Contents hide
12 Successful Employee Engagement Activities Celebrating Diversity
Table of Contents
Building a Thriving Workplace Culture!
Benefits of Diversity Activities
Planning Diversity Activities
1.Cultural Potluck
2. Diversity Book Club
3. Global Virtual Tour
4. Inclusive Language Workshop
5. Diversity Storytelling Session
6. Cultural Celebration Days
7. Unconscious Bias Training
8. Diversity Art Exhibition
9. Multilingual Meet-and-Greet
10. Inclusive Team-Building Exercises
11. Diversity-Themed Trivia Contests
12. Diversity Mentorship Program
Putting Diversity Activities into Action
Final Thoughts and Takeaways

12 Successful Employee Engagement Activities Celebrating Diversity

12 Successful Employee Engagement Activities Celebrating Diversity

10 min. read

Want to boost team spirit? Nurture an ethos of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)? Well, you need your company to celebrate diversity! Here are 12 activities that can help with just that:

  1. Cultural Potluck
  2. Diversity Book Club
  3. Global Virtual Tour
  4. Inclusive Language Workshop
  5. Diversity Storytelling Session
  6. Cultural Celebration Days
  7. Unconscious Bias Training
  8. Diversity Art Exhibition
  9. Multilingual Meet-and-Greet
  10. Inclusive Team-Building Exercises
  11. Diversity-Themed Trivia Contests
  12. Diversity Mentorship Program

Table of Contents

The condensed effect of running these activities is that your company will:

  • • Build stronger team bonds
  • • Increase creativity and innovation
  • • Improve employee satisfaction and retention
  • • Boost profits

Here’s a quick glance at how accessible and feasible a handful of these activities can be – small time commitment, but a big potential ROI in terms of being a most loved workplace:

Activity
Main Benefit
Time Commitment
Cultural Potluck
Builds connections
2-3 hours
Diversity Book Club
Deepens understanding
Ongoing
Global Virtual Tour
Broadens perspectives
60-90 minutes per tour
Inclusive Language Workshop
Improves communication
Half-day
Diversity Storytelling
Increases empathy
1-2 hours

Remember: Remember: Being a Most Loved Workplace® for​ diversity isn’t just about having different faces in the room. It’s about making sure everyone feels valued and heard. These activities can help you do just that.

Want a quick rundown on what DEIB means? Check out our MostLovedWorkplace® Guide here, or if you’re in a hurry then here’s a quick video to get you up to speed!

An infographic my by MostLovedWorkplace to demostrate succinctly the distinctions and meaning behind each of the values of DEIB: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Building a Thriving Workplace Culture!

Discover how to leverage the right technology and implement a proactive strategy that cultivates talent and facilitates team collaboration.

Learn More

Benefits of Diversity Activities

Diversity activities in the workplace pack a punch. Here’s why they’re a game-changer:

More Money in the Bank

Companies that embrace diversity have been proven to flourish financially:

  • • Top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity? 36% more likely to rake in above-average profits.
  • • Diverse executives? Same story – 36% boost in profit likelihood.

It’s not just feel-good stuff. Diversity = dollars.

Innovation on Steroids

Diverse teams are idea machines:

  • • Fresh perspectives
  • • Smarter decisions
  • • Complex problem-solving? No sweat

Mix backgrounds, and watch the creativity explode.

Talent Magnet

Diversity activities are like catnip for top talent:

  • • 86% of global job seekers care about workplace diversity
  • • 70% eye a company’s diversity commitment

Show off your diversity chops, and watch the talent flock to you.

Customer Love

Diverse teams = happy customers:

  • • Highest diversity scores? 83% higher consumer preference
  • • 80% of consumers dig companies supporting underserved communities

Mirror your customers, and they’ll mirror your success.

Engaged Employees

Diversity activities light a fire under your team:

Create a “you belong here” vibe, and watch productivity soar.

Want to cash in on these perks? Try these:

  1. Train for success: Tackle unconscious bias and boost cultural smarts
  2. Include everyone: Make “you matter” your mantra
  3. Engage with diversity: Put it at the heart of your strategy
  4. Hire smart: Ditch biased practices for inclusive ones

Planning Diversity Activities

Want your diversity activities to actually work? You need a plan. Here’s how to create events everyone can join:

  1. Ask your team

Don’t guess what people want. Use surveys or a suggestion box to get real input.

  1. Team up with ERGs

Employee Resource Groups are your allies. They’ll help you:

  • • Choose the right events
  • • Avoid cultural mistakes
  • • Boost participation
  1. Make a yearly calendar

Plan out cultural events and holidays. It shows you’re serious about diversity.

