What does Inclusion In The Workplace Mean?
What does Inclusion In The Workplace Mean?
The majority of us spend a lot of time working daily and so it would be nice if we liked it and felt joy when doing it. Are you happy at your current workplace? Does your workplace value you and demonstrate inclusion? What does inclusion in the workplace mean?
An inclusive workplace and culture are created when the company and all of its leaders are intentional about creating collaborative relationships, equal and an inclusive environment where every employee is treated with respect, and dignity and has equal access to all the resources available.
All of the employee’s diverse perspectives, cultural backgrounds, and sex or sexual orientation are seen as strengths and not a threat.
Every employee feels a sense of belonging, value, and respect to comfortably, freely, and safely share their opinion and contribute to the company’s results and success in achieving its purpose, mission, and vision.
No one is afraid and fearful of being judged, ridiculed, or of the risk of being passed up for learning, development and professional growth opportunities within the company.
So, you may be wondering, why is creating an inclusive workplace beneficial and important for every company. Let’s find out the answer to that question next.
10 benefits of having an inclusive workplace
In today’s day and age workplace diversity, equity, and inclusivity are extremely important and beneficial for every company to mandate.
If you’re starting a company or if you’re a leader in a company you must be aware of these benefits because your success is very much dependent on it. Here are 10 benefits of having an inclusive workplace.
Exposure to different perspectives
When you hire and have people from different backgrounds working for you they come with different perspectives based on their upbringing, childhood, life experiences, where they went to school, and cultural backgrounds.
This is very advantageous in today’s global market because the more perspective you can have the better it is for your company to not have a narrow vision and outlook and better serve a diverse audience, team, and group of customers.
Experience more innovation
Diversity allows you to be able to innovate faster and make more new products because your team members might have different ways of looking at a problem, suggest different things and ways to find a solution.
They may be able to empathize with customers who come from many different backgrounds and come up with different products and services that the customers need and can appreciate and benefit from and use it to transform their lives.
Increases creativity
Your employees will feel freer to fuel their creativity and be able to express it within your company which will lead to the creation of more products and services.
They will not feel restricted in their role because their suggested improvements are listened to, respected, and valued in comparison to other companies perhaps who have people from same backgrounds working for them. They all conform and think the same way.
Enable faster problem-solving
You will be able to solve problems faster and more creatively because you’re the diverse members of your team will be able to look at it from different angles and perspectives for better out-of-the-box helpful solutions.
Helps make better decisions
You will make better decisions as an organization because you will choose the best option based on evaluating all the suggestions that people from different backgrounds in your team would make.
You will be able to better understand and serve your customers who are also from diverse and different backgrounds as well.
In today’s day and age it is easier to do business with the global market not just the local one and so it is very beneficial to have people from different backgrounds who understand the global market working for and with you.
Increases profits
Increased profits will be inevitable for your company because of the creation, faster innovation, decision-making, and problem-solving.
The more your customers use your innovative, transformative products and services the more they will send you referrals for new business your way.
Reduces turnover
You will have higher employee engagement and reduced turnover because your team will feel heard, understood, seen, accepted, respected, and valued. If you treat the people in your team well they will be loyal to you and will not want to ever leave your company.
Gives you a better brand reputation
Your team members and customers will tell others and you will experience a better company reputation. You will attract a lot more customers from diverse backgrounds lining up to do business with your company.
Easier to attract high-level talent
You will find it easier to attract and hire talent because people will be attracted to a company where they are respected, loved, and treated well as a team. They will be invested in your company’s purpose, mission, and vision.
In conclusion, you now know that an inclusive work culture is created when the company and all its leaders are intentional about creating collaborative relationships, an equal and inclusive environment where every employee is treated with respect and dignity and has equal access to all the resources available.
You also know all the employee’s diverse perspectives, cultural backgrounds, and sex, or sexual orientation are seen as strengths and not a threat.
Every employee has a sense of belonging and feels valued and respected to comfortably, freely, and safely share their opinion and contribute to the company’s results and success of its purpose, mission, and vision.
No one is afraid and fearful of being judged, ridiculed, or of the risk of being passed up for learning, development and professional growth opportunities within the company.
You learned why it is beneficial and so important to create and have an inclusive workplace. 10 specific benefits that you know about are your company benefits by being exposed to different perspectives, experiencing more innovation, increased creativity.
The capability to solving problems faster, making better decisions, experiencing increased profits, having reduced turnover, giving you better brand reputation, and making it easier for you to attract talent.
Some ways to create a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace are to hire and have team members with diverse backgrounds, be self-aware of your own unconscious biases that you may have towards a certain group of people, acknowledge and respect holidays celebrated by different cultures.
Also, have company events to celebrate and showcase your team member’s different cultures, promote equal pay structures, make resources easily accessible by all and consistently participate in an ongoing diversity, equality, and inclusion training to improve your work culture.
So, I hope you found these 10 benefits of having an inclusive work place insights beneficial enough to start working on creating or seeking a diverse and inclusive environment in your workplace, company, and team immediately.
Best of luck in your Diversity, Equal, and Inclusivity journey!
Next, read can I be happy in my job for further helpful insights and tips.