Diversity and inclusion in the workplace have been widely discussed areas in which a company should assess, grow, and implement as part of their company culture.
Nowadays, organizations are setting goals to improve their diversity and inclusion efforts. Companies are revamping their practices, so employees feel included and that they are an important part of the organization.
Why?
More than basic human decency, studies show effective diversity and inclusion practices increase the innovation and creativity of your workforce. These are essential to enhance organizations and ensure their continued success.
Research supports inclusion and diversity programs
“When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization.”-Pat Wadors, Head of HR at LinkedIn
It is normal for talent to seek out organizations that reflect their values. According to a study done by Glassdoor, 67 percent of active and passive job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. Organizations with a diverse workforce will have an advantage over those who do not.
From an external perspective, companies with inclusion practices are more likely 57.8% to boost their reputation. An organization with a reputation for being diverse and inclusive is better at attracting and retaining a larger group of clients. When clients feel an organization reflects their values they are more willing to recommend it, thus framing the company in a positive light.
From an internal perspective, more diverse teams, where everyone’s opinion is taken into account make better decisions. A study done by Cloverpop shows the most diverse teams within organizations make better decisions 87 percent of the time. Not only are diverse teams good at making decisions, but they also solve problems faster.
According to an HBR article, cognitively diverse teams solve problems more quickly than their less diverse counterparts. When a company improves its decision-making process, it is more likely to succeed.
Other research tells a similar story. A company with a diverse and inclusive team is able to outperform its competitors; according to a study done by McKinsey, racially and ethnically diverse companies outperform industry norms by 36% as of 2019.
Diversity is also important in fueling the Innovation that organizations need to thrive. An HBR article stated, companies with above-average diversity had 19% higher innovation revenues as well as 9% higher EBIT(earnings before interest and taxes) margins. When an organization has higher innovation revenues they are better equipped to adapt to change.
Higher innovation, better performance, quicker at solving problems, better at adapting to change; the benefits of a more diverse team speak for themselves.
5 steps to better employee diversity and inclusion
Step 1. Assessment: There are a few ways in which this can be done. One way to assess the state of diversity and inclusion in an organization is to request employee feedback.
Step 2. Feedback: Employee feedback is a valuable tool at assessing the diversity and inclusion from the point of view of your employees. Tools like Weeve can be useful to create an engaging dialogue with your employees anonymously. Anonymity provides accurate feedback, as there is no risk of repercussions. We can help leaders engage employees, ask the tough questions, and solve problems quickly.
Step 3. Solutions: If any important issues have been uncovered, Weeve can help you reach back out to your employee base and crowdsource solutions to the issues at hand. Crowdsourcing solutions makes it more likely that your employees will be on board with any changes you make. Making change easier.
Step 4. Change Management: Productivity can drop during times of change. Weeve’s data can be used to lessen any disruption. Here you may find it best to hire help from a third party. Coaching is an excellent way to manage change.
Step 5. Continue to fight unconscious bias: Due to affinity bias, we tend to gravitate towards people with similar backgrounds to us. This unconscious bias means upper-level managers tend to be alike.
A diverse and inclusive organization is more likely to have top managers of all different backgrounds. To achieve this they make a special effort to overcome the affinity bias. They train managers to minimize bias in hiring and promotion decisions and insist there is a diverse slate of candidates to choose from.
Organizations that are diverse and inclusive are more likely to have highly engaged employees. According to a report done by Deloitte Australia it is the combined focus on diversity and inclusion [in the workplace] which delivers the highest levels of engagement. When employees are highly engaged they are more likely to be happy at work and come up with more innovative ideas.
Staying on top of things
The best way to know if employees feel included is to ask them. Once set up, Weeve provides a channel for continuous feedback.
Once the proper channels have been set up, Weeve can help your organization anonymously voice their concerns on diversity and inclusion, as they arise! When feedback is given in real time, diversity and inclusion practices can be improved quickly.
If you want to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization the best way to start. Start with the data, crowdsource solutions, make changes, then keep on top of things.
Weeve’s unique combination of organic conversation, empathy, and anonymity empowers employees to talk about their problems about diversity and inclusion. As well as:
Provide an ongoing process of feedback with continual employee outreach
Enables quick sharing of information to provide timely resources to those that need it
If companies want, a more diverse workforce. If they want their employees to feel included, and supported by their workplace. If they want to maximize innovation, retention, and engagement. Then they have to Meet Kim!