Creating a workplace that is more inclusive and diverse is something that a lot of businesses will be trying to achieve. If you have a more diverse team, you are going to benefit from more diverse ideas in the workplace, enabling your business to grow and innovate effectively. With that being said, below, we are going to take a look at five things you can do in order to achieve inclusion and diversity in your office. So, let’s take a look…
1. Update job descriptions and current company policies
There is only one place to begin, and this is by taking a look at your current company policies and job descriptions and updating them. You will be able to attract a more diverse talent pool if you have gender-neutral job descriptions. You can use a gender decoder to find any masculine and feminine coded words. Once you have done this you should then replace these words with something gender-neutral. Instead of the qualifications, focus on the impact of the role.
Not only do you need to look at your job descriptions but you also need to look at your company culture and onboarding process, which https://www.learningbank.io/blog/hard-to-calculate-value-onboarding is a great resource for. It is all about creating a place of equality when it comes to daily work activities. What is being listened to, promoted, and recognized in your business? Is it those who log the longest hours or those with the loudest voices? You could be holding back great employees who have responsibilities outside of the workplace or happen to be more introverted. Who is handling admin tasks, such as doing office chores, taking meeting notes, and planning team off-sites?
2. Provide flexible work arrangements
You can bring a diverse range of candidates with flexible work arrangements. For example, someone with a physical handicap may find it helpful if your business has work from home options. Moreover, parents of young children will definitely find flexible hours appealing.
3. Start an employee resource group
It is a good idea to start an employee resource group (ERG). A number of businesses have seen the positive impact of having groups for LGBT employees and female employees. These groups provide forums for support, learning, and open discussion, making them a powerful tool for empowering groups that are underrepresented.
4. Open up better communication channels
You need to make sure that your employees feel comfortable sharing criticism openly. A lot of workers do not because they don’t want to criticize the business for fear that it will reflect badly on them. However, if you encourage your employees to be honest and you show you care through making changes based on their suggestions, this is only going to help you move your business forward.
5. Hire for diversity
Last but not least, another tip you should follow in order to achieve inclusion and diversity in your office is to make plans to make sure you are looking for candidates that are diverse. You also need to make sure that your office environment and work culture is inclusive to new hires. One of the best ways for you to do this is to have a background check conducted whenever you are looking for new hires. This will ensure you are hiring people from diverse backgrounds.
