National Inclusion Week: How to create an inclusive workplace

Taking place from 23-29 September this year, National Inclusion Week is dedicated to celebrating inclusion and creating inclusive workplaces. Here, Kerry Mickiewicz explores what employers can do to ensure that their workplace is an inclusive place where employees can thrive.

The workplace has become more and more diverse over the years and will likely continue to be in the years to come too. It is not only people from different countries, faiths and backgrounds bringing a rich diversity to businesses, but also the fact that older people are staying in employment for longer means there is more diversity in the age profile of the workplace, as you could feasibly see an employee who is 18 years of age and an employee who is 70 years of age in the same team. There is also diversity that comes from different conditions employees may suffer from, whether that be, for example, neurodiversity, visual impairments or physical disability – all of which may leave those employees who suffer feeling isolated if nothing is done to help develop their sense of inclusion in the workplace.

Now more than ever, with job opportunities at everyone’s fingertips via platforms like LinkedIn, it’s essential all employees are valued, heard and included, otherwise they will look for a job elsewhere. Here, we take a look at how employers can go about creating an inclusive culture that will ultimately help ensure they motivate and retain their top talent.

Celebrate diversity

Organisations may wish to plan events that celebrate different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds. This could include cultural fairs, food festivals, or storytelling sessions where people from different backgrounds have the chance to showcase some of what makes their culture great. Not only do these types of events celebrate diversity, but they usually allow employees to mix in a more social, informal way to forge relationships.

Employee groups

Employers should support and encourage the formation of employee groups, which provide a space for employees with shared identities or interests to connect and support each other. These could be groups based on religion, sexuality, ability, or even just where there is a shared interest in sports, music, reading, etc. These groups allow employees to get to know one another on a social level, which will help ensure they are more confident working collaboratively and feel a sense of inclusion. They can also help to move the needle on important issues in the workplace, for instance if more needs to be done to support the LGBTQ+ community, or the office needs to be made more accessible for disabled employees, these groups can be a great way of initiating change, which can help those who feel underrepresented to feel more included.

Inclusive language and communication

Promote the use of inclusive language in all communications, whether that be formal meetings or informal conversations at the watercooler. This would, for instance, include avoiding assumptions about people (i.e. that a woman of a certain age would be a mother), respecting people’s privacy and trying to ensure that all conversations are, where possible, positive in nature.

Offering workshops or resources on how to avoid biases and use language that respects all individuals is a good way to ensure that all employees are on the same page with this.

Unconscious bias training

An unconscious bias is a bias that is born as the result of deep-seated prejudices we become accustomed to living in the society we do. Examples of unconscious biases could be, for example, that nurses should be women, lorry drivers should be men or that females are more emotional than males. Implementing regular training sessions can help employees recognise and address their own unconscious biases, which can affect decision-making and interactions. By doing this, the workplace will become a more inclusive place as there are less preconceptions made about people.

Flexible work policies

The diverse makeup of the UK workforce means that the working preferences/ requirements of employees within any given organisation can be equally as diverse. For instance, you may have employees who prefer to work from home (parents, those with mobility issues, those with long commutes), or want to tweak their working hours to suit their needs (i.e. disabled people who want to miss the rush hour commute). For those with disabilities, their workspace set up may need to be adapted to their needs. It is therefore vital for employers to understand the preferences of all employees based on their circumstances to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and feels included.

Highlight success stories

Sharing success stories of individuals or teams who have contributed to a more inclusive workplace can inspire others to follow suit. If, for example, a team within an organisation has taken time to learn about and celebrate a colleague’s Jamaican heritage, then this is likely something that can be easily replicated in other teams. Showing the tangible benefits of inclusion, which in the example above may be that the Jamaican employee is more confident working in a team environment now, will mean that other teams are more motivated to do the same in terms of learning about and celebrating diversity in their team.

Regular inclusion audits, feedback and continuous improvement

Conduct regular audits of company policies, practices, and culture to identify areas for improvement. Use engagement surveys, focus groups, and other feedback mechanisms to gather input from employees.

Based on the results of any audit or survey produced, as per the above, employers can use the results to see where there are gaps in how inclusive the workplace is and work towards improvement. Where possible, improvement should be continual, and not just periodic (i.e. once a year). To ensure continual improvement around creating an inclusive workplace is possible, employers should look to create a culture whereby employees feel confident to voice their opinions on what could improve on an ongoing basis.

Celebrate National Inclusion Week

Use National Inclusion Week as an opportunity to launch new initiatives, celebrate progress, and reaffirm the organisation’s commitment to inclusion.

There is an ever-growing expectation from employees that employers will have their finger on the pulse when it comes to ensuring that there are policies in place to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) focussed initiatives. It is not uncommon for employers to be unsure of where they are at when it comes to being compliant with DEI requirements, which is where our DEI audit can help you.