Online actions

Show how inclusively your organisation works, and design your Internet website accessibly.

THE IDEA: The offering on the Internet is oriented towards average citizens. People with disabilities whose vision, hearing or mobility is poorer, for instance, are often excluded. It becomes easier for them to surf on the Internet, find information or communicate with accessible communication. Show that you too are interested in addressing and involving all people equally.

HERE’S HOW: Accessible communication is subject to many rules. That’s why we recommend hiring an agency to handle the translations. There are associations and companies that are explicitly specialised in this thematic area. Communicate the translation to your staff and integrate your new approach into your company communication. Publish the new aspects on German Diversity Day as a best practice and be a pioneer in inclusive communication.

Set an example for gender-appropriate language – even beyond German Diversity Day.

THE IDEA: Gender-appropriate language is a fundamental step towards gender equality in your company. Set an example and think of everyone – including those who position themselves as neither male nor female – in your company communication.

HERE’S HOW: Use various online tools in order to, for instance, design your website in a gender-appropriate way. There are good explanations online of appropriate language and writing. Or use an autocorrect tool which makes suggestions for gender-appropriate notation. In addition, there are dictionaries on the Internet that make it easier for you to find the suitable wording. Select a notation and stipulate it in your communication strategy. Relay the new steps to your employees and publish them on German Diversity Day as a best practice on your social media channels or on your website. Perhaps you could hold a webinar on the new communication style and notation for your staff so that it becomes sustainably established in your organisation.

For Diversity Day you would like to post a statement on your social media channels, and you are looking for the design for a suitable image or a graphic? Then just make your own social media tile! Click here for our Guideline Social Media Post made easy.

THE IDEA: It’s worthwhile thinking about the right design so that your statement or campaign immediately catches the eye. If you have an innovative eye-catcher you can immediately increase the reach of your contribution. You don’t always need a professional graphic department to implement it. Various software tools that are also suitable for laypersons enable unassisted graphic design.

HERE’S HOW: There are no bounds to your creativity when designing your own social media tile. Most graphic software programmes also offer a number of templates which can be a source of inspiration. Bear in mind: for greater reach, be sure to add the hashtags #DDT2020 and #flagfordiversity to your post.

THE IDEA: Take the day of action across Germany as a thematic “hook” and set an example for diversity in the world of work with your newsletter. Explain in a special issue the role diversity plays in your company and the specific measures you are planning or have already implemented. Publish personal success stories and statements from employees who are profiting from these measures.

Aktion: Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement 

Let your workshop or talk take place online, connecting employees at different locations.

THE IDEA: Various digital platforms enable transmission of talks and workshops over the Internet. Why not organise the substantive dialogue and exchange on the topic of diversity as a webinar? In that way, colleagues at different locations can even take part at the same time and get to know each other.

HERE’S HOW: Webinars are far more than just an online PowerPoint presentation. In order not only to reach people in this way, but also to encourage them to converse, both careful preparation and professional execution are needed. It applies both offline and online: keep it short and sweet. The part that is pure presentation should be shaped with varied slides and not last longer than 30 minutes, as otherwise participants become less concentrated. There should then be time for questions and an exchange.

Actions: Wirtschaftsregion Heilbronn-Franken 

Shape your knowledge sharing creatively and record a talk, an interview or a panel discussion as a podcast for your community!

THE IDEA: A podcast has many advantages: not only can it be played back at any time and place, but it also reaches many persons at the same time. In addition, topics can be discussed and expanded on over the course of several episodes. In this way you can sustainably raise awareness of diversity in the world of work.

HERE’S HOW: Decide on a diversity topic that you would like to discuss in the podcast, and develop a conceptual guide for it. Consider: how can the topic be conveyed in as creative and versatile a manner as possible? A podcast episode can consist of (both) a specialist talk, an interview or a panel discussion. In each case, it is advantageous if there is a person moderating who maintains the overview and guides listeners through the episode. A simple recording device with a good microphone, such as is already installed in most cell phones nowadays, is adequate for the audio recording. Take care to use a room that is as quiet as possible with low background noise. If the recording is to be adapted afterwards, basic knowledge in audio editing is advantageous. You can both upload the podcast episode on your own website or host it at one of the many appropriate websites on the Internet, either free or for a charge.

Together with your employees create a short and incisive diversity message and share it as a photo on your social media channels!

