Creating an inclusive environment within your workplace is something that any type of business should strive for. While hiring a diverse workforce is an excellent place to start, inclusivity takes more effort from your leadership team. Here are three ways any business can create a more inclusive environment over the upcoming months and years.
1. Work From The Top Down
When trying to make any change within your company, this needs to come from the leaders of your organization. Changing your company’s culture won’t happen without their support and without leading by example. Your executives and founders should be excited about building a diverse workforce and hiring individuals at all levels of different nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, and skin colors. When diversity isn’t one of your company’s goals, unfortunately, it won’t happen at any level of the organization. You’ll want to ensure you equip all of your employees with the tools they need to grow and move up in the organization, regardless of their background.
2. Celebrate the Diversity Within Your Company
When it comes to your current workforce, you should be excited by the diversity. Everyone in your organization has something unique to bring to the table, and by allowing everyone to showcase their culture and heritage, you’ll create a more vibrant office environment. Encourage your team members to share their culture with everyone else by hosting celebrations for various events throughout the year where possible and appropriate.
Religion is sometimes overlooked, but many companies are now adding prayer rooms into their office space. This allows individuals to have a private area to pray without worrying about finding a quiet corner of the office during their working day. Cultural diversity should be incorporated into your company’s training program. You’ll find that it can help open up discussions and create a more open-minded working environment.
3. Open Communication
One of the easiest ways to improve your working environment and create a more inclusive workplace is to listen to your current employees. If your employees don’t feel comfortable speaking with their leaders in your business, this is something that you’ll want to address as soon as possible. The first step to creating an inclusive environment is ensuring everyone can speak without feeling like they are being judged. Encourage your leaders to connect with your employees personally and get to know them beyond their role at the company. Also, when trying to improve the environment within your organization, ask for feedback and be willing to take on board the positive and negative things your current employees may have to say.
A great way to build a team that values diversity and inclusion is by offering your employees and leaders training on doing so. Below you will find four of the top diversity and inclusion training programs for 2021.
eCornell’s Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
The main idea behind this course is to help you make your organization a more engaging place. It covers improving employee engagement, countering unconscious bias, workplace diversity and inclusion, and fostering inclusiveness.
Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace on Coursera
This program is great for individual employees who are looking to learn more about diversity and inclusion. It provides a basis for understanding the dynamics of diversity and inclusion and managing diversity within your organization.
Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program by AMA
The American Management Association (AMA) is the official management association that provides training, corporate solutions, certifications, and various resources. Trainees will learn to shape and reinforce important language and writing with diversity in mind.
Leading with Effective Communication (Inclusive Leadership Training) by edX
If you’re looking to train your leaders in developing appropriate communication skills and meaningful relationships in the workplace, this course covers just that. They will also learn various approaches, tools, and frameworks to assist them.
These are just a few of the easiest ways to start creating a more inclusive environment in your workplace. If you’re looking for assistance with HR management, contact our team today!
