How to create an inclusive work environment.

A survey by Glassdoor states that over 5200 employees from four different countries have

fallen victim to discrimination based on race, age, gender, LGBTQ-(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender and Queer), identity at work and this is the result of a non-inclusive work

environment. This affects employee performance and ultimately affect an organisation’s

productivity and efficiency. This article will guide you on how to create an inclusive work

environment.

“Creating a company culture that celebrates and respects people for their diverse backgrounds and

experiences should be a top priority for all employers. Employees must feel comfortable bringing their

full selves to work without the fear of prejudice or ridicule, whether intentional or not. It is critical for

employers to actively listen to how their employees feel about what it is like to work at their company.

More importantly, employers must be willing and ready to take action to foster a workplace

environment in which all people feel they belong”- Carina Cortez.

What is an inclusive work environment?

“An inclusive workplace is defined as a work environment that makes every employee feel valued

while also acknowledging their differences and how these differences contribute to the organization’s

culture and business outcomes. An inclusive workplace is characterized by affirmative action,

wherein any impact of bias/discrimination/unequal opportunity is negated.”

An inclusive work environment is one in which employees with differences and disabilities

feel a sense of belonging.

How does inclusion differ from diversity?

Diversity and inclusion are related but they do not have the same meaning. Diversity refers

to an entity's makeup or representation. Inclusion refers to how successfully diverse people's

contributions, opinions, and presence are appreciated and incorporated in a given setting.

If there are different genders, ethnicities, nations, sexual orientations, and identities present,

but only the viewpoints of specific groups are valued or have any authority or influence

then the environment is diverse but not inclusive.

In an inclusive and diverse workplace, everyone feels equally supported and involved in all

aspects of the workplace, regardless of what they do or who they are.

Do you recruit from a diverse pool of candidates, have diverse departments, and leadership?

Or do you have a company where 50% of your employees are female but 0% of your

managers are female? Do you have a fair number of employees of colour in general, but they

all work in the same department?

The importance of an inclusive environment at work
An article by Deloitte on diversity and inclusion indicates that inclusive and diverse teams

perform better than their peers. Companies that use inclusive talent practices in hiring,

development, promotion, leadership, and team management produce up to 30% more

revenue per employee and are more profitable. The team-centric paradigm of a diversified

workforce may not work successfully without a strong culture of inclusiveness and

adaptability.

Organizations must be inclusive in order for diversity programs and initiatives to succeed.

Without inclusion, diversity is meaningless. When employees feel included, they get a sense

of belonging, which improves performance and the formation of collaborative, engaging,

and innovative teams. Employees who feel included are more likely to be enthusiastic about

their jobs. Increased employee engagement leads to increased productivity, retention, and

overall corporate success.

It brings in new perspectives and innovation

With a more diversified workforce, your organization has a better chance of coming up with

new ideas. According to the Harvard Business Review, there is a statistically significant link

between diversity and innovation results. As assessed by their revenue mix, the most

diverse organisations, in terms of migration, industry, career path, gender, education, and

age, were also the most innovative. Each of the six aspects of diversity were correlated to

innovation, but the effects of industry, country of origin, and gender on the organisation’s

revenue were significantly greater.

Diverse teams are better at identifying products and services that meet the needs of new

client segments. In addition, many diverse personnel have suffered substantial adversity in

their lives. These difficulties compelled them to improve their skills and develop great

problem-solving skills.

Stronger business results and profits

Diversity and inclusion are clearly beneficial to employees' mental health, and they also

have positive business impact. According to Harvard Business Review, more diversified
businesses generate 19% more income. According to a McKinsey analysis, every 10%

increase in the racial and ethnic diversity of a company's senior-executive team results in a

0.8 percent rise in earnings.

Furthermore, businesses in the top quartile for racial, ethnic, and gender diversity are 25%

more likely to be profitable than the national median for their specific industry. This is

especially true in crisis situations. Before, during, and after a recession, Great Place to Work

evaluated hundreds of publicly traded companies. Exceptionally inclusive companies

experienced a 14.4% increase in stock performance.

Increased employee engagement and trust

Employees are more engaged when they feel included. Employees who are highly engaged

go above and beyond for the company. Profitability, team morale, and retention all result

from an inclusive environment with engaged employees. People who work in inclusive

environments also have better physical and emotional health and take fewer sick days. 83%

of millennials are actively engaged in their work when employers support diversity and

inclusion activities.

Furthermore, by creating an inclusive workplace, you may foster stronger trust between

employees and management, which is a major issue in today's workforce. Only 1 in 5 HR

and engagement executives agree that their employees have a high level of trust in their

bosses. Training your leaders to recognize their team members' unique skills and to reward

them for performing well will help to solve this problem and make your workplace more

inclusive. It's also vital to note to foster a truly inclusive culture, all employees must

recognize one another.