THE IDEA: How about, for example, the message “Diversity connects us”? Print this message out in individual letters. Then, capture the message on a photo together with your team or create a collage made of individual photos. In addition, show the photo and the message to report internally on your website or use it on your social media channels.

HERE’S HOW: Implementation is easy: you need only a camera and possibly a simple image editing programme, which these days many cell phones are already equipped with. At the same time, there are no bounds to creativity: you can print out the message, paint it or even re-enact it yourself with your (own) bodies or using materials from your everyday work life. Use as diverse and colourful clothing as possible to show that diversity connects us and is fun.

Action: Koordinierungsstelle IQ Netzwerk Brandenburg

Shoot short video messages for German Diversity Day!

Unterüberschrift 2.1: THE IDEA: Show the role diversity plays in your organisation. Inquire in your company or institution where diversity becomes clear for your employees, customers, suppliers or where diversity influences decisions. Let these people have a chance to speak in a short video as diversity ambassadors.

Unterüberschrift 2.2: HERE’S HOW: To the Guideline for video messages. Not every organisation has its own marketing department that can shoot videos. But even non- professional recordings have their charm and can achieve a great impact. To shoot, usually a good cell phone camera and a simple, free online editing programme will suffice. Your website, your YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn are good places to publish the video and send a strong signal.

Actions: Deutschen Telekom, Steinigke Showtechnic, BBIZ – Berliner Bildungs- und Integrationszentrum GmbH

Show how diversified in scope you are with your employees’ personal diversity stories!

THE IDEA: All employees consider what diversity means for them in everyday work life, and illustrate this using short texts, personal statements and photos.

HERE’S HOW: Consider jointly in your team a statement that all of you can complete, e.g., “Diversity means for me …” or “Diversity is important because …”. Write your texts and personal statements on posters and capture them on photos. Everyone can upload or send in something. On the day of action a kind of collage will be published on the intranet and/or on your social media channels.

Action: Capgemini Deutschland 

THE IDEA: Your institution is a mirror of our diverse society – set an example for an open-minded company culture and illustrate your employees’ great cultural diversity. On a digital map of the world, employees can mark their respective countries of origin with a dot. Publish this map both on social media and on your website and show that the diversified cultural knowledge of a workforce is a success factor in the globalised economy.

HERE’S HOW: On the Internet there are various offers of interactive maps of the world which, depending on their features, can be used free of charge or for a fee. Assigning the employees by country of origin can also be linked for instance with statements from the individuals. Another idea: in conjunction with the map of the world, colleagues present sayings typical of the region from their countries of origin and in their mother tongues. The meaning in German can then be jointly worked out, and you can look for similar or contrary sayings from Germany.

Aktionen: ERGO-Group AG, IB Baden

The way to diversity is through the stomach! Develop a joint cookbook in which employees share delicious recipes from their countries of origin.

THE IDEA: Collect delicious and tried and tested recipes from your employees. From Polish piroshki to Turkish kofta, anything is possible. In that way you get to know different cultures and their culinary traditions and show how diverse your staff is. Employees can recount why they particularly like the dish or on what occasion it is eaten with a personal story. Your team can cook these recipes themselves, and maybe even post photos with a personal story. You can also publish the cookbook on your website.

HERE’S HOW: Microsoft Word is suitable to compile the cookbook. Saved as a PDF file, the complete cookbook can be sent to employees or published. To imitate a real cookbook, it is recommended to use two pages per recipe for the document. On the first page, you list the ingredients and utensils needed. Here you can also insert an information box in the form of a text field with the personal story or information about the dish. On the second page describe how to prepare it and share a picture of the dish once it is prepared. Don’t forget to specify who the recipe comes from!

With an anonymous online survey on diversity, the intention is to raise awareness of the topic and to point out possible improvements in the organisation.

THE IDEA: An employee survey in which all employees can take place anonymously and voluntarily provides the opportunity to point out the significance of diversity in the company and identify possible weak points. In this way, changes in diversity management can be initiated and equal opportunities for and appreciation of all employees are ensured.

HERE’S HOW: Draft a digital survey for your colleagues and share it using your appropriate internal channels. Various online tools can help in carrying out and then analysing the survey. As questions you can pick up on all topics that relate to the diversity dimensions: work/life balance, access possibilities for people with disabilities, equal treatment for LGBT*IQ+, … Make the results transparent and communicate possible improvement measures.

Actions: AOK Rheinland-Pfalz, Cassini AG