Workplace diversity and inclusion are increasingly important issues that affect businesses large and small. Although a lot of progress has been made in recent years, much remains to be done. Ensuring your workplace is both diverse and inclusive requires more than just hiring X number of people from a certain ethnic group. Inclusion and inclusiveness are the product of an internal system that fosters respect and promotes communication and understanding. Read on to learn the fine points of how to create an inclusive work environment.

Key Points to Remember When Creating an Inclusive Work Environment

Inclusive workplace environments don’t just happen on their own. They are cultivated and nurtured at every level of an organisation. Here are the key points to remember when it comes to creating an inclusive workplace environment.

Lead from the Front

If company leadership is not on board with the goal of creating an inclusive environment, it will be nearly impossible to make it happen. Company leaders have to be vocal about their support for diversity and inclusion and need to reinforce that goal every chance they get. They need to be committed to reaching out and bringing in people from diverse backgrounds and then providing a safe and welcoming environment within which they can thrive.

Practice Inclusive Recruitment

If company leadership are really committed to creating an inclusive workplace one of the first places that commitment will manifest is in company hiring practices. Inclusive recruiting means taking a chance and casting a wider net and then dealing with everyone who responds in good faith and with the goal of diversifying the workforce.

Be Available

Sometimes when the workforce begins to change shape managers retreat into their offices and close the door. In order to create a truly inclusive workforce, that practice has to stop. Managers should be upfront in their efforts to connect with employees on a personal level. But those efforts need to be tempered by awareness.

Provide Multiple Feedback Mechanisms

Employees will never really feel like they belong unless they feel that their voice is heard and appreciated. The goal should be to generate healthy discourse that gives everyone an opportunity to contribute. And the more ways you provide to achieve that end the better. Effective feedback mechanisms may include employee surveys, all-hands discussions, brainstorming sessions and more.

Benefits of an Inclusive Workforce

Fostering an inclusive workplace can pay a variety of benefits for businesses large and small:

It Promotes a Healthy Work Environment

When everyone feels like they belong they are more likely to work closely together, share ideas and lift each other up all in the service of achieving company goals.

It Increases Productivity

People who feel appreciated by their employer are more likely to work harder, take fewer sick days and contribute more during meetings.

It Promotes Innovation

Innovation is almost never the result of a single person experiencing a “light bulb” moment. Instead, it is the result of all the members of a team working together and bouncing ideas off of one another. That is only possible if all the members of your workforce feel appreciated and at liberty to chip in with ideas borne of their unique perspective.

The Bottom Line

There are no secrets as far as how to create an inclusive work environment. The most important ingredient is a willingness on behalf of company leaders to embrace the notion and integrate it into their company DNA.

Get in Touch Today

If you want to ensure you are nurturing an inclusive work environment, why not get in touch with the accounting, bookkeeping and finance placement professionals at JMF Associates? Give us a call at 020 8663 6699 or by send an email to team@jmfassociates.co.uk.