Characteristics of an inclusive work environment

An inclusive workplace is characterised by a number of aspects:

Diversity and inclusiveness are valued as a way of life

In an inclusive workplace, diversity is visible at all levels of the organization. Both the

workforce and the client populations have a diverse range of cultures, traditions, beliefs,
languages, and lifestyles, all of which are recognized without prejudice. People are seen as

individuals who have banded together to achieve common goals through coordinated

action.

It assesses individual and group performance based on actions and abilities that
are visible and measurable

Employees are well-informed about their duties and responsibilities. They are judged on

their own activities rather than the views of others. Expectations and goals can be met.

It follows policies and procedures that are open to the public

There are no hidden norms of behaviour that certain groups may be aware of while others

are unaware of.

Its interactions with everyone are consistent

There is no discrimination. Throughout the institution, rules are enforced consistently and

appropriately. There is no preference for one group over another.

It fosters and sustains a learning environment

Management encourages and supports all employees' professional development.

Mentoring programs are extensive, with both formal and informal mechanisms in place to

address the requirements of all employees. Mistakes are acknowledged and consequences

are dealt, but they are considered as learning opportunities rather than faults in character.

How to implement an inclusive work environment

Despite the fact that many firms are striving toward more inclusive workforces, there is still

much work to be done. As a leader, you can take some basic steps to build an inclusive

workplace atmosphere

1. Begin from the top.

Creating and encouraging a sense of belonging at your workplace starts at the top, just like

any other aspect of company culture. According to Eloise Bune, co-founder of Tentrr and

previous CEO of ScribbleChat, the company's founders and management team must have a

desire to develop a diverse culture and hire people who are open to working with people of

all nationalities, skin colours, genders, and sexual orientations.

2. Adopt inclusive recruitment strategies
It's simple to spread that attitude throughout your company once the leadership sets the

tone.

"What's fantastic about cultivating a culture of belonging is that it can be done both top-down and

bottom-up” - Ullmann

Ullmann also suggests scrutinizing your company's recruiting strategies to ensure that

you're hiring with the objective of developing diversity and inclusion in mind.

"To enhance your company's future, cultivate your employees, and invest in the community as a

whole, make inclusive recruitment an intrinsic part of your company's DNA," he said.

3. Provide employees with a safe working environment

Inclusive workplaces go above and above to ensure that all employees, especially those from

underrepresented groups, are secure and comfortable. For example, gendered bathrooms

have the potential to make transgender and gender non-conforming employees

uncomfortable, especially in light of controversial bathroom bills that could or are affecting

transgender rights in various jurisdictions. According to Bune, providing unisex bathrooms

in your workplace is a simple way to establish a modern, inclusive workplace.

On a bigger scale, simply spending time together can create inclusive environments.

Consider having team lunches and other casual get-togethers to let staff get to know one

another. If your organization is larger, creating an internal support group or network for

diverse employees may help them connect with others who share their experiences.

The work environment needs to be psychologically safe to ensure that employees are always

at their best performance.

4. Connect with your employees and be sensitive.

Connecting with your colleagues on a personal level is one of the finest ways to convey to

them that it is fine for them to be comfortable at work. Be honest with them about your own

life and they will likely do the same.

Asking about "spouses" or "partners" (rather than assuming someone's sexual orientation

and using gendered language) can encourage LGBTQ employees to speak up about their

personal life and feel included in non-work talks. It is crucial, though, to be sensitive to their

identity.

LGBTQ employees should be treated like everyone else in the organisation. It is important to

avoid asking inappropriate questions like, ‘How did you come out?’, unless you have a

personal relationship with the person.

5. Allow employees to submit feedback in different methods.

Employees should have a place to engage with others and share their views. It can be

through employee surveys, suggestion boxes or through the workers union. Employees’

perspectives matter and should be taken into consideration

Examples of organisations implementing an inclusive work culture

A number of organisations have created an inclusive work culture for their employees. Here

are a few examples:

1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a global employee resource organization that provides executive sponsors and

a strong ally community for LGBTQ employees. Employees, executives, and LinkedIn

Influencers were invited to share their experiences about belonging at work as part of the

company's #ProudAtWork campaign.

2. KPMG

KPMG has an inclusion and diversity strategy that helps them to create an inclusive work

environment. They were the first organisation to externally publish their gender targets. In

Jamaica, 74% of their workforce is made up of women.

Conclusion

The evidence from this article clearly shows that an inclusive work environment fosters

company productivity. Organisations should hence thrive to create an inclusive and diverse

work environment.

Nicole Chimwamafuku is Finance, Strategy and Performance Management

Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a business
management and human resources consulting firm.

Phone: +263 242 481946-48/481950

Mobile: +263 782 415 973

Email: nicole@ipcconsultants.com