  1. Switch it up

Don’t get stuck in a rut. Try:

  • • In-person events
  • • Virtual meetups
  • • Workshops
  • • Discussion groups
  1. Include everyone

Think about accessibility:

  • • Easy-to-reach venues
  • • Virtual options
  • • Interpreters or captions
  1. Know your goals

What’s the point of each activity? Are you trying to:

  • • Teach about cultures?
  • • Build team bonds?
  • • Fix workplace issues?

Clear goals help you measure success.

  1. Prep your leaders

Make sure managers can handle diverse teams. Focus on:

  1. Keep at it

Diversity isn’t a one-time thing. Plan regular activities all year long.

1.Cultural Potluck

Want to bring your team closer through food? Try a cultural potluck. It’s a great way to celebrate diversity and learn about different cultures.

Here’s how to make it happen:

  1. Set the stage

Pick a date and send out invites. Ask everyone to bring a dish from their cultural background. Include:

  • • Date, time, and location
  • • What to bring (main, side, or dessert)
  • • Any dietary restrictions
  1. Encourage sharing

Food’s just the start. Ask people to share stories behind their dishes. It builds understanding and sparks conversations.

  1. Add some flair

Make it more fun with:

  • • Music from different cultures
  • • Decorations reflecting various traditions
  • • A world cuisine trivia game
  1. Go virtual if needed

Can’t meet in person? Host a virtual potluck. People can share photos and recipes of their dishes.

  1. Keep it green

Cut down on waste:

  • • Use reusable plates and utensils
  • • Ask people to bring water bottles
  • • Use recycled decorations

Quick planning guide:

Task
Timeline
Send Invitations
2 weeks before
Collect RSVPs and dish info
1 week before
Set up the space
Day of the event
Enjoy the potluck!
Event day

Don’t stress if it’s not perfect. The main goal? Have fun and learn.

“It’s a green party to help save the blue ocean“, said Ms. Srinya Barrett, Co-Chair of an International Potluck Dinner.

This shows how you can mix cultural celebration with other important values.

An infographic with 4 circles surrounding the MostLovedWorkplace logo. The graphic demonstrates how to organize a cultural potluck by using a: Sign-Up Sheet - to ensure a variety of dishes Cultural Cards - to explain cultural significance of each dish Dietary Considerations - to accomodate any dietary restrictions or allergies (which is inclusive practice) and finally, Communal Area - to encourage mingling and interaction.

2. Diversity Book Club

Want to boost team empathy? Start a Diversity Book Club. It’s a simple way to explore different viewpoints and spark real conversations.

Here’s how:

         1. Pick diverse books

Choose books that show different experiences. Some popular picks:

  • • So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  • • How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
  • • The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
  •  
  •          2. Get everyone in

Let your team vote on books. Online Optimism, a digital marketing agency, uses Slack for this. Their club, “On the Same Page”, has tackled 10 books since 2020.

         3. Set a rhythm

Plan talks every few months. This gives folks time to read and think. Online Optimism holds two virtual chats per book.

         4. Make it safe

Push for open, respectful talks. Use guiding questions to keep things on track.

         5. Mix it up

Throw in some films or other media to keep it fresh.

Here’s a snapshot of Online Optimism’s book club:

What
How
Started
Summer 2020
Books read
10
How they talk
Virtual meetings + Slack
What they cover
Race, gender, sexuality, love

Meara McNitt from Online Optimism says:

“It’s where we all agree to open our minds and hear others’ experiences, with a shared topic we’re exploring together.“

3. Global Virtual Tour

Want to take your team on a world trip without leaving the office? Try a Global Virtual Tour. It’s a fun way to explore cultures and boost team spirit.

Here’s how:

         1. Pick destinations

Mix places that reflect your team’s backgrounds. Include famous spots and hidden gems.

         2. Find virtual guides

Get local experts for live-streamed tours. They’ll show your team around and answer questions in real-time.

         3. Add interactive elements

Use quizzes or games to keep everyone engaged. Turn watching into active learning.

         4. Schedule smart

Plan tours during work hours. Mind different time zones for global teams.

         5. Share thoughts

After each tour, chat. Let team members share their thoughts or connections to the places.

A sample Global Virtual Tour schedule:

Week
Destination
Focus
1
Paris, France
Art and Architecture
2
New Delhi, India
Food and Festivals
3
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Music and Dance
4
Milano, Italy
Fashion and Design

Tours usually last 60-90 minutes, giving a taste of each place without taking up the whole day.

