Understanding the importance of inclusion is the first step but it takes several more to make it a reality. While there’s no general guide on inclusion, as every company’s needs are different, there are some common ways to get started.
1. Conduct an assessment
How diverse is your employee base? How diverse are your leadership ranks? If it’s not, what are the barriers to changing that? You may need to reconsider your recruitment efforts. For example, are you only sourcing talent from educational institutions or job pools that lack diversity? And if your staff is diverse, what programs or initiatives do you have in place to support their transition and development in your company? Perhaps you’ve felt that standard company procedure was a good fit for everyone. Maybe you have something in place that just isn’t working. This is the time to figure it out.
2. Create an action plan
Inclusion only works if there’s a clear plan of action, and everyone understands it, including senior leadership. Everyone plays a part, no matter how big or small their role is. Whether you opt to bring in a third party for training or you bring in a full-time specialist, make sure you understand the endgame and how to get there.
3. Practice inclusion everywhere
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is focusing on inclusion in specific departments or job levels. This is a company-wide effort. Veteran employees can benefit from this level of support just as much as rookies. The HR team needs this as much as the product development team. There should never be exclusion in inclusion.
4. Focus on teamwork
General team-building is important, but it’s crucial that people from different departments, genders, and ethnic backgrounds come together on various projects. The more you can avoid creating silos within your organization, the more collaborative, and therefore inclusive, the workplace will become.
5. Don’t forget the middle
Many companies go after senior leadership and entry-level employees, concerning inclusion. While their buy-in is important, it’s the leaders in the middle ranks that can often slow progress. Make sure they’re an active part of the process, too. For inclusion to become your company’s reality, everyone must play.
