Creating a truly inclusive workplace culture every month of the year
It feels like LinkedIn is currently full of articles around pride season and celebrating the diversity of our teams – though the flip side of this is the acknowledgement that as organisations we need to avoid “inclusivity washing” (much like watching out for “greenwashing” when ESG – Environmental, Social, Governance became the hot topic). This got us thinking, and Arkin, NKD’s People and Operations Director, shared what we do here at NKD to work towards creating a truly inclusive workplace every month of the year.
7 ways to start building an inclusive culture
- Acknowledge that it needs focus. It’s not just enough to assume that as an employee engagement agency we’re doing ok. We need to focus on it and have a plan.
- Listen. Really listen. Not just through the usual channels such as regular employee surveys, but through dedicated DEI surveys, and other opportunities to hear what our teams are really thinking and feeling, such as team meetings and one-to-ones.
- Build it into the strategy. Having strategic goals around our people and their experience, and prioritising these, is vital (did someone say, ‘Harvard service profit chain’?)
- Get support. We need to acknowledge that we might not know everything there is to know about DEI and the lived experiences of others and gain insights from those that do. That could mean reaching out to experts within the DEI space to support your organisation’s vision of an inclusive workplace.
- Review company policies. A people director who is talking about HR policies – what a surprise! But joking aside, policies and procedures form the fundamentals of any organisation, so we need to ensure they are truly inclusive in every way.
- Get the team involved. Employee Resource groups are a brilliant way to get people involved – at NKD we call these our ‘Culture Teams’ – but we need to be mindful not to overburden team members.
- Focus on learning. And importantly, leaders and team members do this together as part of a shared journey to understand and grow, and truly become an inclusive organisation.
These are just some of the ways organisations can start to create a more inclusive workplace culture. What’s worked for you?
We love talking about how to make workdays better for your people. For more thinking on diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces click here, or if you want to discuss anything hit the connect button below!