18 Dec 2023
Manoj G
Inclusivity in Action: Promoting Diversity and Equity
Diversity and inclusion will soon be on par with other employee features, such as salary and benefits. These terms are usually grouped with concepts like belonging and hold immense value in the workplace. Employees want to be appreciated for their contributions and respected by their peers. So, organizations must promote diversity and equity in the workplace as it is also a crucial factor for hiring new talent, fostering innovation, and staying competitive in the global markets.
Differences Between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace means making everyone feel they belong, regardless of their identities, ethnicities, or backgrounds. Organizations should promote such a workplace where everyone is given equal opportunity to develop themselves in all aspects.
It is important to note that diversity and inclusion are interrelated. While diversity represents entities, inclusion includes different groups, their contributions, and perspectives. For example, a diverse workplace may be one where you have people from different backgrounds based on race, ethnicity, gender, and religion. However, an inclusive workplace is one where the perspectives of the entities and groups hold value.
Workplace equity is another concept you need to consider. Promoting workplace equity is about removing all the barriers preventing certain people from achieving their goals. However, promoting justice, fairness, and impartiality is the true essence of equity. There are workplaces where efforts are made to foster a diverse, equal, and inclusive environment.
The Importance of Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity
A diverse and inclusive workplace drives higher revenue and innovation. It also allows you to source and hire diverse talent and, more importantly, retain it. Retention rates are 5.4 times higher in a diverse and inclusive workplace. Employees tend to leave their workplaces when they feel their presence, ideas, and contributions could be more helpful. They would only feel like going to work when their workplaces are genuinely inclusive. Workers also seek fair treatment at the workplace and are 6.3 times more likely to be proud of what they do and their achievements in an inclusive work environment.
This suggests a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters a conducive atmosphere, increasing employee satisfaction.
Promoting Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity
A diverse and inclusive workplace has been the ask for several years now. However, many companies must establish a work environment that fosters employee growth. These companies have undergone several phases of unsuccessful hiring, recruiting, and onboarding, which have also proven expensive. So, they are reconsidering their actions.
Their consultants, learning and development professionals are focusing heavily on fostering work cultures with a positive impact. So, here’s how these companies promote better, more diverse, and inclusive workplaces -
1. Unconscious Bias
The first step towards creating a diverse and inclusive work culture and environment is to understand the prevailing biases. There may be different biases in the workplace. Unconscious biases are hidden feelings or biases that may not be outwardly expressed. These biases don’t necessarily align with conscious biases or declared beliefs; you need to pay more attention to them.
Industry leaders and veterans can help their subordinates understand their unconscious biases and suggest actions to come to terms with them. Addressing these biases may require reviewing, questioning, and analyzing personal assumptions. It can help identify and do away with or replace unconscious biases.
2. Managing Bias
Employers can foster diversity, inclusivity, and equity with the help of cultural humility. Cultural humility involves being curious and humble about the cultural differences in the workplace. It is a given that only some people are experts on this topic. However, by constantly learning, you can better understand, respect, and embrace people's views.
Organizations can also leverage technology to provide training and guidance to employees on their actions, which can show them the way forward. The training should reduce defensiveness and improve employees' understanding of unconscious bias. Everyone has good and bad qualities, and with such training, employees can learn to accept unconscious bias as part of being human, not because of their traits. One of the best examples here is Google’s findings on internal training.
3. Pay Equity
Promoting pay equity means ensuring employees receive fair pay for their contributions. It involves identifying underpaid roles and using people analytics to zero in on pay gaps. Employers can gain valuable insights to help them identify specific groups or individuals that may be underpaid. For instance, organizations can leverage analytics to determine if all ethnic and gender groups are being paid fairly.
4. Strategic Training Programs
Training employees on diversity, inclusion, and equity can help them understand how cultural differences in the workplace affect how people work and interact with each other. These training programs may include concepts like time and conflict management, communication styles, and self-identity. Employers may also need to focus on specific training modules that align with their organization's needs and goals. However, they must also ensure these training modules align with employee needs.
They can also develop and implement custom training programs using internal resources or a consultant's help. However, it is crucial to let employees know about the importance of these training programs and motivate them to learn the modules.
5. Religious and Cultural Holidays
Acknowledging cultural and religious holidays is another way to foster better diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Employers should know and accept religious and cultural holidays by calling for team meetings and outings. Managers and team leads can also email employees about cultural and religious holidays. Remember that these small things go a long way in appreciating and respecting people from different cultures. So, as employers, you need to do your bit to support people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.
6. Mixing up Teams
Learning from different voices, cultures, and experiences can be crucial to facilitating diversity and inclusion. It’s like getting a 360-degree view, where your focus is on the entire chess board rather than on a single piece or where you stand. In a workplace context, though, it’s about focusing on the whole company rather than only a few departments.
Mixing up your teams allows for cross-cultural interaction and creates a truly diverse workplace where people from different ethnic backgrounds work together to achieve common goals. Moreover, it positively impacts productivity and innovation.
7. Facilitating Constant Feedback
Getting employee feedback on diversity, equity, inclusion, and their promotion and facilitation in the workplace is another great way to foster a conducive environment that leads to better productivity. Employees can provide anonymous feedback using different feedback and engagement tools and technologies if they don’t want to see themselves in the spotlight. These tools make it easier for employees to provide their input and honest opinions and vouch for greater transparency.
8. Assessing Company Policies
As employers, you will also need to identify possible areas of discrimination. So, check for policies that may lead to discrimination and amend them. Companies must also note that remote working conditions have changed many factors of workplace discrimination, and they must set policies in action keeping in mind the new norms of remote working conditions.
For instance, flexible working conditions form an imminent part of remote working, and employers must give space for them in their policies. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should also include a close part of remote and flexible workplaces, and companies must ensure that they promote them through their policies.
Approaching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
Employers must recognize the values of a diverse and inclusive workplace and make efforts to promote them. These factors vouch for a better, collaborative work environment and can help companies recover from crises and other situations. Moreover, they also help support employees, build the company culture, and create a thriving business environment. So, fostering a workplace that includes people from diverse backgrounds can help secure the company’s future and ensure success.