Ways to Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace

Ways to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

Not sure if your company is doing all that it can to improve workplace diversity and inclusion?

Organizations that prioritize and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion reap tons of benefits for the business and their employees. 

Inclusive work environments often produce more motivated, productive, and outspoken employees. Additionally, productive employees often go the extra mile for the companies they work for, which can also boost company profits and revenue streams.

Moreover, inclusivity and diversity are common elements that job seekers look for when applying for a job. As a result, an inclusive work environment can attract more applicants.

But the above benefits are only realized once your organization promotes diversity and inclusivity properly.

Here are a few ways organizations can do this:

Mix up your teams

The easiest way to boost inclusivity and diversity in the workplace is to ensure every team and department has a diverse group of employees. 

Diverse teams are often more creative and productive since they consist of people with different skills, backgrounds, experiences, etc.

Be aware of unconscious bias

An organization with diverse employees may experience some internal unconscious bias. As a result, organizations must introduce unconscious bias training.

Unconscious bias encompasses feelings or attitudes that are held subconsciously. Consequently, it’s often hard to spot this kind of bias. As a result, organizations need to train their managers and leaders to recognize this form of bias. This way, the managing team can set clear standards for employees and help employees understand when they are biased towards a particular group or employee. Companies must nip this issue in the bud since prejudice and bias can make employees feel uncomfortable and undervalued.

Develop a strategic training program

Diversity and inclusivity training can help managers and employees understand how cultural differences impact day-to-day operations. For example, team members in a diverse team may have different communication preferences or styles. As a result, managers need to put clear processes in place to avoid miscommunication or missed deadlines due to communication issues.

Organizations should also ensure that their inclusion efforts align with their overarching inclusivity goals and identified challenges. Attendance in these training programs should also be optional as opposed to compulsory. This way, employees can attend and learn about one another out of their own free will. 

Promote pay equity

To promote equal pay, you need to consider whether or not your certain employees are receiving equal pay for similar roles or responsibilities. This way, you can identify which employees are underpaid for dedicating the same amount of time, skills, and knowledge. 

By using HR or people analytics, organizations can pinpoint salary or wage gaps within a particular department or team. Moreover, managers can spot payment gap patterns or trends within a specific minority group – people of color, women, people with disabilities, etc.

Communicate the importance of managing bias

Organizations can help employees understand the importance of managing bias through training and employee resource groups. Employees must know that it’s human to have unconscious biases, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. Internal bias training can help employees and managers recognize when they’re stereotyping. This way, every team member can work towards creating an integrated, inclusive work environment. 

If you want to improve your company’s workplace diversity and inclusion, visit the Corporate Class website today. 

We over bespoke services that can help you improve workplace diversity and inclusion effectively while also boosting employee engagement and innovation.

How to Foster Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

How to foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Want to know how to foster diversity and inclusion in the office?

Organizations that invest in diversity and inclusion often have more productive employees who feel accepted, valued, and welcomed. 

Additionally, diverse teams are often more engaged and offer unique problem-solving solutions to decision-making processes.

So if your company already employs a diverse workforce that encompasses a range of religions, backgrounds, ages, and genders, you might feel that you can check the diversity and inclusion box off.

But it’s not that simple. 

There’s always room for improvement when creating an inclusive work environment that genuinely boosts employee engagement and productivity.

In this blog post, we’ll cover improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Confirm executive support

The image of your executive team can impact how your employees and external stakeholders view your company and its culture. As a result, it’s a good idea to have a diverse executive team that includes unique ethnic groups and gender diversity. Additionally, your team should consist of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. This is crucial since leaders are often role models for employees and set the standards for the workforce.

Additionally, an effective way to boost executive support is by introducing training at the top management level. This way, your executive team understands the importance of diversity and inclusion and treats their employees fairly and equally.

Leverage multiple tools and channels for employee feedback

Inclusive companies can use surveys and other forms of employee feedback to better understand their employees’ concerns and needs. By deploying surveys, you’ll better understand and combat any patterns of discrimination and structures of prejudice in the company.

It’s also a good idea to incorporate anonymous feedback. This way, you can really drill down on more minor, pressing issues in specific departments or areas of work.

