When I started talking about this topic over 12 years ago, I preferred to use the term ‘under-represented’, as this more accurately reflected the issues that businesses were trying to remedy. New York: Catalyst, 2016. But seeing as this isn’t the case, we need to think about equity and arm everyone with the things they need to be successful. By ‘equity’ we mean being fair and impartial, ensuring everyone, irrespective of background or experience, has all they need to be successful. In it, you’ll find tactical advice, beneficial resources, and examples of what companies are doing today to make real progress in diversity and inclusion. Solicit everyone’s feedback afterward to make improvements for next year’s diversity day. Often a forgotten group, make sure they know what jobs they would be qualified for in your company by including military job codes, and specific skills in your job postings. They make sure that people cannot negotiate their way to a higher salary. Incentives based on drinking culture are another prime example. It’s about a balance of respect. When we talk about inclusivity in the workplace, we’re talking about making everyone feel like they belong and are valued in that environment. A typical sentence that a recruitment firm may hear back from a client is “we had a shortlist of talent, but they all looked the same—there was no diversity.”. By setting time aside, workers don’t need to worry about running to the next meeting or checking their inboxes as they listen to a diversity training video in the background. LEO GRC, formerly Eukleia, is our team specialising in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) across all sectors. Update your employee value proposition by adding workplace diversity and inclusion. Facebook LinkedIn Twitter. The fact is that each team, and each organization, will be impacted differently based on their pre-existing culture and norms. Employees who feel valued are more productive and more likely to show initiative because they feel invested in the company and their work. Defining equality is hard because it looks different everywhere you go. Change is difficult, and many companies often don’t see the value of spending the time and capital for it. For example, people who live alone might benefit from their ability to focus and be productive, while people who aren’t tech-savvy can end up spending more time navigating new tools than getting work done. Companies who have discovered the link between diversity and inclusion experience tremendous … All companies want to have a diverse workforce and be known for their inclusive environments. Get leadership’s buy-in to free up a day or half-day organization-wide for this event. This should be a forum where employees can openly discuss any issues they have around fairness, transparency and equality … Workplace diversity is important, but becoming more diverse can be a struggle for some companies. This is especially relevant if you are having problems filling positions. Updated August 2020.). You only have to consider class—and how under-represented white working-class males are at a higher education level—to appreciate the diversity within just that one demographic. At Inclusive Employers, we focus on workplace inclusion. Some people simply don’t drink – that could be for religious or faith-based reasons, they could be family-orientated, in recovery or simply have reservations over health concerns. 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