10 Helpful Tips to Build an Inclusive Workplace

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Rita Akekelwa

Top 10 Tips for an Inclusive Workplace: Summary

Use a Bias-free Job Description Software
Evaluate and Train Your Executive Team
Talk About Gender Pay Inequality
Create Multilingual Teams
Make a Wheelchair-friendly Workplace Environment
Develop a Multigenerational Workforce
Communicate Inclusive Workplace Policies And Measure Progress
Create Accessible Technology
Use independent groups to conduct focus groups
Personalize one-on-one discussions
Bonus Tips

Now, let’s get into the top 10 diversity and inclusion tips for the workplace.

1. Use a Bias-free Job Description Software

Are you afraid your job descriptions are seen as biased or ignorant? If you’re not getting a decent amount of applicants when you post your roles, it might be because of biased language. A great way to avoid this is by using job description software.

Ongig’s Text Analyzer is a great place to start if you want to be more inclusive. This tool assists you in creating job ads that are fair and unbiased. It helps you avoid discrimination based on race, gender, or other factors, so you can attract a wider range of applicants.

This allows you to find great employees and make your team more skilled and diverse, which can lead to exciting opportunities.”

Using biased words in job ads can stop women and other groups from applying to your company. Ongig spots these words and phrases and shows you which ones are biased or offensive. We also suggest kinder words to use instead, making it simple for you to make your job ads more inclusive.

Ongig also:

Checks your job ads to see if they’re easy to understand. It points out things like long lists, very long sentences, and words that may be hard to understand or terms that might make people lose interest.
Uses AI to find messy parts in job ads. If you don’t talk about important things like pay, benefits, and treating everyone fairly, some people might not apply. So, Ongig makes sure you don’t miss these details, helping you keep your job ads clear and complete for everyone.
Helps you create your own job ad templates. You can easily use these templates to post many job openings. So, this is a very efficient way to advertise for multiple jobs.

2. Evaluate and Train your Executive Team

Every leader in your team sets an important example for your staff, clients, and others. This way, the top managers get to show what the whole company is like.

So, it’s important to have leaders from different backgrounds like various ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. Also, check to make sure that everyone is included. Do your managers come from different backgrounds?

Training programs for cultural competence are essential for creating a mindset shift. Through workshops and courses, employees gain insights into different cultures, beliefs, and perspectives. This ongoing education helps them recognize and overcome biases, promoting inclusivity in day-to-day work.

You might not have much control over top bosses, but it’s still a good idea to talk about diversity and inclusion. So, if you can, suggest that executives talk openly with their staff. This could make your company more appealing to diverse job seekers.

How you build your organization’s executive team tells you a lot about its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Even if you can’t easily change the top bosses’ minds, training on diversity and inclusion can still make a difference.

Try offering certification programs for diversity and inclusion to your C-suite and executive workers.

This helps leaders connect better with their colleagues. So, when job seekers notice that the top team is open to everyone, they are more likely to apply for jobs in that company.

3. Talk About Gender Pay Inequality

Do you want everyone to feel comfortable and trust each other at work? So, be ready to talk about whether men and women are paid differently and share some of the company’s pay numbers.

Lots of companies argue about the pay difference between men and women. But if a company is clear about its rules and talks openly about them, it helps employees trust and feel like they belong.

When there is a pay gap between genders, it’s vital that employees feel safe voicing their concerns.

Also, be sure to explain in detail the plan that’s in place or plans to implement to close the gap. That way, they’ll know the organization is serious about addressing the gender pay gap.

It’s important not to seem defensive when sharing company stats about policies. Be honest with employees if data is uneven due to factors like maternity leave compared to unused paternity leave.

4. Create Multilingual Teams

Can you see yourself in a workplace where everyone speaks in a language that’s not your own?

Think about different languages and personal choices to make people feel valued and comfortable.

A common issue is when corporations employ diverse teams of people from different nations who all speak a different language. And they invite all of those groups to a digital event.

When this happens, in what language should the person introducing the event speak? What language will the CEO use to make their speech? The best global businesses know to provide translation services to ensure all employees may communicate effectively and feel welcome.

But it’s just as crucial at smaller businesses to make sure employees may speak to one another in any language they like, especially in common work areas and during authorized events.

To have employees who speak different languages, you might need to make groups and give resources for learning new languages. This might cost a lot at first, but it’s worth it in the end.

Many high-level executives have difficulty empathizing with those who speak English as a second language, for example. Put yourself in a situation where you have to go to work every day with coworkers who all speak a language that is not your own.

All of your staff members should feel secure and at ease when talking to one another. So, instead of disregarding someone because they can’t speak English, try giving them equal opportunity to do so in their first language.

5. Make a Wheelchair-friendly Workplace Environment

Make sure the shared spaces of your office, like the kitchen and restrooms are accessible to those using wheelchairs so you can have a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

Even if your facility is ADA-compliant, it’s easy to cram corridors and corners, especially in older offices with uneven flooring or small steps.

Tour the entire building, and if possible, use a wheelchair to get around the workplace. This will help you gain different perspectives and also see if there are any obstacles for someone who uses a wheelchair. By doing this, you can locate potential accessibility issues and improve the usability of your office for everyone.

If you are a remote company, consider assisting those who do their jobs from home. Do this by suggesting they conduct a safety and ergonomics evaluation of their office space. Make a plan to ensure they have access to the resources they need.

