Listing out the characteristics of an inclusive workplace can get repetitive after a while because we keep repeating the word diversity as the end-all catchphrase for being inclusive. For a business to understand what an inclusive workplace is, a more nuanced approach is required to explore the ins and outs of inclusion. Creating an inclusive environment implies the creation of a business that values people—a quality that is appreciated by employees and customers alike.
A company that learns to accommodate its employees can find itself with unique insight into how to prepare for its clients and consumers as well, allowing them to provide services that truly cater to the needs of their customers. 60 percent of respondents in a LinkedIn study reported diversity within their sales team to be a major contributor to their team’s success. These teams see productivity rise by 35 percent while decision-making goes up by 87 percent. The importance of inclusion in the workplace is hard to ignore and companies need to learn how to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
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Characteristics of an Inclusive Workplace
A CNBC study found 80 percent of its respondents in agreement that they would look forward to working with a company that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This expands beyond hiring candidates who meet diversity quotas and extends to a space where employees can embrace their individual backgrounds and experiences openly. Inclusive workplaces are defined by their constant upgrades to accommodate the needs of their people, making the office a place where employees can be their most productive selves without fear of bias or hostility. There are many elements of inclusive workplaces that can be considered here.
Physical Layout—Disability-Friendly Workspaces
In our conversations around inclusion, differently-abled folk are often left out of the conversation. While diversity in terms of gender and background is important to consider, people with different physical limitations deserve just as much of a space in businesses and organizations, regardless of the industry.
According to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, the unemployment rate for those with a disability was twice as high as the rate for those without a disability. With simple adjustments and a few serious initiatives, this can be addressed quite easily but organizations largely choose to avoid investing entirely. Prioritizing inclusionary practices can open up the doors to a whole community of talent that has been unable to find a door into the competitive business markets.
Explore Job Boards Other than the Mainstream Alternatives
Many job seekers are forced to look for work on disability-friendly platforms rather than more mainstream job boards to ensure their employer is willing to accommodate their conditions. Many HR leaders and hiring teams often limit their candidate search to platforms that have mainstream applicants but by turning to these alternate portals, they might find an entirely new community of talented professionals.
Policy-Changes and Immediate Solutions
It is quite difficult to plan ahead for every form of accommodation new hires might need, and quite an expensive investment to consider right at the start as well. However, inclusivity does not have to be a one-time investment. Companies can learn how to prioritize an employee’s requests by investigating and conducting surveys on how they can improve their services. According to a 2020 survey by the Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN), creating accommodations for employees with disabilities often came with zero costs, and the cost that did come up only racked up to $500. Making a change is within the realm of possibility for a large majority of companies.
If an office space is not immediately suited to accommodate an employee, online work can be an alternative until provisions can be made. Employees are willing to work with employers who are willing to ask “What is an inclusive workplace for you?” The perfect solution might take time to employ but the lack of an attempt is why many feel excluded from a space.
Make Incremental Changes
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lists the provisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) that require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for their employees.
“As an employer, you are responsible under Title I of the ADA for making facilities accessible to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities as a reasonable accommodation, unless this would cause undue hardship. Accessibility must be provided to enable a qualified applicant to participate in the application process, to enable a qualified individual to perform essential job functions, and to enable an employee with a disability to enjoy benefits and privileges available to other employees.”
At least to begin with, employers need to start by ensuring that there are no barriers in the workplace that prevent an employee with a disability from performing their duties. Ensuring they have access to the benefits enjoyed by other employees is the next step in the process. Making adjustments and changes towards this goal is a characteristic of an inclusive workplace.
Cultural Accommodations Characterize an Inclusive Workplace
In an article for Harvard Business Review, Karen Brown writes that retaining employees is a matter of inclusion and not just diversity, and we have to agree—hiring 20 new candidates to fill different diversity boxes might provide the illusion of a diverse team, but without any effort at integration, their unique insights are just left in isolation. Many individuals turn to “identity covering” instead, hiding at least one aspect of their identity to blend in better with their colleagues.
In a study by Deloitte University, 26 percent of respondents admitted to engaging in appearance-based covering, and 14 percent engaged in association-based covering to hide their association with different groups. Another 26 percent engaged in advocacy-based covering to hide their support for their identity or specific groups while 32 percent gave in to covering behaviors and conduct associated with certain groups to avoid being boxed in by stereotypes. There is no way to deny that many employees are forced to suppress core parts of their identity in order to fit in. Not only does this place them under constant and unrelenting stress, but it also eliminates any possible benefits of hiring for diversity. There is an undeniable need for company-wide culture change in support of inclusion.
