The culture of a workplace can make or ruin a business. From the very beginning, the success of a company is determined by the people and talent that make it up. Deloitte found that 83% of executives, and 84% employees believe that motivated and engaged employees are the most important factor in a company’s growth.
While it is easy to make promises to your employees or audience about a diverse and welcoming workplace, many companies have difficulty implementing this promise. It takes more than just a few statements and policies to create a truly diverse workplace. It requires a continuous commitment, a strategic approach, and constant effort.
In this article, you will learn about tried-and-tested initiatives and practices to help your company achieve growth while cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment. These strategies can help transform the culture of your workplace and position your business for long-term growth.
Join forces with local organizations to diversify your candidate pool
Recruiting tactics that target people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs and identity are the foundation of a diverse workforce. Your candidate pool could be restricted if you list only your open positions on LinkedIn. It’s not that LinkedIn isn’t a diverse group, but the listing will only be accessible to candidates with an internet connection. You might also filter out candidates who would be great for the job but may not have traditional experience.
By partnering with local organizations, you can help your recruitment and human resource teams reach out to more diverse communities. Henry Street Settlement has been providing Lower East Side New York City residents with opportunities for over 125 year. These organizations are essential allies when it comes to building a diverse workplace.
If you are looking for these agencies in your area, make sure they offer tools and resources that will help members land well-paying jobs. These organizations can help you increase your pool of candidates by establishing partnerships.
Develop an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee
The next step is to create an EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) committee that will implement the standards of equity, diversity and inclusivity and hold everyone accountable. You can do this in many ways, but I’ve found that identifying key members from your different properties or teams who have different levels of experience works best. It is essential that the group includes a variety of voices and backgrounds from within your brand.
This committee must have clear and concise goals, as well as a set of actionable steps. What are you hoping to achieve with this group? What training and programs are needed to achieve your goals? Exist opportunities to introduce new policies that protect your diverse workforce and hold them accountable?
You should create a policy to combat racism, promote access and ensure equity if you do not have one already. All new employees should review this policy and agree to it when they join the team. The committee should also regularly review and update the policy to ensure that it remains effective.
Hire external experts
Experts from outside can offer a fresh perspective. They can provide a different perspective and outlook on the workplace. They can offer advice and provide your team with processes and solutions to foster the environment that you are trying to create.
Bring in a gender expert to help you identify growth opportunities that may be missed by your team. This expert can also help with the education component that is necessary for each EDI committee, and show the members how they should navigate conversations relating to pronouns and gender identity. This training is essential in creating a workplace that values and understands all employees.
Experts in cultural competence can also offer training sessions to help employees appreciate and understand the diverse backgrounds of their colleagues. These training sessions can cover topics such as cultural norms and communication styles, and strategies for resolving conflict.
Anonymous Surveys
It is important to create a space where your employees can freely express their views about the workplace. By conducting anonymous surveys, employees are encouraged to freely express how they feel about their working environment.
It may be difficult for some people to reach out to leadership about their problems or complaints. A MyPerfectResume study found that 86% respondents were afraid of human resources. Additionally, 85% of respondents hesitated to contact HR representatives about work-related concerns.
Anonymous feedback is a great way to allow employees to be honest about what they think of their work environment, and where improvements could be made. This gives the EDI Committee a unbiased view of what employees experience on a daily basis.
The information collected through these surveys is invaluable in identifying improvement areas and developing targeted programs to address employee concerns. The employee’s voice is heard and valued. Morale and engagement are boosted.
Bring in Training to Educate your Staff
To create a diverse, inclusive workplace, education must be ongoing. This enables your team to navigate through unique situations and work with others who may have different gender identity or cultural background.
I found de-escalation and hospitality brand training to be particularly helpful. This training equips employees with the tools and support they need to deal with socially-driven scenarios in a hotel. Introduce the training to new team members during their first few weeks of employment to ensure they have the tools to succeed.
A useful form of gender identity training. Diversity Builder can be a great partner to facilitate this training for your team. The ultimate objective of this program will be to educate employees in verbiage and communication related to gender expression. Your team will be empowered to interact with other employees and guests with more confidence.
Finally, the cultural interviewing training gives your managers and leaders the opportunity to focus their attention on how to make the most of an interview with a potential candidate. Make both the employee and the applicant feel comfortable, so they can excel during the interview. This will ensure that candidates can feel the culture right from the start. Set your brand apart from the other brands with which the candidate is interviewing.
Make your values clear
Your brand’s values must be clear and concise. This is the most important part of creating a diverse, inclusive workplace. By putting your company’s core values in the spotlight, you can attract employees who have similar values. All candidates will feel welcome if you make your company’s values the center of attention. Include the company’s objectives and initiatives in your job description.
Also, it’s important to communicate your values consistently on all platforms including your website and social media channels, as well as internal communications. Reiterating these values regularly ensures that they are embedded into the culture of your company and embraced by every employee.
Take Action!
It is easy to say that you are doing something. Actions speak louder, as the old saying says. Organize yourself internally, listen carefully to your employees, train your team to foster the culture you desire, bring in experts to broaden your perspective and let your values be known. Rest will follow.
- It takes a consistent effort to have a positive impact. Organise yourself internally and create structures that will support your diversity and inclusion efforts. You can do this by creating committees, establishing policies and creating plans.
- It’s important to pay attention to the employees, at any level.You can use anonymous surveys, focus group meetings and one-on-1 meetings to collect feedback and better understand your workforce. This will allow you to tailor your initiatives and improve the quality of work.
- Another important component is training.Invest in the education of your employees to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills for navigating diverse and inclusive workplaces. This includes training on cultural competency, unconscious prejudice and specific role training.
- Experts from outside can offer valuable insight and guidance.These experts can assess your current practices and identify areas that need improvement. They can also offer recommendations to create a more inclusive work environment. These experts can provide support and training for your employees to foster a culture of understanding and respect.
- It is important to make your values known. Communicate your commitment to inclusion and diversity through your brand, your job descriptions and your internal communications. Assure that all employees embrace and understand these values. Hold them accountable to uphold them in their everyday work.
You can create an inclusive, diverse workplace culture by taking these steps. This will support all employees. This multifaceted strategy will not only benefit you and your staff, but it will also help your business to be successful. A workplace culture that celebrates and supports diversity can be built through consistent action, leading to increased employee satisfaction, engagement and success. It’s your turn now to start the journey towards a diverse and inclusive work environment!
Hotel Business Review reprinted with permission. www.HotelExecutive.com.