6. Develop a Multigenerational Workforce

The majority of today’s workforce consists of millennials. According to Deloitte, over 80% of millennials are more invested in their work when their company offers an inclusive workplace culture.

Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce requires team members who can identify and work with people from different generations.

Although millennials are often stereotyped as technologically sophisticated, it’s important to remember that this generation began in 1981. Older millennials are usually not as digitally savvy as their younger peers.

Communication methods show how this works. Some people like talking on social media or in group chats. But older employees might not prefer these ways of talking with others.

To make sure everyone, no matter their age, stays interested in work, use a general communication platform. This helps you send messages in a way that employees like and find easy.

7. Communicate Inclusive Workplace Policies and Measure Progress

Having policies in place that welcome diverse employees isn’t enough. You must make your expectations clear to your staff.

If someone at work faces unfair treatment, they should feel okay talking to a manager. Managers should listen without assuming things and make sure employees feel safe talking about it

You can make it easy for employees to talk about inclusion problems. By simply asking them for feedback regularly, you can make working at your company better.

You can also set up panels with people from various backgrounds to make sure the company is inclusive. This way, everyone can talk openly and honestly about it.

Not everyone feels safe raising their voice to end harassment at work. The diversity panel’s input is crucial to the company’s continuous efforts to get rid of bias in the workplace.

8. Create Accessible Technology for an Inclusive Workplace

The International Labour Organization recently released a paper highlighting the dangers of artificial intelligence in repeating biases. This is bound to happen if the data gathered and recognized does not appropriately include people with disabilities.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum also shows awareness of potential biases and encourages action against them when using tech tools during hiring procedures.

Both the public and businesses can help include everyone right from the start. For example, groups like the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology give advice on how new technologies, like AI and virtual reality, can be more accessible for people with disabilities.

Tim Christensen, CEO of SocialChorus, suggests that when it comes to technology, businesses should think about the needs of all employees when considering implementing a new digital tool.

Remember, most employees need easy access to the most current computer programs or tech advancements that office workers take for granted.

9. Use independent groups to conduct focus groups

As a company grows, getting help from outside experts is a good idea. Many big companies hire independent groups to make their workplaces inclusive. But finding the right balance between internal team members and outside help, like focus groups, is important for steady growth and productivity.

Focus groups are helpful for getting opinions and learning about people during diversity training. So, employees might feel more comfortable talking to someone from outside the company, and that person will stay neutral.

Focus groups are also a way to find out what bothers employees and what makes them feel stressed and tired. When an outside group leads these discussions, employees can talk openly. So, experts in diversity and inclusion, who aren’t connected to the company, can make sure employees feel safe and engaged.

10. Personalize one-on-one Discussions for an Inclusive Workplace

Figuring out what employees’ top priorities are can be done effectively through a one-on-one conversation with their manager.

But for these talks to work, the manager needs to be open and willing to hear anything. Even when managers are tired or stressed, they can show they’re reliable by being honest about their struggles. This also shows they’re human, making employees feel safe to share their thoughts openly.

Managers and leaders, in general, can create an inclusive culture using authentic executive communications.

Bonus Tips for an Inclusive Workplace:

1. Choose Your Words Carefully

In an ideal situation, all leaders would know how to talk to their staff. The way managers speak to employees is a big factor in whether they feel appreciated or not, but people often forget about it.

That said, do you treat your employees equally when you talk to them? Words can be powerful, so think about what you say. Be careful with your words and use language that includes everyone.

Always be mindful of what you say to create a workplace where everyone feels welcome. Be careful not to upset anyone. And also, make sure no one uses jokes that are sexist or racist.

This way, all employees will understand the importance of inclusion and respecting each other’s distinct opinions and diverse backgrounds.

2. Celebrate Diversity

It’s important to recognize and enjoy the special events, holidays, and customs of different cultures at work. This helps everyone feel included and part of the team. Here are some simple ways to do this:

Teach and Share: Teach employees about different cultural events and holidays. Explain why they’re important and how they’re celebrated. This can happen in meetings, emails, or short presentations.

Shared Calendar: Make a calendar that shows all the cultural events and holidays important to your employees. This way, everyone knows when these events are and can join in the celebrations.

Decorate Together: Let employees decorate common areas in the office to celebrate these events. They can use traditional decorations, art, or items from their culture. This helps create a festive atmosphere.

Why I Wrote This:

Ongig’s mission is to help you create an inclusive and effective recruitment process using tools like our Text Analyzer. With our software, it’s easy to write job ads that are fair to everyone.

We guide you through the process, making sure your job descriptions are free from biases and any words that may favor a specific gender. So, in just a few clicks, you can create inclusive and friendly job postings, making your hiring process fair and diverse. So why not test it out for yourself and schedule a demo with us?

Shout-Outs:

15 ways to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace (by Firstup)
15 Tips for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (by HIPAA Exams)
11 Incredibly Powerful Ways To Nurture Inclusion At The Workplace (by Barasha Medhi)
15 Tips for Building a More Inclusive Workplace in 2022 (by Worktango)
6 Tips on How to Be Inclusive at Work (by Workplace Solutions)
7 ways to be an inclusive co-worker (by Inclusive Employers)

July 11, 2023 by Rita Akekelwa in Diversity and Inclusion