12 May, 2022
Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Best Practices
The business case for diversity and inclusion has strengthened over time, and its’ positive impact is no longer debatable. SHRM appraises diversity as being similar to selecting people for a chorus who have different musical backgrounds, vocal ranges and abilities. The inclusion piece of D&I means making sure that those different voices are heard and valued and that they contribute to the performance. Furthermore, when employees who are different from their colleagues are allowed to flourish, employee retention significantly increases and the company benefits from their ideas, skills and engagement.
However, simply creating a percentage shift in your employee base is not enough; diversity is in fact a long-term journey to improving and sustaining inclusion in the workplace and it all comes down to reshaping your organizational culture.
The Business Impact of Diversity and Inclusion
A diverse and inclusive work environment goes hand in hand with cultivating a sense of belonging at work. Additionally, such organizations not only benefit by employees feeling more welcome and valued, but they also enjoy better performance and productivity. According to Deloitte, diverse companies enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee. Gartner found that inclusive teams improve team performance by up to 30% in high-diversity environments. It is sufficing to say that the business impact of fostering an inclusive workplace culture is significant, even more so as 80% of employees consider inclusion an essential factor in choosing an employer, as per recent surveys.
Cultivating an environment that embraces and amplifies individualistic differences between your employees may seem tedious, but with clear, result-oriented actions, it can be made possible. On account of our experience in the field of employee engagement and R&R, we have identified a few key indicators that can function as benchmarks to examine your efforts towards harboring an inclusive workplace culture. Read on to know more!
Indicators of an Inclusive Workplace Culture
- Employees’ efforts are appreciated and recognized
Unbiased and equitable recognition can go a long way in making sure your underrepresented work groups feel at par with everyone else. Build a culture of appreciation by adopting a digital R&R platform that facilitates instantaneous, real-time social recognition across your organization. Reward points and recognitions made can be capped to certain limits to ensure fairness and equality in the process. Additionally, a personal touch can be induced in each recognition with custom e-cards, personalized notes, and media content to amplify the effect.
- Employees share meaningful relationships with their co-workers
Peer bonding is essential to ensure successful team performance and team cohesion. Its impact is further magnified in a diverse workforce, as it is important for people to feel connected with their team members irrespective of their differences. Implement a 360-degree employee recognition platform with peer recognition as one of the major pillars of appreciation. Features such as team events, virtual talent contests, user posts, and a social wall are also effective in nurturing inclusion amid diversity.
- Managers are supportive
Empower your managers to individualize the experience for their unique teams. Leverage a digital R&R platform that can send automated recognition reminders in the form of nudges to all your managers to make sure appreciation is given consistently, fairly, and year-round.
- Performance-related decisions are made in a fair, transparent manner
Introducing performance-based recognition and digital performance scorecards is a great way to invoke transparency in your culture. Underrepresented groups tend to feel ignored or prejudiced when it comes to promotions, development opportunities, and growth prospects. Make sure your organization evades these perceptions through transparent, open, and data-driven communication regarding employee performance.
- Employee empowerment is top priority
Empower your employees with the freedom of choice by designing a customized R&R program where they can choose their reward preferences, instead of being restricted to a rigid reward regime. Read more about how employees can be empowered using customized rewards here.
Surveys and polls administered through an employee engagement platform can also be instrumental in empowerment as they offer employees a safe avenue to vent out and express their concerns. These surveys can later be assessed and scrutinized with data-driven reports generated from responses.
The Best Way to Get Started is to Get in Touch!
We are sure that the above insights have spurred a diligence and intent to deliver exceptional D&I within your organization. Gratifi is committed to fostering a culture of belonging and thus, our customizable employee engagement platform is a great fit for organizations looking to strengthen their D&I initiatives. Book a demo today!