Inclusion – why it matters, how far have we come, and the way forward
Why inclusion matters
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Inclusion is a popular current topic of conversation, with organisations on different stages of their journeys around how this impacts on the employee experience. The benefits of a diverse workforce, where everyone feels included, no matter what their backgrounds, are well documented for the impact on business performance:
Maximising employee happiness and motivation, as well as helping to reduce instances of stress, bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Increasing business revenues and financial performance.
Encouraging greater innovation and creativity; research has shown that diverse groups with people from different backgrounds, genders, experiences and perspectives consistently generate more innovative solutions than homogeneous groups, leading to better decision-making
Attracting more diverse talent, broadening of available skills, and improved retention of quality employees.
Building affinity with a wider range of customers.
In short, organisations can achieve significant competitive advantage through achieving diversity intheir workforce by increasing their performance across key measures, driving success and it helps to underpins long-term sustainability. An inclusive culture cultivates a sense of belonging, respect and psychological safety, which increases employee engagement and productivity.
Employees are more likely to feel valued for their unique contributions if these are celebrated and recognised. From a prospective employee’s perspective, according to Glassdoor, 78% of employees expect employers to be ‘authentically inclusive’, so expectations need to be met, if not exceeded.
How well are we doing?
How
Encouragingly, recent data from Qualtrics reveals that globally, over four in five employees feel theycan be themselves at work, and over three-quarters harbour a sense of belonging. Fewer-around seven in ten-believe that everyone has an equal chance of success in their company, no matter who they are, and only around three in five agree that senior leadership value diverse perspectives (even if their immediate manager does value different views from their own).
Developing a more inclusive culture
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
There are a number of strategies which can be adopted in creating greater workplace inclusivity, including:
Implementing more inclusive recruitment and hiring practices, including widening the talent pool, leveraging diverse sourcing channels and hiring individuals from underrepresented communities
Use anonymous recruiting to remove any unconscious biases in your hiring process, and consider reassessing the programming in recruitment software to ensure it removes any bias
Elicit feedback from diverse employees and implement recommended changes
Celebrate diverse holidays as a team, enabling insights into different cultures
Create a peer-to-peer buddy system - pair up employees from different backgrounds to build closer connections and a better understanding of other cultures
Invest in D, E & I related training and development for all employees, taking into account theneeds of diverse populations. One aspect of this is education around the use of inclusive language, and the calling out of non-inclusive language / micro-aggressions.
Promote employees' sense of belonging, acceptance and well-being. Mental health can best be supported by creating environments that encourage open communication, empathy and an appropriate work-life balance.
Belonging refers to the feeling of security and support when there is a feeling of acceptance and inclusion. It is an unwritten sense of empowerment to speak up freely without fear of career repercussions. Cultures of inclusion and belonging are now necessities in order to retain diverse talent in the workplace and ensure that D,E&I becomes business as usual, with supportive practices in place to help develop a culture of psychological safety and trust. Employees who do not experience this type of culture, will instead seek out an employer that proactively provides the equitable treatment and flexibility they need, in order to carry out their roles productively.
What’s not working?
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
However, one potential barrier undermining D, E & I efforts is, according to Forbes, that enthusiasm for D, E & I that grew rapidly in the last five to ten years has turned into a significant backlash. Forbes reports that “some individuals are blaming the backlash on resistance from existing power structures.
Others believe that the backlash is due to resistance from white men who feel that DEI initiatives are discriminating against them.” Forbes comments that “a narrow focus on diversity metrics unavoidably leads to a sense of reverse discrimination, and it forces leaders to come up with arbitrary targets that are difficult to justify”.
However, it goes on to reiterate that diversity is an outcome, i.e. the result of everything that happens in an organisation...effectively that it is an integral part of organisational culture, not a short term ‘tick box’.
Embedding an inclusive culture
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
There are a number of actions employers may take to embed diversity and inclusion in the workplace:
Establish and enforce strict policies across the organisation, with a ‘no-tolerance’ approach, and working practice which support employees’ needs e.g. flexibility over the taking of leave for recognised cultural holidays/events, offering progressive parental leave options.
Leading by example plays a crucial role in modelling inclusive behaviour, setting the tone forthe company culture, and driving organisational change. Ensure your leaders are aware and trained on inclusive leadership to set an example for a culture of tolerance and acceptance.
Leadership commitment and accountability is also key. Senior leaders must championdiversity and inclusion as priorities, to inspire others and strive to ensure such initiatives become business as usual practices.
Building inclusive work culture is not an overnight win, but worth the effort. Encourage collaboration on projects across departments/teams, honest communication and teamwork, and provide opportunities and resources. Training programs and workshops on unconscious bias and cultural competence will help to cultivate understanding and awareness.
It is important to also engage with external stakeholders. Businesses can partner with diverse suppliers, support community initiatives and engage in broader diversity efforts beyond theirorganisation.
Ongoing evaluation and improvement-it is vital to measure and track the progress of DEI initiatives. Many organisations, including our clients, use feedback surveys and data to assess progress on their diversity work (e.g. inclusion surveys), as well as HR and recruitment metrics, to identify improvement areas and to measure the impact of initiatives. Think about realistic measures / KPIs and all sufficient time for change to be made.
It is important to note (as well as to manage stakeholder expectations) that building a diverse and inclusive organisation is an ongoing journey. It is essential to continuously evaluate diversity and inclusion efforts through metrics, surveys and feedback mechanisms. By gathering data and insights, organisations can identify areas for improvement and develop targeted strategies. Your employees are one of your greatest resources; remember to ask for feedback regularly, and work to incorporate new ideas and suggestions generated by employees from all levels of the organisation.
