Promoting and improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a vital initiative that many modern businesses are focusing on. As Richard Ghilarducci says, diversity in the workplace is vital to creating a thriving business, particularly in terms of employee engagement. Workplace diversity often encourages innovation and creativity, as each and every team member brings their distinctive experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to the table.
Richard Ghilarducci mentions a few ways to promote inclusion and diversity in the workplace
Inclusion and diversity have become vital buzzwords in the last couple of years. However, they are way more than just a passing fad. In fact, they are critical to the success of discerning businesses. An inclusive, diverse workforce makes use of the experiences and knowledge of a broader cross section of society, and helps bring a company closer to the customers or clients it serves.
Here are a few ways to promote inclusion and diversity in the workplace:
- Create more inclusive workplace policies: To become a more diverse company, it is vital to properly evaluate its current practices and work environment. Facilitating workplace diversity may involve developing certain new policies or amending current ones. These policies can be associated with recruitment, performance evaluations, promotions and more. For instance, the company may allow employees to take a day off work on certain religious holidays that may not be officially observed by the company. Recruitment specialists of the company can additionally be sent to a wide range of outreach programs, community hiring offices and job fairs to attract a diverse set of candidates.
- Communicate clearly and create employee-led task forces: Simply creating workforce policies is not always enough. Transparent communication and consistent implementation are vital for these initiatives to be impactful. It is crucial for employees to feel at ease approaching their managers with any concerns, particularly related to how they are treated within the company based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, or other considerations. To establish open and respectful internal communication channels, managers should communicate without making assumptions and use inclusive language. This approach instills confidence in managers regarding their interactions with employees.
- Make it a continuous process: Diversity should not be a promotional thing. Rather, it must be a continuous process, ingrained into the company culture. Diversity makes sure that a company keeps changing and evolving with time, and creates new dynamics that will strengthen the enterprise in the long run. It is vital to have diverse viewpoints and opinions at a company so that it can steadily progress in all directions.
- Hire leaders who understand the importance of these values: To efficiently promote diversity and inclusivity at the workplace, the company would require leaders and managers who embody those values. If the leaders do not try to create a safe space at the company for people from all backgrounds and walks of life, it will not be possible to create a welcoming, positive company culture. People are encouraged to work more efficiently and productively when they feel accepted in their environment. Hence, it is prudent to keep the values of inclusion and diversity in mind when hiring business leaders.
In the opinion of Richard Ghilarducci, business leaders today must prioritize creating a work environment where the employees feel free to express themselves and present their unique perspectives. They should also try to explore networking opportunities with diverse businesses and expand the potential hiring pool of the business, in order to effectively promote inclusivity and diversity.