You want your business to reflect the world it exists in. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a significant factor in this. But it can be challenging to figure out how to promote diversity organically. Here are a few tips on how to encourage diversity at work.
Create a safe space. If you want your workspace to be diverse, it needs to be a place where that diversity can exist safely and comfortably. A hostile environment won’t bring in people of different backgrounds, and it definitely will not get them to stay. A place of work needs to be safe for everyone.
Bias Training. Bias training is a service offered by various companies, which teaches employees how to unlearn and prevent implicit biases that can harm their coworkers. This promotes diversity in the workplace, as it shows that the area is welcoming to all.
Retention. It is not enough to hire a diverse group of people; they have to stay at the place of work to keep the diversity. Create an environment that promotes marginalized and diverse employees to stay and work. This will promote even more diversity, as it will show potential employees that people not only come to work but also stay.
Open dialogue. Finally, having an open dialogue between all employees is a way to bring diversity to the forefront of the company. Conversations about diversity, inclusiveness, and other related topics can promote ideas and hear from voices that are usually silent. Drill into the fact that every voice is important.
If you want to have diversity and inclusion in the workplace, you need to take a certain number of steps to make it happen. Though not simple or easy, the results are beneficial.