Acknowledge the Diversity
Allow employees to be their authentic selves within the workplace. If there are professional boundaries that need to be maintained, that is a fair expectation to have, however, set limits to the extent it infringes upon an individual’s personal expression and identity. Among the top characteristics of an inclusive workplace is a space free from discrimination. Allow employees to celebrate their cultural occasions, allow for employee resource groups that help them build a community at work, showcase these different cultures from their perspective, and overall, allow them to bring in their ideas and perspectives regardless of their background.
Open up Avenues for Expression
If employees are more hesitant to speak out in groups where they fear their creativity will be snubbed, create channels for them to submit their ideas to ensure their perspective is acknowledged. Bring in mentors and HR professionals from diverse backgrounds who can help nurture and support their insights and struggles both.
Address Negative Attitudes and Stereotypes
Stereotypes are exceedingly damaging to the morale of the organization and can breed hostility if left unattended. Look into cultural sensitivity programs and cultural exchanges to try and inculcate a more open-minded attitude among the workforce. Teach employees about what an inclusive workplace is and how they need to hold themselves personally accountable for maintaining it. Ensure they understand the importance of inclusion in the workplace to make the changes made by the company ones that they accept rather than resent.
Elimination of Bias and Exclusionary Practices
Employees are discriminated against for many reasons, whether consciously or unconsciously. Many older workers are treated as incompetent or kept away from advances in their careers because over time people consider it a waste of resources. This is even if they excel at their jobs. Women often deal with the “motherhood penalty,” held away from opportunities already and now additionally looked down upon for leaving their children at home. Such internalized and outdated perceptions are unhelpful and need to be addressed and eliminated throughout the organization.
Allow Participation in Whatever Form Possible
Support an attitude of care among the workforce and foster a feeling of community among them. Even when fun events are planned, there can be hostile practices that isolate colleagues and ruin any inclusivity that the initiative might have generated. For example, potlucks are a creative way to have a team come together to celebrate, but there are often negative attitudes that are adopted by participants on who gets to attend and eat at the event, especially when some employees might not be equipped to bring food to the event. Conversely, forcing people to attend is just as bad for inclusion policies. Every initiative needs to be closely monitored and executed with the necessary characteristics of workplace inclusion considered.
Offer Flexibility: Elements of Inclusive Workplace
With the widely accepted alternative of hybrid models, companies can no longer pretend that being flexible is not viable. Even if 100 percent flexibility is hard to achieve and manage, organizations need to spare a moment to consider how they can simplify work for their employees. This will ensure lower employee turnover rates and lower levels of burnout among employees who could otherwise be exceedingly productive.
Consider Individual Employee Needs
Every employee might require something different to be the most productive version of themselves and catering to these needs can see an immediate boost in the company’s overall success. Each employee’s package of benefits can be tweaked to ensure their work isn’t compromised while also ensuring they have the resources they need to do their jobs well. If transport assistance or childcare services can benefit a large number of employees, then companies could consider investing in the future of their workforce.
Leave Firing as the Last Resort
Businesses often give in to firing an employee instead of working with them to find a middle ground. Employees often feel forced to quit when they feel their company will not understand the struggles they are dealing with. Have honest conversations with employees considering quitting their jobs due to personal struggles and see if anything can be done to simplify their experience. Staggered hours, hybrid work, paid time off, job sharing, etc. are just some of the many ways that employers can show their employees their intentions of creating an inclusive environment.
Planning for Consequences
The elements of inclusive workplaces are essential to plan out but also important to implement correctly. If inclusivity stops as a policy and does not reflect in the workplace culture, it can be ineffective in reality. For businesses to successfully create an inclusive workplace environment, they also need to establish how they will follow up on any initiatives, what the consequences are for violating workplace policies, what steps can be taken to enforce these policies, how employees will be allowed to provide feedback on said policies, etc.
Unless employees see their management seriously consider the importance of inclusion in the workplace culture, it is unlikely individuals will follow through or feel included at work. These characteristics of an inclusive workplace need to be carefully personalized to suit a company and its workforce and with some time and care, the organization should see its workforce thrive like never before.