How to Create a More Inclusive Workplace Culture

Including diversity and inclusivity in your workplace means you’re ready to embrace employees from different backgrounds. This not only results in a strong company culture but also boosts employee motivation and performance. When your employees feel included, they will be more loyal towards your organization and bring in their creativity and innovations to grow your business.

 

In this article, we’ve put together some unique strategies to make your workplace more inclusive for everyone. 

8 Tips to Build an Inclusive Workspace Culture

Create a Sense of Belonging

Creating a feeling of belonging at the workplace means you’re building a bridge to empathy and inclusion for everyone. When people feel valued at work and when they feel like they belong to a place, it ultimately results in employee retention as well. They’d want to stay with you for longer. Studies suggest that employees want a feeling of connection and a stronger relationship, meaning you should put in some effort to cultivate meaningful team relationships and create an inclusive experience for your employees regardless of their background. 

Recognize Everyone’s Performance

Recognizing and rewarding your employees’ performance not only increases their motivation and engagement but can also give them a sense of connection with your company. To make sure everyone gets recognized, review your past employee recognitions and see the patterns. If you find rewarding the same behavior consistently, such as only top sales getting recognized, this needs to be changed. Think about it—what message does this deliver? Probably that only top performers are rewarded while others with less visible but important contributions are left out. Reconsider this. Reward every good performer on every level. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple award of appreciation shield, a paid leave, an increment, or a hybrid work opportunity would do the job. 

Have an Inclusive Leadership

Creating a more inclusive workplace starts from the top. Unless the company’s founders and executives focus on and practice diversity in the workplace, achieving a sense of belonging on an organizational level might not be practical. Hire people who are open to accepting people from diverse nationalities, skin colors, genders, etc. Make sure that inclusive leadership is a core value of your organization. Give leaders goals to practice diversity in exchange for a bonus. 

Have a Non-discrimination Policy

To make your workplace more inclusive, you should have a formal non-discrimination policy in place. Make sure that the policy is visible to everyone—to your employees, stakeholders, and the public. Clearly display it on your website, social media accounts, and workplace. It shows your workers that everyone is valued and treated equally. It can be also effective in preventing workplace harassment or bullying. 

Use Inclusive Language

Using a language that your employees or coworkers prefer can cultivate a sense of belonging and inclusion in them. If you aren’t sure about their preferred language, don’t assume what they like; rather ask them. Make sure your words or expressions don’t offend them. For instance, if someone is not native in English, use words and phrases they can easily understand. Avoid slang or difficult words. Don’t offend anyone for the language they speak; respect their choice and be polite. Including multilingual signage is also a smart way to tell employees “Everyone is welcome here.” 

Bring Diversity to Holidays

To create a more diverse workplace, you need to bring diversity to your holiday calendar as well. If there are minor groups in your company, make sure to include their religious or cultural holidays in your calendar. if you can’t make company-wide holidays, allow those groups off on their special occasions. For instance, if you have a Muslim staff, honor Ramadan, Eid-al-Fitr, and Eid-al-Adha. For Hindus, observe Holi and Diwali. Giving importance to their special events shows your employees that you care for them and respect their culture. 

Initiate Diversity Training 

Address stereotypes and biases within your organization by providing diversity training to everyone. Teach your staff and leaders to understand and respect cultural and religious differences. Train them on how to cooperate while accepting these differences. Start from a basic awareness regarding the diversity within an organizational structure then practically engage workers to mingle with coworkers from a different background. Also, make sure to address any gender, ethnicity, race, or religion bias or discrimination.

Introduce Inclusive Retirement Plans 

Introducing inclusive retirement plans means offering personalized strategies for everyone. These plans are designed to be easily accessible and adaptable to diverse needs. Display them prominently on your website, in the workplace, and on social platforms to ensure everyone knows it's about fairness and inclusivity. By making retirement planning accessible, these plans contribute to fostering a workplace that values the diverse needs of all its members.