The term “inclusive workplace” is often bandied about amongst professionals, but what does it actually mean?
In essence, an inclusive workplace is a professional environment in which employees feel valued and accepted regardless of their identities, backgrounds and circumstances. Acknowledging differences and celebrating diversity should be a top priority for any company, large or small. In fact, research suggests that fostering an inclusive working environment leads to increased creativity, greater employee retention and a generally wider talent pool. Here is how your business can improve its workplace inclusivity and diversity.
Creating a formal policy against discrimination in the workplace is a vital component of cultivating an inclusive environment. Anti-discrimination policies should align with your country’s Human Rights Act, preventing discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and more. Your policy should outline your company’s commitment to equality and explain the actions that will be taken to protect employees against offensive and harmful behaviour, including bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination.
Being aware of unconscious bias begins with addressing your own beliefs and behaviour as a company owner or member of management. Unconscious bias refers to the automatic opinions we form about others based on our existing ideas and experiences, leading to harmful stereotypes and unfair treatment. Unconscious bias in the workplace can involve a range of behaviours, including favouring male candidates over female candidates despite them having similar skills and job experience. The first step in eliminating unconscious bias is recognising that nobody is exempt, so you can implement practical strategies to counteract bias.
Most workplaces will close for Western-central holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. You can increase cultural diversity in the workplace by recognising and celebrating the religious and cultural beliefs of minority groups in your employment. While by law, employers are not obliged to grant holiday leave for all religious holidays, understand that to foster an inclusive environment, you will need to use your discretion and grant some team members time off to commemorate major religious and cultural events with their families. Furthermore, you can acknowledge holidays and festivals like Rosh Hashanah, Diwali and Lunar New Year by creating a collaborative holiday calendar.
A practical method of promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace is to provide all staff members with training. Training will help your employees be more aware of any unconscious bias and prejudices they may hold and explain the harm these beliefs can cause. Diversity and inclusion training will also help to promote cultural competence, leading to improved interpersonal relationships, better communication and increased collaboration within your organisation.
An effective manager or director always leads by example. Expecting your employees to follow instructions without demonstrating positive behaviour is not enough. Leading by example increases trust and team engagement, whereas failure to do so only results in frustration and a lack of respect. Embrace employees from all walks of life by self-educating yourself regarding issues marginalised groups and individuals face, particularly within the workplace. Establish yourself as an ally by supporting and empowering the voices of those with the potential to be discriminated against, and your team will likely follow suit.
You may not realise it, but seemingly innocuous language could contribute to workplace discrimination. Inclusive language refers to respectable communication and interaction with all of your employees. Language is fluid and constantly changing; therefore, some words and phrases that may have been perceived as acceptable several decades ago may now be considered problematic. Ignorance is not an excuse; as a member of management, it is your responsibility to educate yourself and use language that is sensitive to differences and promotes workplace equality.
The best thing you can possibly do to foster an inclusive workplace is to maintain an open-door policy and welcome feedback as much as possible. Inclusivity is an ongoing practice, and the only way you can improve as an individual and as an organisation is to listen to marginalised voices and embrace change for the good of your business and the workers you employ. Empathy is a learned skill, so continue to strive for personal growth improvement.