Inclusion and diversity are two sides of the same coin. Both aim to bring a better balance into the workforce, providing people with equal opportunities to shine. Ideally, leaders should strive to promote inclusion and diversity within their workplace. However, being honest with oneself about how they’re doing can take effort.
The truth is that even the best-intentioned managers can miss steps they should be taking. Likewise, it is far too easy to become complacent. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to promote inclusion in the workplace.
Keep It Going
Promoting inclusion shouldn’t be one of those things you do once or twice a year and call it done. Instead, it needs to be something you do all the time. In other words, you need to turn it into a continuous process.
Remember that diversity can be essential for a company’s growth, so there is an incentive to keep this process going at all times. Whatever initiatives or programs you instill, ensure that you maintain them – including regular check-ins.
The Inclusive Workplace Model
The Inclusive Workplace Model takes everyone’s needs and feelings into account. Remember that diversity and inclusion are NOT interchangeable. Just because you’re done a great job hiring a diverse workforce does not mean the company is inclusive.
How does one know if they’re using the Inclusive Workplace Model? Inclusive workplaces make sure that all employees feel safe and comfortable. Likewise, they should feel capable of speaking up as needed.
Here’s an example: What policies are in place to protect new mothers? This goes beyond ensuring they have the necessary time off. An Inclusive Workplace Model would consider a safe space for pumping and any other needs a new mother may have.
Hire Leaders That Understand (and Appreciate) the Need for Inclusion
The only way for a company to ensure that it is working towards inclusion all the time is by hiring leaders that appreciate the importance of these values. In other words, one wants to hire a manager who will continue to push these initiatives independently, without the need for constant reminders and oversight.
Look at it this way: by hiring managers who share these values, there’s less need to worry about what they’re doing when out of sight. A manager who doesn’t care about inclusion is far too likely to ignore these values when not supervised, turning the workplace into a potentially hostile environment.