Diversity and inclusion in the workplace examples

In this blog post, we uncover diversity and inclusion in the workplace examples.

71% of the employers who've embraced diversity practices have seen a beneficial impact on their recruitment efforts.

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, the current level of inequality is discouraging. Improving diversity and inclusion in your company helps to promote a more inclusive environment. Though the change will take time, it's important to remember that any small action made towards reform contributes to significant change.

In this blog post, we will discuss what changes you can make to your recruitment practices to improve your diversity and inclusion.

Introduction: What is Diversity & Inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion are not the same things, although often dumped together. They are, however, the act of valuing and embracing differences. Let’s look at each word individually to gain a deeper understanding.

Diversity is the recognition, acceptance, and respect of differences. This includes backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, genders, gender identities and expressions, languages, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation and expressions.

In other words, it can be defined as the inclusion of people from different backgrounds, cultures, genders, and experiences.

Inclusion is the action of including people in an environment or organisation by providing equal opportunities for participation.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a topic that has been discussed for quite some time. The lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace can be attributed to many factors, but it is important to focus on how we can improve this and make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Why should we care about diversity?

Diversity when not understood properly can be viewed as a means to reaching policies, programmes and headcounts for social status points. But this is when diversity and inclusion are viewed in the wrong light.

Instead, it should be understood that having a diverse and inclusive workplace means that all team members are respected and unique perspectives, skills and ideas are celebrated. As a result, when everyone feels they are valued,  workplaces earn a deeper trust and higher commitment from their employees.

Caring about diversity is not just a nice idea, it is vital to building a more sustainable and inclusive society.

At an organisational level, diversity fosters innovation, creativity, increased productivity, better problem-solving skills, improved decision-making skills and more.

How can diversity and inclusion help a business?

Diversity and inclusion are essential to the success of any business. They allow organisations to tap into the diverse perspectives and experiences of their employees. This is because diversity helps create an inclusive environment where people can share their ideas, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work together to find solutions.

Furthermore, diversity also helps companies become more competitive in the global marketplace. When a company is diverse, they have access to a broader range of ideas and perspectives that will help them innovate as well as compete with other companies in the same industry.

How Diversity Improves Businesses' Bottom Line

Diversity is a hot topic in business these days. It’s not just about how we can create a more diverse workplace, it’s also about the benefits of diversity to the bottom line.

It's no secret that diverse teams make for more creative companies. Companies with diverse leadership are 19% more likely to have financial returns above the national median. They also tend to be more innovative and profitable due to their ability to address a wider variety of customers and markets.

Diversity is the difference that makes a difference. By improving diversity in the workplace, employers can improve creativity and productivity, increase employee retention rates, and boost innovation.

How does diversity boost innovation?

It's no secret that diversity leads to innovation. In fact, a McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. From a sociological standpoint, it's been shown that diverse groups of people bring different perspectives and skills to the table, which in turn allows them to solve problems from different angles.

Now let’s look at an example to showcase what we’re talking about!

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace examples

Diversity and Inclusion should seek to improve their internal diversity and inclusion for the broader effects. Ultimately, D&I should focus on individual needs to serve customers better with their products and services. Let’s look at some examples of companies who got this right…

Microsoft

One of the best examples of a company embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace is Microsoft.

Since the company started its diversity and inclusion efforts, its employees thought about the end-users- their customers.

That’s when Microsoft created Xbox controls inclusive of children with physical disabilities or missing limbs. Their alternative controller instead had touchpads and bright colours for the visually impaired.

They also went one step further and opened a channel directly for people who still couldn't use the control to communicate and request special customisations.

MAC Cosmetics

Mac Cosmetics was the first and leading cosmetic industry to cater to all skin tones. As early as 1984, they launched the Studio-Fix foundation line at an affordable price for over 50 different skin tones and lipstick shades.

Truly the innovator in being inclusive, Mac not only saw an opportunity in the market but continues to make waves by representing minorities in the world. You can read more about it here.

How to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords. They are important because they affect the way that we see the world and how we interact with each other.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure that your workplace is inclusive and diverse. It is not enough to just have a diverse workforce, you also need to create a culture that welcomes diversity and inclusion.

Some ways to promote diversity in the workplace are:

• Hiring people from different backgrounds
• Providing opportunities for professional development, mentorship, training, and growth opportunities for employees from marginalized communities
• Creating a safe space where everyone can feel comfortable participating in conversations about their identity
• Participating in the consumer-driven wellness movement
• Including diversity and inclusivity in the wellness process
• Creating opportunities for employees to build relationships with clients
• Offering a variety of affordable healthcare plans that meet the needs of all employees

Examples of diversity and inclusion initiatives

Examples of diversity and inclusion initiatives include:

• Targeted recruitment efforts
• Diversity training
• Awareness campaigns
• Targeted hiring practices
• Employee resource groups

Actions to take in your recruitment process to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Recruitment is the process of finding, attracting and hiring the best talent for your company. The recruitment process can be long and tedious, but it pays off in the end. The first step in the recruitment process is to figure out what you need to hire for. This will help define what you are looking for in a candidate.

Next, you need to find out where these candidates are located so that you can reach them and bring them on board as soon as possible. You should also consider how to reach potential candidates who may not have access to traditional job boards if they do not have internet access or if they live in a remote area where there are few job opportunities available.

Once you know where candidates are located, it’s time to start attracting them by posting jobs on various platforms.

Introduce blind CVs

At the moment, CVs are usually used to assess a job applicant’s suitability for a given position. This means that those with more education and work experience have an advantage over those who lack these qualifications. There is also bias about what is considered relevant work experience, as well as what traits are expected in a candidate.

A blind CV would remove the personal information from the CV to eliminate these biases on race, gender, and other factors that could make it difficult for someone to get hired.

Reduce the (skill) requirements to a minimum

The skills of a candidate are important when we are hiring someone. But they shouldn't be the only deciding factor. We also need to take into consideration how the candidate's skills complement the skills of our existing workforce.

It is not enough for companies to focus on gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They need to focus on reducing skill requirements to improve diversity and inclusion in their workforce.

Ensure that the criteria listed are 100% essential to your role. Women are less likely to apply for a job where they believe they do not meet the requirements in the job description, and often only apply to jobs where their experience or education level aligns with what is stated in the job description.

So, only include skills that are really essential for the job and not skills that are “nice to have” or even easily teachable.

Review the role descriptions and ensure the use of inclusive language

The role descriptions need to be updated with a more inclusive language. In the current role descriptions, there are several instances of gender-specific language that can exclude individuals who do not identify as male or female.

Acknowledge holidays of all cultures

We live in a multicultural society, and for our customers to feel connected to your brand, companies should acknowledge important holidays to them.

This doesn't just have to happen externally. Companies should foster this care and compassion within the organisation. Even if it started as something small such as having a conversation with certain employees celebrating an event to do with their culture. Ask them how they’ll celebrate.

Your employees will feel seen and welcome at their workplace.

Listen to employees- facilitating feedback

One of the most simple ways to include all employees in workplace culture is to ask them what they want. Have regular feedback surveys that can remain anonymous. This helps employees feel heard. And when changes are implemented, they feel valued.

Conclusion

A successful organisation is due to its people. When all employees feel valued, loyalty, morale and empowerment will take place. Companies who do this retain their skilled employees and give them a voice for their individual ideas. Overall, with a supportive culture of differences, companies can match consumers' needs and stay current as times continue to evolve.