Culture Amp saw success with this approach. Sahra Kaboli-Nejad, a Senior People Scientist there, says:

“We used virtual experiences to bring our team together during remote work. It was a great way to connect over shared discoveries, especially for those who don’t often work directly with each other.”

The goal? Build understanding and appreciation for different cultures in your team. This can lead to better teamwork and a more inclusive workplace.

So, grab your virtual passport. Your team’s worldwide adventure is just a click away!

4. Inclusive Language Workshop

Want to make your workplace more respectful? Try an Inclusive Language Workshop. It’s a practical way to learn about communicating with respect.

Here’s how to do it:

         1. Pick a good facilitator

Choose someone who knows diversity and inclusion. They should handle touchy subjects well.

         2. Set clear goals

Decide what you want to achieve. Maybe it’s cutting down on accidental bias in everyday talk.

         3. Make it safe to share

Let people talk openly and honestly. Don’t judge past slip-ups.

         4. Use real examples

Show how words affect others. Like using “chairperson” instead of “chairman” to include everyone.

         5. Give useful tools

Offer resources for daily use. An inclusive language guide can help.

Here’s a quick workshop plan:

Time
What to do
30 min
Intro to inclusive language
45 min
Group talks about common situations
30 min
Practice exercises
15 min
Questions and wrap-up

Salesforce did this and it worked well. They say it helped them build a diverse team worldwide. Their workshops cover inclusive language in speaking and writing.

This isn’t a one-and-done deal. Language changes, so keep talking about it. Regular check-ins help everyone stay on track.

5. Diversity Storytelling Session

Want to boost team empathy? Try a Diversity Storytelling Session. It’s a great way to share personal experiences.

Here’s how:

  1. Safe space: Comfy room, respect rules.
  2. Theme: Pick topics like cultural heritage or career journeys.
  3. Volunteers: Ask for storytellers. No pressure.
  4. Guide questions: Have some ready, just in case.
  5. Reflect: Give time to process.

Pixar does this with “story trust” meetings. Team members share experiences that shape their work. It’s helped them create more diverse films.

Try using this format:

Time
Activity
10 min
Welcome, rules
30 min
2-3 stories (10 min each)
15 min
Q&A, chat
5 min
Wrap-up, next steps

Storytelling works. A study in the Journal of Business and Psychology found it can boost motivation to act without prejudice.

Tips:

  • • Encourage peer sharing
  • • Discuss untold workplace stories
  • • Follow up with actions
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6. Cultural Celebration Days

Want to honor your team’s diverse backgrounds? Try Cultural Celebration Days. Here’s how:

         1. Build an inclusive calendar

Ask your team to share important dates from their cultures. It’s a great way for everyone to learn about different traditions.

         2. Plan fun events

For each celebration, organize activities that showcase the culture. For example:

  • • Chinese New Year (February 10): Red lanterns and dumpling-making
  • • Holi (March 25): Outdoor color powder station
  • • Eid al-Fitr (April 9-10): Potluck with traditional Muslim foods

         3. Learn together

Use these days as learning opportunities. Set up “lunch and learn” sessions where employees can share their cultural practices.

         4. Be flexible

Offer floating holidays so employees can take time off for their important cultural events.

         5. Keep it inclusive

Make sure participation is optional. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays.

Here’s a sample schedule:

Time
Activity
9:00 AM
Welcome and culture intro
10:00 AM
Employee cultural presentation
12:00 PM
Traditional lunch
2:00 PM
Interactive activity
4:00 PM
Wrap-up and feedback

  • The goal? Foster understanding and respect among team members. As Kevin L. James, Associate Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, puts it:

    “It’s a significant signal… it does tell me that you’re making an effort to recognize my culture and my identity, and that makes me more likely to feel like you’re the company that I can join and begin to thrive.”

    7. Unconscious Bias Training

    Unconscious bias training helps employees spot hidden biases or prejudices affecting workplace decisions. Unconscious bias training helps employees recognize and mitigate them.

    Here’s how to make it stick:

  • Graphic showing 4 boxes illustrating 'Components of Effective Unconscious Bias Training' - Ongoing reinforcement - Self-assessment tools - Strategies for interrupting bias - Real-world scenarios
  • Interactive exercises

  • Reveal biases without pointing fingers:

    • • List your “Trusted 10” (non-family). Check their demographics. Surprised?
    • • “Café Society”: Rotate groups, discuss biases on flip charts. Share eye-openers.
    •  
    • Real-world scenarios

    Here are a few common examples of bias scenarios in action:

Scenario
Bias
Talk About
Resumé screening
Name
How names sway us
Team assignments
Gender
Skill assumptions
Promotions
Age
Experience vs. potential
  1. Follow-up plans

Microsoft’s approach:

  • • Bias examples in video form
  • • Daily bias-busting steps
  • • Track progress over time
  1. Open discussions

Create a safe space. Verna Myers, Diversity Advocate, says:

“Biases are the stories we make up about people before we know who they actually are.”