Moreover, team leaders and managers can use check-in tools to get personalized feedback from employees. This way, employees know they can voice their opinions and that their managers care. 

Approach with your heart in the right place

If you want to promote diversity and inclusion, you need to approach business processes strategically and compassionately.

One way to do this is by acknowledging cultural holidays. You can do this by asking employees what their plans are for a particular religious or cultural holiday when a team meeting is ending. Additionally, you can set appointments and deadlines while considering special religious and cultural holidays. This way, employees know that you are aware of their needs and that you offer them the flexibility to commit to their cultural and religious needs and work commitments. 

Promote pay equity

Managers and senior staff should evaluate and promote equal opportunities and pay for every employee.

Organizations can evaluate which staff members are being underpaid for similar roles and responsibilities. This also helps diverse companies understand which minority groups are being mistreated. Managers should also identify pay gap patterns across departments and get to the root cause of these issues. This way, diverse employees know that the management team is working towards creating an inclusive and equal work environment and that they are valued. 

If you want to improve your company’s workplace diversity and inclusion, visit the Corporate Class website today. 

We over bespoke services that will help you foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace while boosting employee engagement and productivity.

What Are Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace?

What are diversity and inclusion in the workplace_

What are diversity and inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion in the workspace refer to how a group of unique individuals work together as a cohesive unit. Diverse teams often consist of team members who have different perspectives, needs, and skills. 

Companies that promote diversity and inclusion often outpace competitors since their employees feel valued, motivated, and are eager to succeed.

But diversity and inclusion go beyond programs, headcounts, and workplace policies – it’s about building a transparent work environment where employees can be their authentic selves and trust the company.

This blog post will cover everything you need to know about workplace diversity and inclusion.

What is Diversity and Inclusion?

Put simply, diversity in the workplace refers to a work environment that employees people from different demographics. For example, different races, skills, genders, backgrounds, and interests. 

Additionally, diversity encompasses everything that makes individuals different from one another. As a result, it goes beyond general factors like gender, race, age, and more. 

In other words, diverse work environments reflect the society they operate in.

Companies that prioritize diversity can create more tolerant, accepting, and welcoming onboarding processes and overall work environment.

Although diversity and inclusion are often used interchangeably, inclusion is quite different from diversity.

SHRM defines inclusion as the ability of a work environment to treat its employees fairly, equally, and respectfully. This way, individuals get equal access to resources and opportunities. 

Moreover, inclusion allows marginalized groups to feel equal and accepted in the workplace. For example, marginalized genders, races, and those with any physical or mental disability will be given equal opportunities to succeed in the workplace. 

What is the difference between diversity & inclusion?

Although diversity and inclusion are definitely interconnected, these two terms are far from interchangeable. 

Diversity is about representation and how well different groups of people integrate and are valued in a work environment. This way, people with different genders, races, nationalities, sexual orientations, and identities are present in the work environment.

When it comes to inclusion, companies need to work towards making the work environment inclusive, not only diverse. 

As a result, a company can try its best to “check all the boxes” for diversity by recruiting people based on surface characteristics like gender diversity and ethnicity. But if these employees feel ostracized or “othered” in the work environment, then the workplace isn’t truly inclusive.

Companies can create an inclusive workplace by creating employee resources groups and by hosting information sessions that educate employees and managers about the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Why is diversity & inclusion in the workplace Important?

Here are four benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace:

  • Increases profitability: Statistically, companies that invest in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace are more profitable and experience higher revenue. In fact, a 2015 McKinsey report found that highly diverse organizations were 35% more likely to exceed median earnings in their industry.
  • Improves company culture and image: Companies that prioritize hiring, welcoming, and promoting unique employees from different backgrounds are more likely to create a productive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace. This, in turn, also impacts how employees, investors, and the general public view the company.
  • Retains and attracts talent: Inclusive and diverse workplaces appear more attractive to job seekers. As a result, workplace culture plays a major deciding factor for potential employees. Moreover, BetterUp found that employees with the highest levels of belonging are 34% more likely to stay at their jobs than those with low levels of belonging. 

If you want to improve your company’s workforce diversity and inclusion, visit the Corporate Class website today. 

We over bespoke services that allow you to support your commitment toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Contact us today to learn more about what is diversity and inclusion.