Everyone deserves a place of work where they have the capacity to achieve their best. An inclusive workplace is where every team member feels safe being their authentic self. Your workforce will be more productive when they feel valued and respected. Creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace is a business-wide responsibility. Here we look at some of the best ways to support inclusion at your place of work.
How to Create an Inclusive Workplace
Firstly you should write a safeguarding policy for your workplace. In this document you should outline your expectations for conduct in the workplace between colleagues and document the process for reporting any incidents and to whom, including their contact details. This document should explain why an inclusive workplace is essential and how best practices should be adopted so that leaders and employees alike can put these strategies into action. This then needs to be circulated amongst your team and be stored in an accessible place. This document should also appear in any induction materials, when onboarding new staff. Remember to review and update tour safeguarding policy regularly, at least once every year.
Mental Wellness Training
Depending on the size of your business, consider appointing an inclusion officer. Consider training staff with techniques for mental wellness and for recognising red flags. If a member of your team is experiencing difficulties at home, it may help them if they feel safe to mention this, especially to a line manager for example. If colleagues can be honest about how they feel, they are more likely to receive help and resolve difficulties. Checking in with the mental wellness of your workforce helps all of your team to feel valued, and encouraged to ask for help when they need to.
Unbiased Hiring Processes
An inclusive workplace will support your team and allow your business to hire the best possible person for each role. It’s nearly impossible for human beings to be completely unbiased. We are all prone to unconscious biases, because our brains take shortcuts. The way to tackle this is to debias the processes for hiring a new employee, rather than the people. To support diversity when hiring new staff, ask questions that test skills, instead of background. Consider asking candidates to answer a few work sample questions, as opposed to asking for a CV. This is because posing realistic scenarios tests for ability that is specific to the job role, which represents a more equal set of requirements for entry.
Value Your Employees
Employees who feel heard are more likely to share their opinions with others. Make sure that you offer employees regular opportunities to feed back about their experiences. You want your employees to have a good sense of connection to their workplace. So you want to help them feel that they belong, as part of an environment that knows and values you. Equal to belonging and connection, employees will thrive when they feel unique among their peers and that your inclusive workplace cares about their individual strengths and experiences.
Learning and Development
Employees who have access to learning and upskill opportunities know that your business values their ideas and their professional development. Regardless of roles or departments, a collaborative environment can help create an inclusive workplace. Collaboration between colleagues builds value and trust and helps your employees achieve their best. Access to resources including support from managers and diversity groups help employees know that their inclusive workplace is committed to their wellbeing and growth.
Prestige Business Management Works for You
At Prestige Business Management we can help you maintain productivity and achieve success. Find out what we can do for you. Call us today on 0203 773 2927.
