18 Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) tech tools for the workplace

What are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) tools?

DEI tools are applications that support a company's DEI initiatives. These can include recruitment platforms that gather candidate information as well as surveys used to poll employees on DEI-related questions, among other possibilities.

Often, an HRIS will include fields to capture demographic data and may also include custom fields to gather company-specific questions. One of the main goals of capturing DEI data is to then report on it, either in online dashboards or in reports so that company leaders can use the data in decision-making. Companies may rely on the reporting provided by each individual application, or they may choose to use a third-party reporting tool that can encompass all the collected DEI data.

Here are some DEI tools for business and HR leaders to consider. It's also important to look at DEI features that may be available in a company's current HR systems.

DEI tools for hiring and recruiting

Applied

The Applied ATS platform targets removing bias from the hiring process. Some of its strategies include removing job applicant information and randomizing the order in which recruiters see applicant answers.

Applied also displays application question responses from all candidates rather than having recruiters review one full application at a time, to lower the chances that bias creeps in.

DataPeople

DataPeople's application is designed to help recruiters build job descriptions quickly by using templates and includes capabilities for checking job descriptions for DEI-related issues, with AI tools that can help make a job description more well-rounded.

The application also acts as a job description library, which integrates with other HR systems that require access to job description information. Additional HR information such as pay grades can be included with the job description.

Diversity-focused online job boards

Job boards that diverse candidates frequent are potentially good spots to post listings.

Many large cities have networks of associations, nonprofits and government agencies that are dedicated to helping underrepresented people find employment. These organizations can suggest some boards.

Gender Decoder

The website Gender Decoder checks job listings for gender-coded language so companies can avoid using common yet male-slanted listing phrases like "fearless," "independent" and "self-sufficient." Gender Decoder calculates how many feminine-coded and how many masculine-coded words are in a particular listing and concludes whether the text is tilted in a particular direction.

Microsoft Word readability and level statistics

Many companies already use Microsoft Word Readability and Level Statistics. An HR department can implement the feature to analyze a job posting's text complexity so the company doesn't exclude candidates with lower reading levels.

This functionality is built into Word, and instructions on how to enable and interpret the results are available on Microsoft's website.

Readable

The Readable app evaluates text complexity, analyzing factors like sentence length and word complexity. HR departments could use the app to make sure they aren't unintentionally screening out job candidates with lower reading levels when they compose job postings.

SeekOut

SeekOut is an ATS with features that could help with companies' DEI initiatives, such as the Bias Reducer feature that lets users hide information that might create unconscious bias, such as candidate name, gender or race.

SeekOut can also help identify and track internal candidates as they apply for open positions or work to close experience gaps for future roles. The system uses AI to help identify qualified candidates.

Textio

Textio flags problem areas in job descriptions and communications with candidates, such as having a "masculine tone," or overly long sentences and words that appeal to a particular age group. The platform can also compare job listing text to similar organizations' postings.

In addition, the company offers a product that helps managers provide performance feedback to employees.

Textio can be used as a standalone product, or it can be integrated with products including Outlook, Gmail and LinkedIn Recruiter. It also has prebuilt integrations with performance management and ATS systems.

DEI tools for analytics and data tracking

BlendScore

BlendScore software uses government and marketplace data to deliver a score that shows how organizations compare with other companies in their corporate social responsibility and diversity efforts. For example, an organization may have far fewer Black employees than companies of the same size in their industry or has fallen short on recruiting employees with disabilities.

Organizations can use that information to pinpoint specific areas that need improvement.

Tableau

Tableau is a data analytics platform that companies can use to track DEI metrics and KPIs. Users can feed data from multiple sources into Tableau, giving the HR team a complete picture of the company as well as the organization's progress in meeting its DEI targets through dashboards and reports.

Visier

Visier focuses on diversity across the organization and aims to help a company meet its DEI goals.

The software examines hiring data, such as whether a diverse staff member interviewed a diverse candidate and whether that led to a better interview. It also looks at current employee data to determine if the company has a diverse employee base.

In addition, companies can use Visier's benchmarking feature to compare their company to others in the same geography and market.

DEI tools for employee engagement and support

CompComplete

CompComplete is designed to handle a complete compensation cycle and can recommend increases based on user-defined criteria as well as giving users the ability to track budgets.

The compensation software includes features that are specific to pay equity, including analyzing compensation data to identify issues and recommending actions for addressing any pay equity issues.

Diversio

Diversio offers various features and services for supporting a company's DEI goals, including gathering data from HR systems, employee surveys, benchmarking data and compliance audits.

Diversio's Recommendation Engine uses algorithms to match a company's problems and recommend the correct course of action.

The company also offers diversity awareness training and consulting services.

Dyslexia Style Guide

The British Dyslexia Association compiled a guide to dyslexia-friendly fonts, colors and page layouts. Organizations can turn to this guide for help in how they design websites, create content and produce printed materials.

Dyslexie Font

Dyslexie Font was designed specifically for people with dyslexia to make it easier for them to read text. Organizations can integrate the font with Microsoft Office, among other software.

Inclusivity

Inclusivity conducts inclusion surveys to diagnose possible DEI problems at a company, asking employees to weigh in on areas that need improvement. The company also offers a culture assessment, which gathers data on workers' gender, ethnicity and age, among other factors, using data points from multiple sources.

Once data is gathered, Inclusivity's consulting services and training can help companies address problematic findings.

Otter.ai

Otter is a cloud-based transcription application that can record and transcribe a conversation. One potential way it can support diversity is through assistance for the hard of hearing. Employees who are hard of hearing can record office meetings using Otter, then play back the conversations or read the notes later.

SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is an online survey tool that organizations can use to support DEI efforts. HR can use SurveyMonkey's questionnaires to gather diversity, equity and inclusion data, including demographic data such as workforce genders, ethnicities, education backgrounds and ages. It can also gather experiential data, such as answers to questions like "I feel a sense of belonging at my company."

Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.