A Guide for HR Professionals to Ensure Diversity and Inclusivity at Workplace

One of the key responsibilities of HR teams is to ensure a diverse workplace and manage it effectively. From identifying and including people from all ethnicities, religions, and beliefs to helping them work smoothly with others, the HR department should walk the extra mile to increase motivation, reduce bullying, and ostracizing, which, in turn, helps increase the organization's productivity.

Let’s take a look at some interesting stats -

• According to Gallup, 45% of US workers have suffered from racial discrimination in the last year.
• Bonusly reveals that only 40% of women get to make important decisions in their workplaces as compared to 70% of men.
• A report by CNN Money also reveals that 56% of millennials in the US are native. The rate was 72% among baby boomers.
• 67% of millennial job seekers consider diversity and inclusion as an important factor in recruitment.

So, what can you, as an HR professional, possibly do to meet this demand for a diverse workplace? Let’s help you out.

Create an inclusive model
You should ensure that all the employees, including the leadership team, in your organization, are aware of the model of inclusivity and its various aspects. Besides respecting people’s origins, preferences, and beliefs, there should also be a universal acceptance of the various situations they are in. Employees should value differences and allow everyone to be comfortable. Show your employees that you respect their traditions and backgrounds through small initiatives (like having prayer rooms) or hosting events like “Bring food from your home country!”.

Get leadership buy-in
If all is well at the top levels, you won’t face many difficulties in properly establishing an idea. In the case of a huge organization with hundreds of employees, it is important to get a buy-in from the leadership and educate the managers. Hold conversations with the managers and supervisors in every team and make them understand why it’s an important step for the welfare of the organization. Once they learn how to maintain diversity and take an inclusion initiative, your job will be much easier. However, it is also important to keep the communication channels open for the employees to approach you in case of any discrimination or harassment in the workplace. Transparency should be maintained at all levels to help employees from different cultural, social, and religious origins feel safer and motivated.

Let everyone have a voice
It’s important to listen and acknowledge the employees’ feedback and complaints regarding a violation of diversity and inclusion. You can create a live forum, a social media group, or any other platform to help the employees express their opinions, views, and even complaints without fear or hesitance. Giving them a voice to express their opinions professionally and civilly will not only help you identify problem areas but will also help them channelize their resentment properly. A long-term benefit of this initiative will be an increase in the employee retention rate, as they won’t feel that quitting is the only option they have, in case of discrimination or any kind.

Retain and Develop a Diverse Talent
Inclusion is not only about hiring diverse candidates. It is also about creating an inclusive workplace and having good practices and initiatives to ensure that your diverse employees are developed, nurtured, groomed in the organization, and they stay with the organization. To ensure their development, you can implement training and professional development programs. Today’s workforce value mentoring. You can implement mentoring programs focused on diversity. You can also proactively track promotion rates of diverse groups and take appropriate measures if those are not aligned with the company’s vision about diversity and inclusion.

Celebrate the differences among employees
Hold cultural events and celebrations for employees from different religious and ethnic backgrounds to show that you have all the respect for their beliefs. For example, besides celebrating Christmas, Homecoming, and Halloween every year, make sure you do the same for Durga Puja (An Indian festival), the Moomba Festival for Australians, or the Musical Malawi festival for Africans. It will keep them motivated and help boost the idea of diversity and inclusion. Create a council to discuss such celebrations and list down the events worth celebrating.

Wrapping it up
If you go the extra mile to make the employees feel at home and among non-judging people, they will do the same for the organization. They won’t think before stepping up for the company during crises and help it prosper amidst difficulties.

Focus on fair treatment and equal access to opportunity. Make innovation and creativity a priority for everyone. Demonstrate leadership’s commitment to diversity and showcase diversity at all levels. Every little step in the right direction goes a long way!