Inclusion in the Workplace: How to Cultivate a Better Work Environment
Nov 03, 2020
Inclusion in the Workplace: How to Cultivate a Better Work Environment
Working to cultivate inclusion in the workplace isn't about checking off boxes to be able to say you did the “right thing.” It's about truly caring about inclusion and supporting your business and team of employees with different backgrounds, worldviews, and experiences.
To create a well-rounded team, you should work to hire with inclusivity in mind. You should also make sure you're cultivating a workplace culture that inspires diversity.
If you're looking for guidance on how to generate a diverse workforce, keep reading. In this guide, we will go over some strategies you can use to cultivate inclusion in the workplace.
You can create a work environment that is well-rounded and successful with these helpful tips.
Foster a Safe and Supportive Environment
As a business owner, it's important that you make sure your workplace is a safe one for all employees. This means that you should be ready and willing to have sensitive and difficult conversations when issues arise. Create space for discussion so that you can build better relationships and work to bridge any divides in the office.
Encourage collective decision making to help every employee feel that their work embraces and supports everyone's differences. Listen to this podcast episode on strategically creating innovation and inclusion to get you started.
Educate Your Team On Inclusive Practices
Educating your staff on the importance of inclusivity can help you to avoid issues in the workplace while bringing your staff together. This can work to help your team learn more about unconscious biases, encouraging them to consider other perspectives.
Show your staff that you're learning with them. This will reflect that diversity and inclusion is an issue that is important to you and your company's mission.
If you have an HR staff, they should be committed to exploring new inclusivity educational opportunities for both staff and leaders. This could come in many forms, such as workshops, courses, training, and team-building exercises.
This can help address issues such as underrepresented employee groups. These tactics can help boost diversity internally. This could be through hiring, developing, and promoting diverse employees.
Establish Accountability
If you're putting the work in to create a culturally inclusive workplace, you should uphold it. If there are violators, make sure there is accountability in place.
Don't turn a blind eye to an offensive situation. As a leader, you should make sure consequences are implemented for those who violate your inclusivity protocol. You set the tone for the company, so it's important to practice what you preach.
A lack of accountability can quickly destroy a workplace culture. It can put your employees in an uncomfortable and dangerous position when threatened. Make sure your team is all on the same page about workplace expectation and company culture protocol to keep them accountable.
Fostering Inclusion in the Workplace
As a leader of your company, it is your job to make sure you're fostering inclusion in the workplace, hiring a staff that is rich in diversity to form a well-rounded team, and creating a safe environment by educating yourself and your staff on the importance of inclusivity starting today.
We share a lot about diversity and inclusivity in our resources, consulting, and trainings thanks to those on the Talent Magnet Institute faculty. For more on this topic, listen to this podcast episode: Workplace Equity; Let’s Continue Conversing About Race with Torin Ellis.
