5 Ways to include Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Workplace
Equity, diversity and inclusion progress is EDI-T’s central value and it's now becoming top of mind for most businesses.
We often hear companies say that attracting top talent is getting even more challenging with economic and global circumstances shifting employee focus. But isn’t this the problem? Companies not shifting their outlook to meet the needs of their team and then not understanding why less and less prospective leaders are applying to join them or indeed, staying with them.
Yes, of course, at times recruitment can be difficult but organisations need to look internally at what gaps they have in their workplace policies and what they can include to ensure that employees feel valued, welcome, and respected. One way to do this is through a strong commitment to EDI at every level.
By fostering an environment where everyone feels comfortable, businesses can tap into the immense power of diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas. In this blog, we share 5 ways to position EDI policies within your workplace that really make a difference.
Embrace Flexible Work Arrangements
We really shouldn’t be needing to convince people to incorporate flexible working arrangements but it seems that even today, there are some major companies fighting back against the flexible working trend that sprouted from the pandemic.
Just recently, BlackRock, a New York-based asset manager with about 20,000 employees in more than 30 countries said that from September 11 this year, staff would only be allowed to work from home just one day a week.
The firm joins a growing number of corporations
From top to bottom flexibility should play a role at work. That’s not to say that you give everyone the schedule they want, business can’t always run like that but to paint flexibility with a wide brush is actively ignoring the well known benefits of choosing a flexible model - it makes good business sense and there will still be plenty of people to fill the offices, most without being told to do so.
In today's fast-paced world, the traditional 9-to-5 office model doesn't always accommodate everyone's needs. By embracing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours, companies can create an environment that values work-life balance and accommodates different creative work styles.
Include Diversity & Inclusion Training
Creating diversity and inclusion training programmes is a great way to address biases and prejudices within a workplace.
It also allows for everyone to get involved and be part of that conversation as to how an organisation moves forward with EDI.
Every organisation is different and the best way to ensure that diversity training is successful is to tailor it to your company and needs while actively listening to your team. A comprehensive diversity and inclusion programme provides concrete strategies to engage in respectful and positive interactions in the workplace while reducing discrimination and prejudice based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical and mental ability, and socioeconomic status.
It’s not good enough any more to tell staff to tolerate differences for the sake of wellbeing. A training programme must go further than this and teach everyone, at all levels, how to work effectively together, embracing all perspectives.
Review and Rethink Recruitment Practices
Most of us agree that a diverse team helps boost innovation and drives better results. You don’t even have to look at the stats (of which there are many) to know intuitively that recruiting with diversity in mind contributes significantly to your overall EDI model.
To go forward with diverse recruitment, you first need to review your current practices to eliminate any unconscious biases or outdated requirements and add new initiatives. This can involve blind resume screenings, rethinking the factors that you screen for, diverse interview panels, and inclusive job descriptions that speak more about ‘culture adds’ than ‘culture fits’.
When considering employment, a survey from glassdoor cited that 67% of job seekers deem workplace diversity as an important factor in their decision process, especially for millenials who make up the majority of the workforce today. According to a Deloitte survey, 75% of millennials believe an organisation is more innovative when it fosters a culture of diversity and inclusion. Therefore, if you want strong talent, you need a diverse recruitment strategy.
Promote Pay Equity
A greater focus on workplace awareness and transparency has made pay equity a hot topic for both employees and employers and it should be.
Not a globally held concept as of yet, pay equity means that equal work deserves equal pay regardless of an employee’s race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, or religion.
In 2018, Iceland introduced the first policy in the world that required organisations with more than 25 employees to prove that they pay men and women equally for a job of equal value. The policy is implemented through a job evaluation tool called the Equal Wage Management Standard. If companies show they pay equally for the same positions, they receive certification. Beginning in 2020, certification became a requirement and companies without certification incur a daily fine.
Being transparent on salaries is a simple way to create a more inclusive and happy workforce and a lot of the effort to implementing it comes down to good communication. It’s still often considered to be a workplace taboo to discuss money but this shouldn’t be frowned upon. Let your team know that they can speak to you and others about their salary.
And don’t forget to let your whole team know that pay equity is a priority.
Encourage Open Conversations
Being able to speak your mind is crucial for a inclusive workforce and research shows that leadership support, particularly, is the most effective way to improve wellbeing across the board.
This is way leaders will need to play a more active role in their EDI business journey. Employees that see their leader speaking openly will be more likely to relate, trust and share. Considering the mental health crisis, we need as many preventative actions as possible in the workplace.
Again, it’s all about being flexible to each individual. Some people prefer one-to-ones whereas others feel more comfortable voicing their views in group conversations. Be empathetic to those different situations. If it’s not difficult to adapt to, then just do it.
But bear in mind that sometimes people just don’t feel confident expressing themselves directly to another. In these cases look to other ways to get their voices heard. You can:
Establish platforms for anonymous feedback
Conduct anonymous employee surveys to gauge the inclusivity of your workplace and overall happiness of your team
Arrange team forum discussions and pick a topic for everyone to share their views on.
Embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment.
By diversifying leadership, your organisation will witness better retention rates, wellbeing and business growth. EDI-T will be a part of driving that commitment across the international education sector.