To create an environment where everyone can authentically be themselves, we need to take a deep look in the mirror and reflect on how we can cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our team, as well as our management, should reflect the true diversity of our society, which goes beyond gender, age, race, colour, and religious beliefs. It is essential to consider all the dimensions of diversity, including socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, physical or cognitive disabilities, and other ideologies.
With an open-minded approach, we can get a better understanding of the full scope of diversity instead of falling into the trap of achieving diversity without actually understanding it. Inclusivity at the workplace isn't a one-dimensional concept. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to achieving it. However, there are numerous ways to create an environment where people feel a sense of belonging. To learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) as one of the main trends in recruitment, make sure to read our Recruitment trends 2023 report.
In the meantime, here are four steps to quickly increase the feeling of belonging in your workplace.
1. Make sure you know your team enough to act when needed
At a time where parts of your team might not be physically at the office, it’s important to get to know them from afar and find ways to make your team feel seen and heard through the screen. A good way to start? Ask questions! Ask about their life outside of work, how they-re feeling, how they’ve handled quarantine. Ask the questions you might be too afraid to ask is the only way through in order to be better tomorrow. Do they have all the equipment they need to remain motivated, both practically and emotionally? Here’s a step-by-step guide with concrete ideas on how to support remote workers, and workers overall.
2. Foster allyship at work
According to Forbes, employees who feel excluded have a 50% higher rate of turnover than employees who feel they belong, costing organizations about $10 million annually per 10,000 employees. Social connection is a primary need for our human existence, but still, people feel isolated and excluded at work. Everyone lives with elements of privilege and oppression, but when you’re not a part of a marginalized group, that comes with the responsibility to learn, get emotionally involved in what it means to feel excluded, and act upon it. Fostering a form of allyship is a productive and powerful way to act in order to create more inclusivity at the workplace.
3. Use surveys to improve inclusivity at the workplace
In order to create an inclusive workplace, it is vital to understand the needs of the employees and to ensure the environment is free from judgment. Surveys can be a great way to start this process, as they allow you to identify areas in which you can make improvements. However, surveys alone are not enough. It's important to establish a routine where you can continually assess the situation in order to ensure that all employees feel comfortable and accepted. This particularly applies if your workplace is remote and you don't get to interact with each other in person. Checking the ‘pulse’ of the workplace on a regular basis helps ensure that everyone feels safe and included, no matter their background or identity.
4. Be clear about the impact your employees have
Do your employees know how they’re making an impact on the company as a whole? Are their efforts being recognized? Work becomes more real when we feel like we are contributing to a bigger scale and feeding the feeling of working for a purpose. That, we are making a difference with the work they put in. Time to get back to the purpose and follow up on it! Something that transcends what you stand for and believe, as a collective. Revisiting your purpose allows you to check in with your values and how they’re setting the tone and reflecting the company at large. Just as it’s important for your employees to understand how they are contributing, it’s important for you to grasp their individual contribution in order to more genuinely, and powerfully show appreciation and recognition of the work they put in.
Make sure to download our 2023 Recruitment Trend Report for the in-depth insights and how you as a hiring manager can utilize these to maintain a competitive advantage throughout 2023 and beyond.
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