Best Ways To Improve Inclusion And Diversity In The Workplace : An overwhelming majority of executives understand the many benefits of a diverse workforce. They know that this brings innovation and excellent customer service.
These are two key ways any business can stay competitive in tough markets and show consistent revenue growth. Therefore, enhancing diversity and fostering inclusion in the workplace is in the business and economic interests of the company.
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Benefits Of Diversity In The Workplace
Executives know that a diverse workforce in age, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender brings diverse viewpoints and perspectives to the company. These elements can help you develop great new products and great ways to serve customers.
A recent Medium article ( The Top 5 Diversity Workplace Statistics ) shows that the benefits of diversity include higher earnings, more innovation, better decision-making, higher job acceptance rates when making offers to qualified candidates, and better performance than the competition.
However, when it comes to making and following through on a commitment to diversity and inclusion, it can have a big impact. Here are the top ways you can support inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
1. Use the “Inclusive Workplace Model”
If the company doesn’t get high marks for inclusion, it risks alienating part of its workforce.
When workers feel like they have to hide or mask critical parts of themselves at work because they feel insecure or invisible, it can affect employee motivation, engagement, retention, and turnover rates.
Statistics on diversity in the workplace show that most companies desperately need to consider aspects of inclusion as part of their efforts to create a workforce that reflects a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
2. Evaluate the executive team: does it portray diversity and inclusion?
Is the executive team diverse? The composition of the executive team is a huge signifier for the rest of the workforce (not to mention your customers, partners, and other stakeholders). The top management of a company says a lot about its culture.
3. Recognize and honor multiple religious and cultural practices
Introduce a policy to honor a variety of cultural and religious practices. A Forbes article suggests designating a special refrigerator to keep kosher foods separate, for example.
4. Foster a company culture where all voices are welcome, heard, and respected
Most of the time employees quit their jobs when they feel that their authentic selves and uniqueness are not appreciated or valued. As such, it is vital to create an environment where they feel a sense of connection to the company and its people. Companies must ensure that employees feel included and respected in diversity, regardless of their-
- age
- gender
- race
- religion
- sexual orientation
- physicals conditions
- cultural background
- country of origin
When it comes to supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, play no favorites, practice basic courtesy and pay close attention to how non-discriminatory policies and practices can be adopted.
Employees feel included when they feel “safe” to express their concerns and opinions without fear of being victimized. Freedom of expression without fear also allows companies not only to listen but also to actively adopt diverse points of view.
5. Exposed a discussion on variation
Do we want a culture of inclusion based on trust and transparency? Prepared to discuss gender and potential pay disparities.
The gender pay gap is a big point of contention at many companies. Workforce trust and a sense of inclusion are built on a company’s transparency in its policies and communication about those policies.
6. Let’s welcome a multilingual workforce
Can we imagine being part of a work environment where almost everyone regularly speaks a language that is not your mother tongue?
If we really want everyone to feel included, we need to make sure we take language barriers and preferences into account. Global companies deal with this kind of thing all the time. Let’s say you have different teams, work in different countries, and speak the same language… but you want to invite all those teams to participate in a virtual event. What language should the person who presented that event speak? In what language will her CEO deliver her speech?
7. Foster diverse thinking
When we make an effort to hire people for diversity, we put the company in a good position to think in culturally diverse ways. But for the various viewpoints to really stick, you have to take inclusivity into account.
8. Build a multigenerational workforce
Having a workforce that recognizes and accommodates multiple generations is essential to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. And while millennials are generally known for being tech-savvy, keep in mind that this generation ranges from 22 to 38 years old. Older millennials may not have the same proficiency with tech tools as their younger counterparts.
9. Strengthen anti-discrimination policies
A Harvard Business Review poll showed that 75% of respondents found superficial policies and language insufficient to actually institute real change.
10. Segment employee engagement surveys by minority groups
The annual pulse survey is common among companies, but many forget to segment that data based on gender, generation, ethnicity, geography, and other diversity factors. By looking only at total numbers, HR professionals can miss the big picture and the opportunity to identify issues related to those groups.
Finally, it is not a bad idea to take a look at the language spoken in the company and, at the same time, to observe an inclusive language in communications. Every effort is welcome in order to be more equitable.
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