Building an inclusive culture in your business isn't just a
moral obligation, it's a strategic imperative.
In my experience, and research also shows, that
organisations who foster inclusivity not only boost innovation and employee
engagement, but they also excel in talent acquisition and overall business performance
.
Creating an inclusive culture can be challenging,
particularly if you don’t know where to start. In a nutshell though, it’s about
establishing a workplace environment in which
everyone feels respected, valued and empowered; fostering an environment where
people feel safe, differences are celebrated and where all employees have equal
opportunities to thrive and succeed.
In this article, I explore the criticality of an inclusive
culture for organisations, the ‘say-do’ paradox, and what steps you can take to
grow, develop and maintain a culture that is inclusive of all.
Why cultivate an inclusive culture?
An inclusive culture benefits every person in a business.
It's a catalyst for unlocking creativity and driving innovation. When people
from diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together, the exchange of ideas
flourish, leading to new solutions and fresh approaches.
And more than that, inclusivity enhances employee
engagement. Employees who feel valued and understood are more committed and
motivated. This heightened engagement translates into better performance,
customer satisfaction and ultimately, a stronger bottom line. It doesn’t hurt
your employer brand either!
In fact, the business case for inclusion is extremely
compelling. Diverse executive teams mean a company is more likely to perform
better - up to 36% better. And according to Harvard Business Review, inclusion “will drive higher revenues through better
innovation and smarter market development, while allowing you to spend capital
more efficiently through better decision-making, higher retention, and higher
productivity.”
Are you suffering from the ‘say-do’ paradox?
The absence of an inclusive culture, or the gap between
talked-about (say) and actual inclusivity (do), poses significant risks.
Claiming to be inclusive while lacking tangible actions to
support those claims can erode trust and damage a company’s reputation. This
‘say-do paradox’ is not uncommon. In a recent McKinsey survey, 70% of people said that their
company claims transformative EDI aspirations, yet only 40% of people said that
they have the infrastructure to realise them.
According to the CMI’s ‘The Everyone Economy’ report, “despite many organisations and staff
embracing EDI initiatives, the UK has systemic challenges around workplace
inclusion, with specific challenges for minoritised groups who feel overlooked
and face discrimination.” Their findings show large gaps between ’say’ and
‘do’, including a rather astonishing 85% (say) to 5% (do) gap in respondents
who thought older workers were underrepresented.
The ’say-do’ paradox undermines employee morale and can lead
to high employee turnover rates. It can also alienate potential customers,
partners and other stakeholders who value inclusivity. In the long run, it
hampers innovation and hinders your company's ability to attract and retain top
talent.
How would you rate your organisation’s inclusive culture? If
you’re leaning more in the say than do direction, or just aren’t sure where to
start, below are a few tips that can help you.
Tips for building an inclusive culture
Building an inclusive culture is about intentionally
designing a workplace environment that embraces diversity and fosters belonging for every
employee. Here are my top tips:
- Inclusion should be a top-down
approach. Senior leaders must not only endorse inclusivity, but actively
model inclusive behaviours.
- Set clear goals and
metrics for inclusion and regularly assess progress. This helps turn good
intentions into concrete actions. What’s not measured, doesn’t get done.
- Review and adjust
your company policies to ensure they accommodate the needs of a diverse
workforce, including different genders, ethnic backgrounds, those with
disabilities and neurodiverse individuals. This could mean
offering flexible working hours, accessible office spaces and inclusive hiring
practices.
- Recognise and
celebrate your employees’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. This could
be through cultural events, acknowledgment of various international days or
diversity spotlights in company communications.
- Support the formation of employee-led groups that can provide community and advocacy for
underrepresented groups.
And ultimately, you need to make inclusion a part of your long-term strategic plan.
Consider how future trends and changes in the workforce demographics, including
the increasing prevalence of disabilities, will impact your business.
By investing in these strategies, you can start to build a
truly inclusive culture that not only supports your current employees, but also
attracts more diverse and talented individuals.
As a leadership expert, I've seen first-hand the
transformative impact of inclusivity on organisations. It's about creating a
better workplace for today and a promising future for everyone.
If you’d like to
discuss how to cultivate an inclusive culture in your workplace and explore how
to close your 'say-do paradox', contact me directly and let’s set up time for a call.
