All businesses are required by law to provide inclusive working environments for employees regardless of gender, religion, race, age, or disability. Businesses that do so can enjoy benefits like a good reputation and low employee turnover. While big strides have been made on the inclusivity front, the journey is still far from over.
According to EY’s “Belonging Barometer” survey, 75% of employees report feeling excluded at work, while only 35% of business leaders believe DE&I to be important to a business. So, how can leaders enhance inclusivity and camaraderie in the workplace?
Strategies to Achieve Diversity Equity and Inclusion at The Office
Use the best tools for collaboration and inclusivity
Good communication facilitates inclusivity by enabling workers to share feedback and contribute to innovation. However, cultural, time, and space barriers can hinder smooth communication. To overcome these barriers, you can use the below tools:
- Google Workspace for instantaneous collaboration on documents
- Zoom for humanizing long-distant interactions
- Voice messaging tools like Telegram and Skype for one-on-one interactions with teams
Implement inspiring DEI initiatives
According to a study published by Scientific American, when team members are given the freedom to learn, outcomes for inclusive practices significantly improve.
For instance, companies that include DE&I learning concepts within team-building initiatives report better outcomes. Examples include dinners at restaurants with exotic menus, language training, and multicultural movie sessions.
Deploy DEI-focused hiring platforms
Businesses must use hiring platforms that guarantee inclusion and diversity to attract a wide range of talent and prevent sneaky and pervasive unconscious bias. Here are example DEI tools to help you hire the best people:
- Hirepurpose and LinkedIn Talent Insights for sourcing diverse talent, especially from underrepresented groups.
- Textio, Entelo, and Pymetrics to eradicate unconscious bias during recruitment.
- Interviewing.io and HireVue apps to create an inclusive interview environment by anonymizing the whole process.
Fostering inclusive leadership
Creating equity, inclusion and diversity at work goes beyond using tools, it also includes making everyone feel respected, valued, and empowered to air their unique opinions and perspectives.
The best DEI program leaders empower teams to express their opinions without fear of retribution or exclusion. They lead from the front by nurturing a culture of acceptance that teams can replicate.
Start by offering training programs in cultural acceptance. Teach your teams to like, embrace and work with people from diverse backgrounds and implement measures to improve DEI collaboration outcomes.
Equal remuneration for equal work
Business leaders must ensure that everyone in the same job category receives equal pay unless differences in pay are justifiable. Equity in remuneration should be implemented everywhere across performance-related benefits, non-discretionary bonuses, sick pay, pension schemes, and fringe benefits like company cars and allowances.
Celebrating cultural diversity
Acknowledging the rich tapestry of cultural differences in our offices encourages innovation, and increases comradeship and productivity. This appreciation can transform the office environment into a vibrant place where each individual feels heard and valued.
Some strategies to celebrate cultural diversity include instituting cultural awareness days at the office. Equally important, DEI leaders must implement inclusive holiday policies that recognize and respect their teams’ cultural diversity.
Conclusion
Leaders have a moral responsibility and strategic imperative to promote inclusivity and friendships at the office. But to create a truly inclusive workplace, you must develop strategies to address the different aspects of diversity and blur the lines that divide people across language , culture, time, geography, physical disability and religion.
