Over the past year, we’ve seen unprecedented demand for inclusive workplaces. This is a positive development; it signals that more people are understanding how important diversity and inclusion are to creating high-performing teams and organisations.
Companies need to start taking this as a priority if they want to attract top talent, develop their employees and keep them happy. Inclusive cultures drive engagement, innovation and performance. Unconscious bias is reduced and employees feel more confident about speaking up. But if you’re not already working on your culture, there’s no time like the present. Here, legal practitioner Amiel Gross shares three ways you can start advancing diversity, equity & inclusion today:
Build an inclusive company culture
It’s important that companies begin to talk about diversity and inclusion at a corporate level. You can start by holding regular workshops and trainings that promote an open dialogue about issues related to diversity and inclusion. In addition, you can also start a conversation around what diversity and inclusion means at your company. This can be done by creating an inclusive corporate culture by embedding an inclusive language, policies and processes around diversity and inclusion, explains Amiel Gross, the Head of Legal at Center for Breakthrough Medicines.
Broaden your definition of diversity hiring
Some companies try to hire people who fall under the diversity and inclusion umbrella, but fail to consider that their hiring criteria might be putting them at a disadvantage. For example, a company might think that having a diverse team is the same as having people from different backgrounds and cultures working together. These companies might not realise that having a diverse team without including inclusion on the hiring criteria is not the same as having true diversity – which goes beyond simply having a mix of races and genders. To truly advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, companies need to look beyond the mere presence of underrepresented groups in their workplaces and look at the quality of those groups, ads Amiel Gross.
Cultivate a Culture of Belonging
Companies can also take steps to create a more inclusive and welcoming culture. This might include creating an inclusive office environment, holding “inclusion training” sessions that are open to everyone, and creating an inclusive workplace culture that is inclusive to everyone. While creating an inclusive culture is important, it’s equally important that the people who work at your company feel welcome and included.