality and cultural shifts than financial outlays. The real cost, we argue, lies in not embracing DEI – a cost borne in missed opportunities, stifled innovation, and employee turnover. Hewlett-Packard (HP) Singapore demonstrates the power of comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategies. Their success stems from diverse hiring practices, including varied interview panels, unconscious bias training for nearly 1,000 employees, alongside a commitment to strengthening women in leadership. This cultivated an inclusive team environment where employees felt diversity was valued and felt a sense of belonging; engagement rates increased by 75%. HP’s proactive DEI approach significantly boosted its employer branding value proposition.
The Perils of Superficial DEI in A Diverse Organisation
While many organisations strive for DEI, some stumble due to a superficial approach without solid structures to support the implementation or continuation of DEI initiatives. Just because a company is compliant does not mean its initiatives are connected to the organisations’ growth strategy. Superficial DEI fail due to several reasons:
- Lack of leadership buy-in: Despite publicly endorsing DEI, senior leadership does not actively champion or integrate any initiatives into their core business strategy.
- Treating it as a checkbox exercise: DEI is viewed as a compliance exercise rather than a continuous journey of organisational culture transformation. Once training completes, the topic fades, and no action is implemented.
- Absence of structural changes: Beyond training, there are no systemic changes to the recruitment process, performance management, or promotion pathways to address potential biases.
- Ignoring employee feedback: Employees, particularly those from minority groups, may feel their concerns are not genuinely heard or acted upon. Informal feedback channels are absent, and formal grievance mechanisms are perceived as ineffective.
DEI is not a sprint, but a marathon, requiring sustained commitment and systemic change, not just isolated interventions.
Where Do I Start: Building A Diverse and Inclusive Organisation
Building an inclusive organisation begins with an honest internal analysis.
Leaders must assess their business context and understand their employees’ needs and concerns. This requires active listening, anonymous surveys, and open-floor dialogue. They should create a safe space where everyone feels genuinely safe speaking up.
Before scaling a new challenge, every leader should ask themselves: ‘From a business to personal, why does DEI matter to me personally? Where do we plan to go with this?’
The answer should not be a corporate cliche, but a genuine reflection of how DEI aligns with their organisation’s values, strategic goals, and long-term vision for success.
The Journey to DEI Maturity: Strategies to Promote Diversity and Inclusion
Harvard Business Review offers a strategic framework for leaders who are ready to embark on this transformative journey or are about to embark on it.
- Passive: Minimal awareness with no structured initiatives in place.
- Reactive: DEI efforts are improvised and often used in response to issues or complaints.
- Proactive: Intentional efforts, such as training programs and diversity hiring goals, begin.
- Integrated: DEI is rooted in core business strategy, metrics, and leadership accountability.
- Sustainable: DEI is a self-regulated aspect of the organisational culture that continuously evolves and adapts.
Four Low-Cost, High-Impact DEI Initiatives to Start Today
In Singapore’s dynamic and competitive landscape, DEI is no longer optional but a fundamental pillar of resilient and high-performing organisations. It is not about idealism but pragmatism – unlocking innovation, attracting and retaining top talent, and ultimately, driving sustainable growth.
The good news is that starting your DEI journey, or enhancing existing initiatives, doesn’t require a radical overhaul or exorbitant budgets.
- Start an inclusive language guide: Develop a simple internal guide promoting inclusive language in all communications, from emails to meeting discussions. This will foster a respectful environment and cost nothing but time and thought.
- Create informal feedback channels: Establish anonymous suggestion boxes or regular ‘coffee chats’ where employees feel safe sharing feedback on their sense of belonging and any challenges they face. This provides invaluable insights for little to no cost.
- Champion one diverse holiday celebration: Choose one culturally diverse holiday relevant to your workforce (e.g., Deepavali, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Christmas, Chinese New Year) and organise a simple, inclusive celebration. This can be as informal as a potluck or sharing session, fostering connection and appreciation for different backgrounds.
- Review your job descriptions for bias: Conduct a quick audit of your current job descriptions for potentially biased language (e.g., gender-specific terms, and overly aggressive adjectives). You can align your reviews with TAFEP’s Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. This ensures the broadening of your applicant pool and adhering to the best established practices expected of all Singapore-based employers.
Ready to turn DEI into a key part of your employer brand strategy? Book a free consultation with a GJC expert today to assess your needs and discover impactful opportunities.
