Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women’s Day by taking some time to reflect on why inclusion is such a key value at Clarasys. For us, inclusion is a golden thread running through our business where everyone, regardless of their background or identity, has an equal opportunity to thrive. This means more than just having a diverse team. It involves actively engaging with all employees to ensure they feel valued and integral to our success.
Inclusion and equality aren’t just moral obligations, they are also a key driver for productivity, economic growth, and societal development. Research from Gartner® indicates that diverse workforces can see a performance improvement of up to 12% (1). Moreover, inclusivity can help capture new markets and increase productivity. However, achieving gender equity remains a challenge, with a 2022 study revealing that women make up just 32% of senior leadership roles in mid-sized businesses around the world.
How can organisations demonstrate inclusion in the workplace?
Inclusion is about genuine commitment, not just performative actions. When leaders prioritise inclusion, they create a workplace that supports and values every individual, leading to a stronger sense of belonging and a more effective workforce. This, in turn, empowers people to voice their ideas, contributing to the creation of superior products and services.
Five ways to build inclusivity in the workplace
- Be data-driven: Collect and analyse demographic data (e.g. pay gaps, staff turnover, differences in employee experiences, and number of women in leadership positions) to set informed targets and understand the current state of inclusivity within the company.
- Listen to employees: Proactively engage in an open dialogue with employees to understand their experiences and identify areas for improvement. Utilise a range of tools, including focus groups, a dedicated gender equity team, and anonymous employee surveys. Having multiple routes will maximise opportunities for feedback.
- Foster a safe culture: At Clarasys, one of our core tenets is promoting psychological safety as this fosters an environment where employees feel secure and empowered to provide honest feedback. This means, amongst other things, promoting positive discussion, valuing everyone’s ideas, and demonstrating concern for employees as people.
- Act on feedback: Gathering input from employees is only worthwhile when an organisation noticeably responds to the feedback and is willing to learn and grow from these insights. Listen to feedback, reflect on it, and have open and honest discussions with the wider team.
- Role model inclusion: Creating this culture can be difficult, so leaders need to exemplify these behaviours, setting the standard for the rest of the organisation.
Challenges to creating an inclusive workplace
Empty activism isn’t good enough. Of course, a positive workplace culture is essential but without tangible benefits and initiatives, an organisation will still have many of the same structural barriers to inclusion. For example, a lack of flexible working arrangements and unequal maternity/paternity leave policies disproportionately affect women, who are often primary caregivers. This can limit their professional opportunities, which is why it is imperative that organisations have robust policies in place to remove these blockers.
Building an inclusive environment
Effective structural and cultural transformation is a major undertaking, but just like any good investment, it’s worth the effort. From a business perspective, improving workforce inclusion can bring major returns for an organisation from unlocking the potential of your employees to driving innovation. Ultimately though, inspiring inclusion is a moral imperative because equity makes for a fairer society.
How will your organisation inspire inclusion in 2024?
If you would like to talk to us about your DE&I journey, get in touch.
Clarasys is an international business consulting firm.
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