DEI Standards: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion guidelines
Take a structured approach to embedding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across your organisation.
DEI Standards: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion guidelines
Creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace helps foster a stronger organisational culture and can contribute to improved business performance. Research suggests that organisations with mature DEI practices often benefit from enhanced innovation, more effective decision-making and increased confidence among employees, customers and other stakeholders.
As expectations from employees, customers, investors and regulators continue to grow, many organisations are turning to recognised frameworks such as ISO 30415, Human Resource Management – Diversity and Inclusion, to help demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
What is ISO 30415
ISO 30415: Human Resource Management – Diversity and Inclusion is an internationally recognised guidance standard designed to help organisations embed diversity and inclusion throughout their operations. It supports organisations in identifying and addressing inequalities in policies, processes and systems, promoting inclusive behaviours, and integrating diversity and inclusion into governance, culture and decision-making.
The standard provides guidance on establishing responsibilities and accountability, recognising and valuing diversity, and setting objectives, assessing risks and opportunities, and measuring outcomes. It applies across the entire organisation, including the human resources lifecycle, the design and delivery of products and services, procurement and supply chain activities, and engagement with external stakeholders.
By implementing the principles of ISO 30415, organisations can build a stronger foundation for creating and sustaining an inclusive workplace culture.
ISO 30415 helps organisations to:
- Recognise and value diversity
- Promote accountability at all levels
- Foster inclusive ways of working
- Communicate inclusively and effectively
- Advocate for and champion diversity and inclusion
- Strengthen governance and leadership commitment
Although ISO 30415 is a guidance standard and is not intended for certification, it is widely recognised as a leading framework for organisations seeking a structured and internationally consistent approach to DEI.
In addition, several countries have developed national standards that complement the guidance provided by ISO 30415, including:
- NS 1120:2018 – Diversity Management System (Norway)
- UNI/PdR 125:2022 – Gender Equality Management System (Italy)
While these standards focus on specific aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion, ISO 30415 provides a globally applicable framework that can be adapted to organisations of all sizes and sectors. Together, they offer valuable guidance for organisations looking to strengthen their DEI strategy and demonstrate their commitment to inclusive and equitable practices.
Value of scored evaluation
DNV offers an independent, structured DEI assessment aligned with ISO 30415 and relevant national standards. This assessment provides organisations with a transparent, evidence-based evaluation of their diversity, equity and inclusion maturity, helping them understand their current position and identify opportunities for improvement.
The assessment covers seven key areas reflected in ISO 30415:
- Accountability and responsibilities
- DEI framework
- Inclusive culture
- Human resource management lifecycle
- Products and services
- Procurement and supply chain
- External stakeholder relationships
Each area is evaluated against defined maturity criteria and assigned a score based on the extent to which DEI principles have been implemented and embedded within the organisation. The results provide a clear picture of the organisation's current maturity level, highlighting both strengths and areas for further development.
At the conclusion of the assessment, organisations receive a comprehensive Evaluation Report detailing the findings and recommendations.
Organisations that achieve the required minimum score across all assessment areas are also awarded a Statement of Assessment. This statement is issued through DNV's secure certificate management platform, enabling transparent, traceable and trusted sharing with customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. orage platform for traceable and trusted sharing with internal and external stakeholders.
Why partner with DNV?
DNV is one of the world’s leading certification bodies. Through management system certification, supply chain assurance and training services, we help companies manage risks, assure compliance and build competence in organisations, supply chains and people.
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Getting started
Before beginning your DEI journey, it is important to familiarise yourself with the relevant standard and understand how its principles can be applied across your organisation's systems, policies, processes and practices. A structured assessment can help identify what is working well, highlight areas for improvement and provide a clear roadmap for strengthening your DEI approach.
DNV can support you at every stage of the journey. As an independent third-party assessment body, we offer a range of services, from DEI awareness training for leaders and managers, and foundation courses based on ISO 30415, to self-assessment tools and independent DEI evaluations.
By taking a structured, evidence-based approach, you can demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, benchmark your progress and provide stakeholders with credible assurance of your DEI performance.
