This month, our blogs are focused on the topic of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity (DE&I). In an ideal world, we would all accept our individual differences. Rather than supporting conformity, we would encourage education and celebration of what makes us all unique. We would create workplaces that are inclusive to all, and that empower individuals to thrive.
Though there is no legal requirement to have policies on diversity and inclusion, in our experience having a strategy in place is extremely beneficial. Putting the compliance aspects aside, studies consistently show that companies with strong DE&I practices outperform their competitors. Their employees are more engaged and productive. The diversity of their teams boosts creativity and innovation.
How employers can support their workers to be more inclusive.
Companies don’t always need to have a formal strategy in place to improve diversity and inclusion among their employees. An essential first step is to educate your employees on diversity and how they can help to create an inclusive workplace.
Here are some top tips to help you get started:
- Engage with your teams from the start.
Significant change or company-wide training programs, which teams weren’t expecting, can be unsettling. It’s best to be open and upfront about what you plan to do and why you are doing it. As part of these open conversations, it’s a good opportunity to explore potential bias (conscious or not) that already exists as this can be used to inform the diversity training you put in place. Many companies choose to involve an external HR consultant in order to encourage honest feedback from employees.
- Roll out diversity training.
The best way you can support your employees to be more inclusive is to educate them on diversity and inclusivity. Help them to understand the impact of unconscious bias and how to recognize (and overcome) their own biases. In our experience, it’s best to start with leadership teams and managers. They could lead by example and share what they discovered as a result of the training, and how they are working to overcome their biases.
- Support the message using the right language.
Words are powerful and they can underpin or undermine the work you are doing when it comes to diversity training. If you have internal comms teams or company-wide communications regularly sent out, consider what additional support or training this group needs. From making communications accessible to all to using preferred personal pronouns, it’s fundamental that company communications are inclusive and accessible to all.
- Review recruitment policies so you can recruit diversely.
Part of your investment in diversity and inclusion training should be in reviewing current recruitment processes. It’s important that you understand whether unconscious bias could be influencing hiring or promotion decisions. As a minimum, you might consider implementing blind application screening. If at all possible, implementing a diverse hiring panel will ensure multiple viewpoints are represented during the process.
- Monitor the changes and remain consistent.
Remember, change takes time. One-off training courses aren’t going to transform individual thinking overnight. Ongoing reviews, consistent messaging, and access to additional training where needed are going to be critical to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity and inclusivity training will naturally encourage new ideas from employees to further enhance the workplace, continuing to make it as welcoming as possible to all.
Underpin all of this with robust anti-discrimination policies to protect the safe and inclusive workplace you are creating. Employees who understand that discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated will feel empowered to report it, further underlining the values of the company.
At ProspHR Solutions, we understand how critical educating employees on diversity and inclusivity is towards creating a safe and nurturing workplace for all. We also understand that such training needs to be managed with sensitivity and respect. We have helped companies like yours to build a sustainable culture with diversity, equality, and inclusivity at its heart.
If you’d like to have a confidential discussion about DE&I training at your company, book a Prosperity Call today. Get in touch via email at helpmybusinessthrive@ProspHRSolutions.com or call us at 0345 548 2124.
