Whether you are a business owner or human resource personnel, creating an inclusive workplace is beneficial for your enterprise. Although it can be pretty challenging, human management is no easy feat.
When several people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicity come together to work, an inclusive workplace becomes the sole unifying factor. Also, workers thrive in an environment where they feel accepted and heard. That way, they willingly contribute their best talents to moving the company forward.
This blog post will enlighten you with six ways to create an inclusive workplace. Therefore, read on to learn more about workplace inclusivity and how it can benefit your business.
What is an inclusive workplace?
A safe space that accommodates diverse and different people, unifying them in one goal under an enterprise or establishment is an inclusive workplace. Usually, establishments focus on hiring various people to make the workplace inclusive. However, the problem with workforce diversification is that it is somewhat illusionary.
Thus, diversification is a lot different from inclusion. While diversification focuses on gathering people together, inclusion hinges on acceptance and coexistence. Therefore, an inclusive workplace is one where people of dissenting viewpoints and other inherent differences are accepted the way they are and given a voice.
Why do you need an inclusive workplace?
There is no overstating the benefits of an inclusive workplace as it generally affects both workers and the business. Here are four advantages of an inclusive workplace.
- Increased work output and productivity
- Job satisfaction, especially among minority groups
- Better leadership branding for the company
- Organizational and administrative flexibility
Six Ways to create an inclusive workplace
Educate all members of your team
From managers to assistants, including the CEO, everyone needs a healthy dose of public relations skills. Knowing how to interact and interrelate with people in a civilized manner is key to maintaining an inclusive workplace.
Also, regular training and lectures should become a norm to keep everyone conscious of their interpersonal relationships. Additionally, workers should undergo training on speaking and acting concerning sensitive topics and respecting others with dissenting ideologies.
Be cautious about diversifying your workforce.
Although, a culturally diverse workforce might seem problematic. But, from a birds-eye viewpoint, diversifying your workforce will lead you to create the inclusive workplace you desire. However, workforce diversification can be misleading because it is very different from inclusivity. As a result, it would help to engage in diversification with caution by adopting inclusivity as a strict model.
Essentially, if you work with human resources, they should be aware of your intention to be inclusive while diversifying the workforce. Therefore, your goal is to ensure that all aspects of human existence and experience are well represented and treated with respect and consideration.
Here is a list of some common criteria for workforce diversification to create an inclusive workplace.
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
- Culture
- Ethnicity
- Race
- Age
- Educational background or literacy.
With such diversity, the strength of your enterprise hinges on effective people management skills. Essentially you will ensure that everyone’s voice, feelings, and opinions matter in the work environment.
Appreciate employee individuality and achievement
Everyone is different, both in character and approach. So, it is no use having a diverse workforce if some people are going to be treated better. Even worse when some impressive achievements go unrecognized and unappreciated. An inclusive workplace recognizes the input of its employees—think ritualizing employee recognition. So, recognizing and appreciating employee individuality gives the recipient a sense of belonging.
Give a listening ear to employees.
An essential aspect of creating an inclusive workplace is lending a listening ear to your workers. That way, you make them feel they have a voice because you heard them. For instance, some tech-savvy workers might suggest that you switch to generating online W-2 forms and other financial documents like 1099, invoices, and paystubs through online paystub generators like paystubsnow.
By lending a listening ear, you invariably give your business a chance at utilizing technology for increased productivity through business process automation. What’s more? The employee who made the suggestion feels a sense of inclusivity and would be more inclined to offer additional input in the future.
Use Business meetings to equalize your team.
Business meetings are essential for communicating and reinforcing workplace goals and tracking progress. As a result, regular meetings with your team members put everyone on the same page. That way, you can reiterate your company’s commitment to inclusivity and emphasize civil behavior to create an inclusive workplace.
Create inclusive events at work
Nothing engenders inclusivity in the workplace than a sense of community. As a result, social events within the workplace are a great way to begin. For instance, you can host events to commemorate or celebrate more holidays and global events like pride month, religious holidays, and other socio-cultural events. These social events contribute immensely to an inclusive workplace.
Final thought
Workforce diversification and inclusivity are two sides of a coin. However, the extent to which they collaborate to increase work output in your establishment relies on your proportionate application. So, while you expand your hiring tentacles across various demographics, it would be best if you support it with an active, inclusive scheme.
FAQS: what does it mean to be an inclusive organization?
What does it mean to be an inclusive organization?
An organization is inclusive when it comprises a diverse population yet with maximum support, acceptance, and respect for individual differences. There is little or no judgment in an inclusive organization, and everyone has a voice. Also, there is respect for people’s feelings and individuality.
What is the difference between inclusivity and diversity?
It is effortless to confuse both terms related to individual differences. However, while diversity focuses on the variability of the workforce, inclusivity focuses on the active treatment of the varied workforce.
Why is inclusivity important in the workplace?
Because a tree cannot make a forest, a person also does not make a successful inclusive workplace. Since various people who are inherently different work together for the company’s common goal, inclusivity is the bond that holds them together.
