Building an inclusive culture in the workplace begins with a deeper understanding of what the term means. Inclusivity hasn’t always been a well-defined concept, but it’s relatively easy to understand when you think of it as the practice or policy of providing everyone equal access to opportunities and resources.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to build inclusion in the workplace, you’ll want an even richer understanding of inclusivity in action. We’ve made it simple to increase your knowledge by tackling a few of the most common inclusivity-related questions.
1. Is there a difference between diversity and inclusion?
Diversity and inclusion in business go hand in hand, but they are unique philosophies and principles. Diversity brings employees from an array of experiences into the company through an unbiased recruitment strategy.
In essence, inclusion takes diversity a step further by ensuring these diverse employees are embraced by their peers. Inclusion allows team members to bring their whole selves and skill sets to work every day. An inclusive corporate culture houses a diverse group of employees and sees value in those unique traits. When working together, team members can collaborate in an environment fostered by involvement, respect, and connection rather than fear or suspicion.
2. What is the intrinsic advantage of workplace inclusivity?
By fostering inclusiveness on the job, companies create value by harnessing a wealth of creative, innovative concepts based on worker backgrounds and perspectives. Inclusive workplace practices can lead to tighter co-worker interpersonal relationships, improved team-based productivity, creative problem-solving, boosted employee engagement, and lowered workforce turnover.
Inclusive workplaces make people feel more respected and less stressed. Because the atmosphere is comfortable and employees appreciate each other’s backstories, team members have no reason to hold back when asked to contribute. Workers know that they have a fair chance of progressing in their careers because they’re not seen as “the other” but rather as part of a mosaic whole.
3. How do I put it all together?
Once you’ve defined inclusion and embraced its benefits, it’s time to put inclusion into action. Start by understanding the role diversity plays in identifying a wide array of individuals from all backgrounds for open positions and then offering jobs to the strongest candidates. Recruiters should make a point of wooing applicants from underrepresented areas to widen their searches, ensuring a broader candidate pool and multiple possibilities.
With that established, understand that building an inclusive culture doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start by honoring multiple religious and cultural practices, for instance. Institute floating holidays to accommodate for differing religious affiliations instead of assuming everyone holds the same beliefs. You may also want to create a nursing room for new mothers or a place where employees can pray discreetly. Amassing a diversity and inclusion team at your office can help generate additional inclusivity ideas.
Progressive businesses have learned that they could be left behind unless they focus on inclusivity. To remain competitive in an increasingly disruptive and evolving climate, take time to reignite your commitment to diversity and inclusion in business.
Integrity Staffing Solutions is a full-service staffing agency and ranks in the top 2% of agencies across the country for quality service based on ClearlyRated’s “Best of Staffing” client survey. To learn more about Integrity or for help with your hiring needs, visit integritystaffing.com or call 833-446-1300.
