Acknowledging Inclusion and Diversity inclusion in the workplace are vital components of a healthy, happy and respectful work culture. But how do we go about making these changes and why are they important? Diversity and Inclusion are often discussed together (along with Equality) but they are different concepts and organisations need to consider both when developing their strategies.

Inclusion in the workplace

By facilitating inclusion in the workplace, you are valuing everyone’s differences and enabling everyone to thrive. Your employees should all feel like they belong, without pretending to be something they are not or feeling like they have to fit in. They should also feel like their work matters, that they are respected and appreciated and as though they belong without having to adapt. Employees should feel able to perform to their full potential, no matter what their circumstances, identity or background.  An inclusive working environment has fair policies in place and employs practices that enable a diverse group of people to work together effectively, whether that is as an individual or within a team.

Employees should also feel supported and safe to call out or challenge any exclusionary behaviour. Everyone should get a fair opportunity to contribute and develop their role within your organisation.

Every employee or member of your team should be treated equally, and also be acknowledged as an individual with unique skills and talents, giving them the chance to achieve their potential without being judged or discriminated against. UK legislation sets minimum standards to prevent discrimination against employees due to their age, disability, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation, but an effective inclusion and diversity strategy should go way beyond legal compliance to add value to your company, by contributing to employee wellbeing, enhancing their experience and promoting engagement. This will also make your business more attractive to potential employees once word gets around that it is a great place to work!

Diversity in the workplace

Acknowledging diversity in the workplace means recognising the differences and utilising them. Studies have shown that diverse teams are more productive and perform better. Diverse team members offer new perspectives along with opportunities for creative breakthroughs and fresh ideas.

Differences may include factors which are visible as well as non-visible, and may not always be immediately apparent.

Employers must understand that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to managing a team. They need to promote fair opportunities and equal opportunities for everyone. Employees will have different personal needs, values and beliefs and they need to be able to acknowledge and respect each other.

Tackling Discrimination

In the UK, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion, belief, sex and sexual orientation are all ‘protected characteristics’ which are covered by discrimination law to give people the protection they need to be treated fairly.

Discrimination in the workplace can have many negative effects. It can have a detrimental impact on an employee’s well-being, performance at work and intention to stay. It can also adversely affect their employment opportunities. Employers who discriminate are not encouraging their employees to play to their strengths and they may fail to recognise any skills, abilities, potential or experience they may have. Discrimination can also result in significant legal costs, including costs incurred through paying out compensation and settlements to avoid defending expensive discrimination claims. High-profile legal discrimination cases are also really bad for business and can severely damage your business reputation too.

The benefits of acknowledging diversity and inclusion in the workplace

A diverse team needs an inclusive workplace to be able to flourish. As we discussed in our blog about Employee well-being and spotting the signs of Burnout, people want to work for employers who employ good practices. They also want to feel valued at work, with a clearly defined role.

By developing robust Diversity and Inclusion practices (rather than doing the bare minimum to cover your legal requirements) you are going to increase your chances of developing a decent pool of talent whilst also boosting your corporate reputation. Both of these will give your business a competitive edge, whilst retaining and supporting your staff.

By creating open and inclusive workplace cultures where all of your employees feel valued, and respected by their peers and that their contributions are appreciated and recognised, you will reap the benefits all-round.

We have talked about flexible and hybrid working in previous blogs. Offering an element of ‘job design’ to your employees is another way to contribute to your diversity strategy by retaining a wide pool of talented people who may not necessarily be working on-site with you, depending on your industry.

Senior management can lead by example and it is important to make sure your senior management team is diverse and inclusive as well! Managing diversity and inclusion is an ongoing process and it is important to keep on reviewing and improving your strategy as the business develops, to meet the distinct needs of your workforce.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training

For some businesses and industry sectors, it can be more difficult to overcome prejudice and change entrenched negative attitudes. Perhaps you want to employ more women in what has traditionally been viewed as a male role, or you wish to create opportunities for neurodiverse employees. It can be difficult, but it’s not impossible.

Managers need to apply a universal approach to develop an inclusive culture, employment policies and practices. There is no legal requirement to have a written Inclusion and Diversity policy, but it’s a good place to start if you want to demonstrate that your business takes its legal and moral obligations seriously. By making it ‘official’ you can also encourage employees to treat others inclusively.

At Develerate, we offer Level 5 CMI-accredited Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training. This course takes place over 26 weeks with a Level 5 Certificate being awarded to successful applicants.

The course provides a complete pathway to ensuring that your workplace permeates a welcoming and inclusive culture amongst colleagues and covers the following topics:

  • The Equalities Act and how it applies to the concept of equality and diversity in the workplace, ensuring that your employees fully understand their roles and responsibilities
  • Legal and organisational approaches to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • How to monitor and report on these areas
  • Roles and responsibilities of managers regarding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • How to develop and implement plans to support these practices in the workplace

You can find out more and download some course info on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training on our Training page. The course content is delivered through specific units, tailored to suit your workplace with online workshops at a time to suit you. If you’d like to know more, please email hello@develerate.com, and we’ll be more than happy to help.