Promoting diversity and inclusion at work is an area that has really come into focus. And while great strides have been achieved, there’s still much work to be done to establish a standard in equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The term covers a broad area, including; gender, ethnicity, disability, religion and age. While diversity itself is about representation across the workforce, inclusivity is about ensuring that every individual contribution is valued.
With it being the start of the year, it’s a prime opportunity to look at diversity and inclusion best practices. You may ask why this is important with other issues taking priority right now, however research shows that companies that practice diversity and inclusion benefit from greater success all around.
The Road to Diversity
From age to disability, sexual orientation to gender, and race to religion – having a solid diversity and inclusion policy in place is as important as ever in 2022. Having written a white paper on the importance of employee experience and with our previous work around diversity and inclusion, here’s a snapshot of just some of the benefits of diversity and inclusion:
- Creates a positive and inclusive working environment and business culture
- Can contribute to employee wellbeing and morale
- A diverse workplace offers a broader section of ideas and views to benefit from
- Sets an industry standard and benchmark
- Important for best practice, as well as compliance
- Can improve productivity, employee retention and business reputation
The Covid Curveball
The challenges that come with working from home and galvanising a remote workforce have been even more prevalent during the pandemic. And yet, diversity and inclusion remains as significant as ever in all areas of the business, from remote recruiting to measuring employee morale and welfare.
It’s clear that HR has an important role to play in protecting business continuity and creating an open and transparent environment for colleagues to flourish in.
If you’re wondering how to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace in 2022, especially when working remotely, here’s some pointers:
- Work with an expert or consultant – sometimes it’s wise to bring in an expert or consultant in to add value or expertise to your business. This can be a smart move if you need to manage upwards or gain internal support that you’re struggling with. A consultant can draw upon their expertise and act as a middle man to help promote a more diverse workplace, showing the benefits of the end result.
- Diversity and Inclusion Training – training remains an essential tool, even in these remote times. Businesses must continue to invest in their teams, even more so now that we’re all missing the chance to network and attend face-to-face courses. A recent GO1 survey found that training remains a top priority at the moment, with 44 per cent of training targeted at those at the top. This is no surprise since the Harvard Business Review found that the major gap in diversity awareness was found to be in leadership positions.
- Audit you policies – Auditing your business and cross checking with competitors is essential for benchmarking and growth. Now is a great time to review your internal policies to ensure you’re promoting diversity and inclusion best practices. This should be an ongoing task, to ensure you’re meeting new legal requirements and serving your employee’s needs. The CIPD recommends this continual approach to diversity and inclusion, whereby businesses constantly review and measure their approach.
In Summary
Diversity and Inclusion is more than just a HR trend, it’s a business requirement and prerequisite for any leading organisation in 2022. Removing any barriers to equality, and promoting best practices is part of the important journey in creating a workplace that thrives, and sets a standard for others to follow.
Read More: Scored low on your Inclusion in your Employee Pulse Survey? Learn from Vessy Tasheva,Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, Founder of Vessy.com.
Read More: Employee Engagement Software to help with your business needs.
Learn More: Watch “How To Build a Diverse & Inclusion Workplace” and get tips from industry experts on building an amazing diversity and inclusion strategy.
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