Learn how to get started and be certified
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Obtain the standard:
Get a licensed copy of the relevant standard and familiarise yourself with the requirements to decide whether certification or registration to this standard is appropriate for your organisation.
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Review available literature and apply digital tools
Explore available literature, guidance from the standard owners (e.g. ISO/TS 9002 for ISO 9001, ISO 14004 for ISO 14001) and digital sources and tools that can support implementation. As a DNV customer, you also get access to tailored tools that can help you.
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Assemble a team and define strategy:
Implementing a management system should be a strategic decision for the entire organisation. Senior management must be engaged in the decision, committed to it, and involved in shaping the system. They decide the business strategy the management system should support. In addition, you need a dedicated team to develop and implement your management system.
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Determine competence needs:
First, your team responsible for implementing and maintaining the management system needs a thorough understanding of the chosen standards. Later, the wider organisation needs awareness training. DNV offers a variety of public and in-house courses worldwide that meet competence development needs at all levels of your organisation.
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Review consultant options:
Independent consultants can advise on a workable, realistic and cost-effective implementation strategy if you do not already have this competence or capacity in-house.
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Develop management system documentation:
Decide on an appropriate platform for your documented information (e.g. software, process map- or SharePoint-based). The right platform is important to ensure effective management, communication and implementation.
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Determine, manage and document processes:
First, identify key processes – what they are, how they work and how they interact. Each process should have a clear purpose, defined responsibilities and expected outputs. The level of documented information needed depends on the organisation’s size, complexity and the importance of each process, but it must include the relevant processes and other documented information needed to deliver intended outcomes and comply with the chosen standard’s requirements.
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Implement management system:
Clear communication and appropriate competence training are essential. During the implementation phase, you will work to ensure that your organisation operates in line with defined and documented processes. Once this is achieved, you can demonstrate the system’s compliance and effectiveness.
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Select a certification body/registrar:
Selecting the right certification body or registrar can make a difference throughout your certification journey. DNV offers a trusted partnership approach, a risk-based approach and a range of free digital tools to help you manage your certification journey before, during and after the audit.
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Consider a pre-audit gap analysis:
Consider a preliminary evaluation by your certification body or registrar to identify and correct non-conformities before starting the official certification process. The purpose is to identify areas of non-conformance or weakness, allowing you to address them before the official certification process begins.
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FAQ
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DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. It refers to the policies, practices and behaviours that help organisations create fair, respectful and inclusive workplaces where people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives can thrive.
Diversity relates to the range of differences within a workforce, equity focuses on ensuring fair access to opportunities and resources, and inclusion is about creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and able to contribute. Many organisations use guideline standards such as ISO 30415 and independent DEI assessments to structure and manage their efforts.
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DEI represents an organisation's commitment to attracting, supporting and empowering a diverse workforce, while ensuring fair treatment and equal opportunities for all. It involves embedding inclusive practices into organisational culture, leadership, decision-making and everyday operations.
Frameworks such as ISO 30415 provide guidance on integrating diversity and inclusion across an organisation, while independent assessments offer a structured way to evaluate DEI maturity and identify opportunities for improvement. Although ISO 30415 is not a certifiable standard, it is widely recognised as a leading benchmark for DEI good practice.
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A diverse workplace brings together different perspectives, experiences and ideas, helping organisations foster innovation, improve decision-making and better understand the needs of employees and customers. By promoting an inclusive culture, organisations can strengthen employee engagement, attract and retain talent, and build trust with stakeholders.
ISO 30415 training
ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness eLearning course
A short one-hour e-learning refresher course covering the guidance requirements of ISO 30415 – Human Resource Management - Diversity and Inclusion
Discover ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness eLearning course
ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion Foundation Course
A two-day course covering the guidance requirements of ISO 30415 – Human Resource Management - Diversity and Inclusion for use in organizations
Discover ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion Foundation Course
ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion awareness course for managers
This awareness training course is designed to enable attendees to gain an understanding of the requirements of the ISO 30415:2021 standard.
Discover ISO 30415:2021 - Diversity and Inclusion awareness course for managers
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