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.

The Top Challenges of Diversity and Inclusion

The top challenges of diversity and inclusion

Interested in the challenges of diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

An inclusive and diverse workplace offers many valuable benefits for every organization. A diverse workplace gives employees a sense of belonging, and it allows companies to solve problems with unique insights and different perspectives. 

Moreover, an inclusive work environment can boost employee engagement as diverse employees feel accepted and valued. This, in turn, also reduces turnover rates and improves productivity.

But bringing a diverse group of people from different backgrounds can also bring about many challenges for organizations.

This blog post will cover some of the main challenges of creating an inclusive workplace.

Communication issues

There can be several reasons for communication issues in diverse teams. For example, language barriers, people who have hearing impairments, or even different communication styles and generational preferences. As a result, it’s crucial to address these issues before they hamper team productivity and business goals. 

An easy and effective way to address some issues is to create clear communication channels and set communication standards. For example, there might be generational differences in communication preferences where the younger staff prefers communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, while the older team prefers emailing and phone calls. 

You can combat this challenge by stipulating when the team should use communication software and when phone calls and emails are needed. 

Additionally, if there are teammates who are struggling to follow discussions in meetings either because the language used is their second language or due to hearing loss issues, team leaders should ask team members to speak slowly and clearly. This way, all the attendees feel comfortable enough to contribute to the meeting.

Discrimination

The more diverse team members you have, the more likely your employees will experience biases, discrimination, and harassment. Consequently, some employees might not feel like they can bring their authentic selves to work since they’re afraid of being judged. Discrimination can hinder creativity, teamwork, and innovation.

Stereotypes and prejudice

It’s not uncommon for team members in diverse teams to experience some form of prejudice and stereotyping. Unfortunately, this can result in groups not communicating effectively or using stereotypes to avoid collaborating with their teammates.

Additionally, some team members may have particular views on a religion, race, culture, or even practice. This can also lead to ineffective team communication, isolation, and disjointedness in teams. 

You can combat this challenge by setting strict guidelines via a Code of Conduct. Additionally, you should mention that discrimination and prejudice will not be tolerated in the workplace during the onboarding and recruitment processes. 

Less trust

Diverse teams should have people from minority groups. However, these employees could feel as though they are mistreated compared to the employees from the major groups. As a result, they may think that senior staff members treat the major groups better. 

Consequently, the people from the minority groups might feel afraid to raise their concerns, work towards promotions, or voice their ideas and opinions, especially when they’re new to the job or in junior positions. This also hinders team creativity, and productivity since some employees in your diverse workforce aren’t giving their all during team meetings and other discussions. 

You can boost trust and transparency in your team by employing leaders who make every team member feel included, accepted, and valued. This way, every employee can trust the company and get a sense of physiological safety. 

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

We over bespoke services that allow you to create an inclusive and diverse workplace while simultaneously boosting employee engagement and productivity.

The Benefits of Having Diversity and Inclusion in the Office

The Benefits of Having Diversity and Inclusion in the Office

Companies that prioritize creating a diverse and inclusive workplace can create a work environment that’s more accepting and productive. Additionally, employees in these work environments often feel more motivated to reach company goals, stay committed to the company, and avoid looking for other jobs. 

This blog post will cover six core benefits of prioritizing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

Bigger talent pool

Companies with a diverse and inclusive culture often have lower employee turnover rates and higher employee retention rates than others.

Additionally, job seekers often stay with companies that invest in diversity and inclusivity practices, programs, and resources. When your employees feel included and valued, they also perform better and work harder towards company goals. 

In fact, researchers found that 67% of job seekers considered a diverse workforce one of the crucial factors when applying for jobs. As a result, employees consider diversity and inclusivity to be paramount when searching for a job.

Increased employee engagement and trust

There’s no doubt that inclusive workplaces make your workforce feel more valued, understood, and appreciated. As a result, these employees feel more motivated to perform better and instill trust in the company. 

Additionally, employees are often more interested in a company’s culture, team-building activities, and goals when they know their voices and talents matter.

New perspectives and innovation

A diverse workplace encompasses many unique employees from different backgrounds. These diverse employees offer companies innovative ideas, creative solutions, and new insights into business processes. 

In Fostering Innovation Through a Diverse Workforce (a study conducted by Forbes researchers), researchers found that diverse employees offer companies unique life experiences and backgrounds and new problem-solving techniques. This way, diverse companies can outpace their competitors. 

Additionally, according to John Bersin’s research, inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to lead innovation in their respective markets. 

Better decision-making

Having a diverse group of employees with different opinions and skills can help companies get a blend of perspectives for every decision-making process. This way, companies can make more informed business decisions.

Moreover, companies that prioritize the opinions of their employees during decision-making often make their diverse workforces feel more valued. This can also boost performance and motivate employees to achieve business goals. 

Improved performance

As we mentioned above, diverse teams are more motivated and productive. As a result, they are more likely to stay committed to the company, work towards company goals, and work cohesively as a team.

Moreover, Gartner found that inclusive work environments can boost team performance by up to 30%.

Another study conducted by Great Place to Work shows that when employees know that they will be treated fairly at work, they are 9.8 times more likely to look forward to work and 6.3 times more likely to have pride in their work. These factors also lead to increased productivity and reduced downtime.

Stronger business results and profits

When employees feel included, appreciated, and valued, they’re more likely to engage in company processes and strive toward personal and business goals. Additionally, highly engaged employees often go the extra mile for the company. This can also lead to higher profits for the company. 

In fact, Harvard Business Review found that diverse companies report 19% higher revenue than businesses that don’t promote diversity and inclusion. 

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

We over bespoke services that allow you to support your commitment toward inclusive workplaces.