Let employees share and brainstorm solutions.

  1. Measure impact

Track behavior changes:

  • • Before: Baseline data on hiring, promotions, team dynamics
  • • After: Monitor improvements
  • • Long-term: Survey workplace inclusivity

8. Diversity Art Exhibition

Turn your workplace into a cultural showcase with a diversity art exhibition. Here’s how:

  1. Call for artists

Ask employees and local artists to submit work reflecting their cultural backgrounds. MGH‘s People’s heART program does this well, partnering with artists to create community-inspired installations.

  1. Choose a theme

Pick a unifying idea. Houston’s “Nos Populi: We the People” exhibition focused on community spirit with 16 local artworks.

  1. Curate thoughtfully

Select pieces that tell a story together:

Art Type
Cultural Significance
Indigenous crafts
Traditional skills
Textile arts
Global weaving traditions
Photographs
Community moments
Paintings
Cultural identities
  1. Make it interactive
  • • QR codes linking to artist bios
  • • Collaborative art space
  • • AR app for artwork details
  1. Opening event

Host a launch with artist talks, performances, and multicultural food.

  1. Measure impact

Track how the exhibition affects workplace culture through surveys and observation.

Daniel Chonde, MD, PhD, founder of The People’s heART, sums it up:

“We want to use art to help community members feel more connected to our facilities.“

The goal? Foster understanding and connection through art.

9. Multilingual Meet-and-Greet

Want to break down language barriers at work? Try a multilingual meet-and-greet. It’s a great way to help employees connect in their preferred languages.

Here’s how to make it happen:

  1. Pick the right tech

Use a platform with real-time interpretation. This way, everyone can follow along in their language of choice.

  1. Show you care about language

When you promote the event, mention the interpretation services. It shows you’re serious about including everyone.

  1. Get your materials ready

Create event info in multiple languages. Share these with your interpreters ahead of time.

  1. Set up language rooms

Make virtual spaces for different language groups. It makes it easier for people to chat with others who speak their language.

  1. Match people up

Use tech to pair attendees based on shared interests and languages. It’s a great way to help people network.

  1. Make it clear how things work

Use visuals to show how to access the interpretation services. It helps everyone understand what to do.

  1. Mix it up

Spread the word about your event through different channels. You want a good mix of people from various language backgrounds.

Take A11yTokyo Meetup, for example. They use UD Talk to show Japanese speakers’ words in English, almost instantly. It’s made their events more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Remember, your meet-and-greet’s success depends on a few key things:

Factor
Why it matters
Clear speakers
Better interpreation
Good mics
Better captions and translations
Helpful volunteers
Extra support for translations and captions

  • 10. Inclusive Team-Building Exercises

    Want to bridge gaps and boost understanding among your diverse team? Try these inclusive activities:

    Guess Who: An ice-breaker where team members answer culture-related questions. It’s a fun way to learn about each other’s backgrounds.

    Diversity Flower: Teams create flowers with petals showing each member’s unique traits. It sparks conversations about cultural and identity differences.

    Instant Artist: Team members express their cultural identity through art. It’s great for boosting communication and teamwork skills.

    Team Picture Album: Employees share meaningful photos from their family albums. It gives insights into their cultural backgrounds and experiences.

    Here’s a quick look at how these activities can help your team:

Team Building Activity
Main Benefit to Team
Guess Who
Breaks the ice
Diversity Flower
Highlights uniqueness
Instant Artist
Improves communication
Team Picture Album
Builds empathy

  • Got a remote team? Try the Race Around the World online activity. It uses an iterative learning framework where participants gather info, think critically, and compare solutions with far-away colleagues.

    These exercises do more than just build team spirit. They help your team understand and appreciate each other’s differences. And that’s key to creating a truly inclusive workplace.

    11. Diversity-Themed Trivia Contests

    Host trivia contests focused on diverse cultures, histories, and contributions. These events create a fun, competitive atmosphere while promoting learning.

