2. Inclusive Workplace
An inclusive workplace is defined as a work environment
that makes every employee feel valued while also
acknowledging their differences and how these differences
contribute to the organization’s culture and business
outcomes. An inclusive workplace is characterized by
affirmative action, wherein any impact of
bias/discrimination/unequal opportunity is negated.
3. 7 Best Practices for Workplace Inclusivity
:
Create inclusive recruitment marketing campaigns
Publish an annual report on your D&I measures
Create equitable internal and external candidate pools
Enable reporting of non-inclusive behavior
Provide equitable opportunities for leadership
Provide culture training during on boarding
Put your money where your mouth is
4. 1. Create recruitment marketing campaigns :
You can design recruitment marketing campaigns that position inclusivity as part of your employee value
proposition. Clearly mention that your company welcomes candidates from all walks of life, laying specific stress on
those with a history of incarceration Opens a new window or former veterans, as these candidates might find it
difficult to find gainful employment. You could even launch a veteran hiringOpens a new window drive to bring in
an element of affirmative action in your recruitment campaign.
2. Publish an annual report on your diversity and inclusion measures :
Companies like Google, Facebook, and other Fortune 500s already publish a dedicated annual report to share
diversity and inclusion data publicly. In some regions, this is mandated by law – for instance, companies doing
business in the U.K. must report wage equality/gaps. But even if this isn’t the case in your region, it is a good idea to
monitor internal data/metrics on inclusivity to understand progress in the right direction. Making this data publicly
available will earn trust in your corporate brand.
5. 3. Bring in equitable candidate pools both internally and externally :
Research suggests that candidate pools with a skewed gender
composition lead to discriminatory decision making. To correct this, you
can make it mandatory for all talent pools – external candidates at the
time of hiring, employees up for promotion, internal talent for succession
plans, etc. – to have a 50–50 representation. This should also factor
representation of ethnic minorities, diverse age groups, and other
underrepresented employee groups as per your region’s population
demographic profile, as well as follow merit-based selection.
4. Establish a mechanism for reporting non-inclusive behavior :
Without a system of enforcement, your efforts towards workplace inclusivity may likely fall flat. The first step for
enforcing inclusive workplace policies is providing a mechanism to report noncompliant behavior. Employees
should be able to talk about any harassment or discriminatory act that they witness without any fear of repercussions
or breach of confidentiality. You could even have an internal task force in place to provide a speedy resolution.
6. 5. Appoint minority and employees from disadvantaged backgrounds to leadership :
Appointing minority groups to leadership roles has a massive impact on a company’s
overall diversity footprint. Studies have repeatedly found that women in leadership
lead to a more diverse and inclusive workplace, making this a critical best practice to
follow. In addition to merit-based inclusion, you can highlight the stories of these
employees, their perspectives, and experiences in a sensitive manner, inspiring others
with a similar experience to progress up the ladder.
6. Provide culture training right at the time of employee onboarding :
When training new employeesOpens a new window , inclusivity and respecting one’s peers should be an
essential item on your checklist. By making this a part of the onboardingOpens a new window process, you can
ensure that employees are familiar with your company’s inclusive culture, workplace policies, and behavioral
ethics from day one. Also, training enables greater accountability – once recruits are trained on inclusive
behavior and culture, they can be held accountable for any policy breach later.
7. 7. Put your money where your mouth is :
In addition to outlining and enforcing policies on workplace
inclusivity, it is vital for companies to actually invest on a
regular basis. A Pew survey from October 2022 reveals US
adults’ views on gender wage gap factors. Half cite employer
bias as key, while 42% mention women’s work-life balance
choices, and 34% note job selection. Women (61%) see bias
as more influential than men (37%), who lean toward
choice-based explanations.
Equal pay for women is a basic principle promoting the eradication of gender pay gaps. It includes the
concept that women should be paid the same as men for doing the same or similar work. Equal pay not
only promotes gender equality, but it also addresses systemic disparities that have long existed in the
workplace.
