Making Your Company More Inclusive
When your workplace is inclusive, your business benefits. The more people you have from different backgrounds, the more different perspectives you will get and the more reactive your business will be, but how exactly do you make your company more inclusive?
Make it known
If you want your business to be more inclusive, then you should probably start by letting people know that you embrace diversity. When people know that you are happy to accept applications from a wide spectrum of people with all kinds of different backgrounds, they will be more likely to apply for a role in your business than they otherwise might.
Make it accessible
Installing commercial lifts, ramps and disability-friendly equipment is another good place to start. It means that you will be able to hire a wider range of people from more diverse backgrounds without having to worry that your workplace is not able to accommodate them.
Start from the top
If you want your company to be inclusive, you need to put your money with your mouth is and that starts at the top. If all of the people at the top of your company are straight, white men then not only is that not going to encourage more diversity in applications, but it will narrow the perspectives that your business is being run from and this can only be a bad thing for your business.
Use inclusive recruitment tactics
No matter how well-intentioned you are, you are unlikely to end up with a diverse workforce if you do not recruit in such a way as to attract as many people from as many different walks of life as possible.
This starts with the language you use in recruitment ads, which should be as gender-neutral as possible, and as welcoming to as many demographics as possible, but it also means being more inclusive in where you choose to advertise roles and how you select candidates for interview too, A good HR person will be able to help you ensure your recruitment process is as inclusive as possible.
Set up safe spaces
Sign up safe spaces for employees is a great way to ensure they feel safe and accepted in the workplace as possible. Safe spaces should be places where any employee can go when they are feeling overwhelmed to connect with each other, seek mutual help and support and raise any concerns they may have.
Companies that care end to attract a more inclusive workforce overall.
Ask people what they value in an employer
Asking as many people from as many different cultures and identities what they would like to see in an inclusive workplace is probably one of the best ways to ensure that you set your business up in such a way as to attract and retain people from a diverse range of backgrounds, so some research is likely to help.
Inclusive companies tend to be more creative and more productive than those workplaces that have not embraced inclusivity, so what are you waiting for?
These are all great ideas!