    Tips for creating engaging and informative questions:

    • • Cover a wide range of topics (history, culture, achievements, etc.)
    • • Include questions about various underrepresented groups
    • • Use a mix of difficulty levels to engage all participants
    • • Provide interesting facts along with correct answers
    • A lightbulb illustration showing 4 quarters of the lightbulb demonstrating the 'Components of Engaging Trivia Contests' - Diverse Topics - Underrepresented Groups - Difficulty Levels - Interesting Facts

  • 12. Diversity Mentorship Program

    Want to boost understanding and growth across your org? Try a diversity mentorship program. 

    Here’s how:

    1. 1. Set clear goals

    What do you want to achieve? Nielsen‘s MyMentor program matches folks across functions, business lines, and job grades.

    1. 2. Make smart matches

    Pair people to build cross-cultural bonds. Think senior leaders with junior employees from diverse backgrounds.

    1. 3. Give guidance

    Help mentors and mentees navigate tricky topics and set expectations.

    1. 4. Get the big guns involved

    When top brass participates, it shows the program matters.

    1. 5. Keep tabs

    Check how it’s going. MentorcliQ found 90% of participants built positive relationships, and 89% felt their company valued their growth.

What's in it for...
Mentees
Mentros
The Company
New skills
✓
✓
✓
Career boost
✓
✓
Cultural smarts
✓
✓
✓
Better retention
✓
✓
Future leaders
✓
✓

  • A solid diversity mentorship program can crank up engagement, keep diverse talent around, and make your workplace more inclusive.

    “Mentorship isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have for any organization committed to true diversity and inclusion.” – Matthew Reeves, CEO of Together

    Putting Diversity Activities into Action

    Want your diversity activities to succeed? Here’s how:

    1. 1. Set clear goals

    Know what you’re aiming for. For example: “Boost employee cultural understanding by 30% in 6 months.”

    1. 2. Create a DEI calendar

    Plan for cultural events and holidays. Salesforce’s “Equality Calendar” has over 200 multicultural observances for year-round inclusive activities.

    1. 3. Get feedback

    Use anonymous surveys to check employee feelings. Stack Overflow does this every quarter with the Gartner Inclusion index.

    1. 4. Measure impact

    Keep an eye on these key metrics:

Metric
What it shows
Participation rates
Employee egagement
Retention rates
Job satisfaction
Promotion rates
Career growth opportunities
Employee survey scores
Overall sentiment
    1. 5. Adapt and improve

    Use your data to make changes. ActBlue noticed lower engagement scores for some groups in their Annual Engagement Survey, so they tweaked their DEI strategy.

    1. 6. Share results

    Keep everyone updated on progress. It builds trust and shows you’re serious about change.

    “People need to feel their opinions are heard and lead to change. That’s the biggest risk to any feedback system.” – Tabitha Calhoun, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Stack Overflow

    Remember: Set goals, plan ahead, get feedback, measure results, make changes, and keep everyone in the loop. That’s how you make diversity activities work.

    Final Thoughts and Takeaways

    Diversity activities aren’t just for show. They’re a game-changer for building a strong, engaged workforce. Here’s why they matter:

    1. 1. They boost profits

    Companies with diverse leadership are 33% more likely to outperform their peers on profitability, according to McKinsey. Deloitte found that companies with inclusive cultures are twice as likely to hit or exceed financial targets.

    1. 2. They keep employees happy

    Companies with inclusive cultures see 5.4 times higher employee retention. The Center for Talent Innovation reports that included employees are more likely to innovate and stick around.

    1. 3. They attract top talent

    Job seekers care about diversity:

Percentage
What Job Seekers Think
67%
Diverse workforce is important for job offers
76%
Diverse workforce is key in choosing where to work
      1. 4. They build trust

      Studies have found that employees who trust they’ll be treated fairly are:

      • • 9.8 times more likely to look forward to work
      • • 6.3 times more likely to have pride in their work
      • • 5.4 times more likely to stay long-term

      The bottom line? Diversity activities are a must for thriving companies.

      But it’s not a one-time thing. As Sumit Aneja from Voxco Survey Software says:

      “Diverse organizations are better, leading to a richer employee culture, a wider idea pool and more robust organizations.“

      To keep the ball rolling:

      • • Set clear, measurable diversity goals
      • • Get employee feedback regularly
      • • Adjust your approach based on what you learn
      • • Be open about your progress
    •  

    • So, let us know in the comments or on social media if you have tried any of these, or even variations on them. How did they go? Do you feel like your company effectively celebrates diversity?

      If we could leave you with one more article to follow on from this blog post, it would be the following that we created this infographic for. How Company Culture Shapes Employee Motivation – enjoy.

How Company Culture shapes Employee motivation

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