Even after years of discussing how diversity and inclusion are essential from both an ethical and a business perspective, many organizations still need help to create an inclusive work environment. Inclusion gets a lot of lip service, but many organizations are making only halfhearted attempts to create an inclusive workplace.
That’s a real problem because not having an inclusive work environment is holding many potentially great companies back. There is a huge amount of power in an inclusive workspace, and the benefits are well worth the effort required to change your organizational culture.
Here are just some of the reasons an inclusive atmosphere is so powerful.
Inclusive Practices Help Retain Employees
People used to stay in their jobs much longer than they do today. They would find a job and stay within the same company for years, decades, or careers. Today, the job market is fickle, and employers and employees are quicker to cut ties. That makes it harder to keep great employees long-term and increases costs.
When people don’t feel comfortable and included at work, they’re likely to leave sooner rather than later. An inclusive work environment can help reduce turnover and increase company loyalty. People who feel included feel more engaged at work, meaning they’re much more likely to stick around.
People Can be their Best Selves at Work
Working in an inclusive environment makes people 42% less likely to make plans to leave their job within the following year. Why? Because people can be their best and most authentic selves at work.
When people feel respected and valued at work, they bring their best selves and attitude to the office. They’re engaged in their work and feel connected to the organization and its goals. Inclusivity helps increase employee well-being, which helps everyone be their best, most productive selves.
An Inclusive Culture Attracts the Best Employees
In addition to helping organizations keep the best employees, an inclusive work culture helps to attract the best talent. Once word starts to get out that an organization is legitimately inclusive, it’s not unusual for the hiring team to see more resumes. Current employees will also refer their friends to open positions and soon the company has more options than they know what to do with!
In today’s competitive job market, it’s essential to have unique selling points for hiring. Pay and benefits are significant, but people value happiness at work. No one wants to be miserable, even if they can make money. Having an inclusive culture is one-way companies can compete.
Inclusive Teams are More Innovative
An inclusive environment helps people feel safe to be themselves. When people feel comfortable and safe, they are much more likely to take risks — after all; they know they will have a soft landing!
This kind of environment is ideal for fostering innovation. Companies need to be innovative to avoid stagnating and to evolve alongside society. Even the oldest, most established companies must embrace innovation for growth and long-term sustainability.
An inclusive culture helps companies become more innovative. By having a diverse team operating in an inclusive environment, people can bring together various ideas from different sources, backgrounds, and experiences. People won’t be afraid to bring their ideas to their peers during meetings and are more likely to propose radical innovations.
While not all of these ideas will be high-quality, an inclusive environment provides the right atmosphere for people to work through their ideas and find the best ones.
Inclusivity Provides a Competitive Edge
The business landscape has never been more competitive. Organizations must find ways to outperform their competition and capture as much market share as possible. Inclusivity is powerful enough to provide a competitive edge in multiple areas, from employee retention to organizational reputation to innovation.
Companies need every advantage they can get. Inclusion is a relatively low-cost way to gain multiple advantages at once and helps sustain long-term business success.
Overall, Inclusive Work Environments Help Boost Revenue
Although creating an inclusive work culture requires effort and money, the return on that investment can be awe-inspiring. In fact, companies with diverse managers have 19% higher revenue than their competitors. Making a diverse team feel supported, respected, and welcomed requires creating an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive.
If nothing else represents the power of inclusion in the workplace, a bigger bottom line does. Companies can’t afford to ignore this cultural shift that could make them a lot of money over time.
Why Creating a Culture of Inclusion is Challenging?
Everyone wants to feel included. So why it is so challenging to create an inclusive work environment, and why are truly inclusive workplaces so rare?
There are many reasons it can be challenging to make these inclusion initiatives successful, from people wanting to talk about the issue because the discussions can get uncomfortable to not knowing where to start. Even something as simple as switching to inclusive language can quickly get divisive and cause conflict within an organization. Some executives don’t want to deal with the challenges involved.
Many organizations say they want to create an inclusive workplace, but they don’t value the project enough to see it through and prioritize it. However, it’s clear that not only does an inclusive environment help people feel happier and more comfortable at work but it also brings out the best in them and helps businesses accomplish their goals.
Creating an inclusive workplace is a win-win. It’s not something that happens overnight, but by making small changes, organizations can create a more welcoming environment and transform their cultures. Change is always tricky, but when it comes to inclusivity, the stakes are too high for people and profits to ignore.
Please see the accompanying resource for more information on how to avoid toxic work environments.
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