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A Culture Of Inclusion: Promoting Workplace Diversity And Belonging

A Culture Of Inclusion: Promoting Workplace Diversity And Belonging
by Nicole Fallon

Diversity is an important issue for any modern business. But it's not enough to hire people of different nationalities, races, genders and sexual orientations – everyone needs to feel like they are truly welcome, safe and free to be themselves in the workplace.

"[A sense of] belonging … and inclusion should be a big focus for employers because it ensures that all employees, regardless of their background and experiences, can be connected with equal opportunity and create a healthier, more successful future together with their employers," said Alexandre Ullmann, head of human resources at LinkedIn, LATAM.

"When people are comfortable and can express themselves in an authentic way, they are more likely to perform better, which increases engagement and contributes to the organization as a whole," added Miguel Castro, senior director and lead for the Culture & Identity, Global Diversity & Inclusion Office at SAP. 

This is especially true of workplaces with an LGBT-inclusive environment. Castro noted that inclusivity has a significant impact on an organization's bottom line and is linked to an average individual productivity increase of 24 percent, according to Out Now Global. Similarly, a 2016 study by The Economist found that the majority of its survey respondents believe diversity and inclusion promote better talent management (71 percent), employee satisfaction (64 percent), collaboration (57 percent) and corporate reputation (57 percent).

Yet, there is still much progress to be made. Just over one-third of The Economist's survey respondents reported strong progress on advancing LGBT inclusion in their companies, and 63 percent say the onus rests on the C-suite and senior management to improve the situation. Here are some simple steps you can take as a leader to promote an inclusive company culture. (Communication and involvement matter when promoting diversity.)

1. Start from the top

As with any facet of company culture, creating and encouraging a sense of belonging in your workplace begins at the leadership level. The company's founders and executive team need to have a desire to build a diverse culture and hire people who are open to working with people of all different nationalities, skin colors, genders and sexual orientations, said Eloise Bune, CEO of ScribbleChat.

"If diversity is not a company goal … it just won't happen," she said. "People tend to hire people like them so they are comfortable and rarely challenged. It is human nature."

"A healthy business begins with a healthy company culture," added Jason Beckerman, CEO of Unified. "We strive to provide all of our employees with the tools and skills necessary to shine, and that starts with letting your employees know that yes, you can be exactly who you are here."

Once your company's leadership sets the tone, it's easy to extend that attitude throughout the organization.

"What is great about creating a culture of belonging is that it can be fostered peer-to-peer, bottom-up and top-down," said Ullmann.

Read full article on Business News Daily.