Building a diverse and inclusive workplace involves a lot of work. It is not limited to recruiting employees from different backgrounds. In the same way, diversity means not only race but also gender, age, family status, and more. Inclusion refers to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. Here are some characteristics of a diverse and inclusive workplace:
Don’t discriminate in your job postings
If you’re hiring someone, be sure to keep gender, race and age out of the job posting. Don’t require applicants to provide unnecessary information (like their religion or sexual orientation) that has nothing to do with their ability to perform the job.
Offer diversity and inclusion training
If you want to promote diversity and inclusion in your workplace, here’s how you do it:
- Train managers and employees on how to be inclusive in the workplace.
- Train managers and employees on how to recognize and address bias in the workplace.
- Train managers and employees on how to address unconscious bias in the workplace.
- Offer diversity training for all employees that includes practical strategies they can use daily to lead more inclusive workplaces.
Provide employee resource groups
An employee resource group (ERG) is a group of employees who share a common cultural background, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or other similar characteristics. ERGs can help increase inclusion and diversity in the workplace by providing support for employees who need it. They also provide opportunities for people from different backgrounds to connect with each other.
ERGs are often used as networking resources for members of specific groups — for example, women in tech might meet up every month at lunchtime to discuss issues they have working in the industry and possible solutions. This can be useful if you’re feeling isolated at work because it means someone else out there understands what you’re going through!
Perform a culture audit
A culture audit is a way to evaluate the overall health of your company’s culture. It’s beneficial and necessary for companies that want to be inclusive and diverse. There are several things you can do to conduct a successful culture audit:
Create two columns: one for values that support inclusion, diversity, and equality; another for those that do not align with these values (i.e., sexist jokes). The second column should be much longer than the first; this shows how much work needs to be done for there to be more balance between what is being valued at work versus what isn’t being valued enough yet because it doesn’t align with current beliefs.
Communicate D&I objectives regularly
To make D&I a part of your company’s culture, you must communicate these goals to all employees at all levels and backgrounds. It also means communicating this information to employees of different genders and ethnicities. This can be done in various ways: through meetings, emails, or even posting it on the company bulletin board.
D&I is a process, not a goal. You can’t just throw money at it and expect it to be fixed. There are many ways to promote inclusion and diversity in your organization, but the most important thing is to start somewhere. Experts at Intuit commit to saying, “Our mission to power prosperity around the world is supported by our commitment to creating an inclusive culture where everyone is welcome.” So, look out for a reliable firm that understands the values and helps you build them together.
