5 Ways to Improve Inclusivity in the Workplace

What is Inclusivity in the Workplace?

According to Oxford Languages, inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or intellectual disabilities or belonging to minority groups.

More often than not, inclusivity goes hand in hand with another term: diversity. Often mistakenly used interchangeably, inclusivity and diversity are two different terms.

Diversity and inclusion (D & I) expert Rita Mitjans defines them this way:

Diversity is the ‘what’; inclusion is the ‘how.’

Diversity focuses on the makeup of your workforce—demographics such as gender, race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, just to name a few.

Inclusion is a measure of culture that enables diversity to thrive.

Diversity is the variety of people and ideas within your organization. Inclusion creates an environment in which all individuals feel accepted, valued, connected, and given equal access to opportunities.

As Vantage Circle aptly says, “Diversity is getting a dinner invitation. Inclusion is making sure everyone enjoys the meal.”

What are the Benefits of Inclusivity and Diversity in the Workplace?

Research by McKinsey and Company shows that diverse and inclusive organizations outperform their homogeneous counterparts by 35%.

A Deloitte study shows that organizations adopting inclusive cultures are:

• Twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets
• Three times as likely to be high performing
• Six times as likely to be innovative and agile
• Eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes

Deloitte also found that inclusive companies had higher employee retention rates and less trouble recruiting new employees than those without inclusivity.

Tips to Promote Inclusivity and Diversity in the Workplace

Promoting inclusivity and diversity is much easier in theory than in practice. Fortunately, there are simple yet effective steps company leaders like you can take to help ensure your office embraces an environment of inclusion.

1. Start with Self-Evaluation

American Mensa CEO Trevor Mitchell says, “Self-awareness is the first step toward understanding what perspectives you lack, appreciating other experiences and viewpoints, and building more diverse and inclusive organizations.”

Take a moment to reflect on and recognize your personal privilege and biases. Think about how these differ from others. Understanding your biases (both conscious and unconscious) and being aware of how they impact the people around you can help shape the way you think, behave, and interact with others.

As a company leader, start your D & I journey by evaluating yourself and your organization. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the company have an official definition and shared understanding of diversity and inclusion?
• Do you have a diversity, inclusion, and nondiscrimination policy?
• Is inclusivity tied to your company objectives?
• Is everyone afforded equal opportunities to pay, knowledge, and career growth?

Knowing where you stand and what you lack can help you plan your next step toward establishing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

2. Practice Inclusive Recruitment

Inclusive recruitment refers to engaging, interviewing, and hiring diverse individuals by giving value to their unique backgrounds, education, opinions, and life journeys. By having a more inclusive recruitment strategy, your organization can innovate and solve problems more effectively.

If you don’t already practice inclusive recruitment, here are some ideas you can consider implementing in your current recruiting process:

• Think twice about requiring industry-specific experience. You may miss out on candidates with valuable skills and insight from different career backgrounds.
• Write gender-neutral job descriptions. Check your pronouns and avoid (or balance) using gender-charged words.
• Use a blind system of reviewing resumes so you don’t see demographic characteristics that may trigger bias.

Read: How to Create an Effective Recruiting Process

3. Make It a Team Effort

Promoting inclusivity in your organization is no one-person job. It’s not something you can expect your D & I officer or HR department to accomplish alone. Promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace is a team effort.

“A team is more than just a group of people working near each other. They have to truly work with each other,” said organizational psychologist John Amaechi. “They need to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, their skills. They need to know what knowledge and abilities their teammates bring to the table beyond their assigned roles or job descriptions.”

Everyone in the organization has a role in building an inclusive workplace culture—this includes the newest intern, the most tenured employees, and especially the top leaders. Here are a few initiatives that allow your team to enjoy each other’s company while promoting diversity and inclusion:

• Host potlucks where employees bring in food that showcases their culture.
• Celebrate diverse holidays that are significant to your team members.
• Implement a reverse mentoring program.

Read: What is Reverse Mentoring, and Should My Company Do It?

4. Listen and Respond

Active listening is critical to promoting inclusivity in your organization. According to management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, “In our experience, there is a clear link between leaders actively listening to their workforce and successfully creating a culture of inclusion.”

However, before you practice active listening with your team, you first need to establish an environment where employees feel safe and comfortable to express their opinions, especially about complex or controversial topics.

Create confidential or anonymous communication channels for your team to freely speak their mind without fearing judgment or retribution. These communication channels allow you to “listen” and understand what is affecting your team and respond to them with reasonable and feasible solutions or feedback.

By facilitating effective discussions and acting on the valuable insight you get, you can slowly influence your colleagues to move toward a culture of inclusion and belonging.

5. Track Progress

To make progress, you need to gauge your progress. This concept also applies to inclusion and diversity initiatives in the workplace.

You can start by setting D & I goals as an organization. Here are some examples:

• Implement a mentorship program for diverse employees.
• Develop inclusive recruitment strategies.
• Review promotional materials and ensure they’re culturally sensitive.
• Create employee resource groups.
• Organize D & I training programs.



D & I initiatives are an ongoing commitment. You can’t achieve long-term culture change with one-time activities. After establishing your goals, monitor employee engagement and check in on projects. You can also use surveys to know how your employees feel about the changes.

Reach Your Inclusivity and Diversity Goals with Nexus HR

Whether you’re restructuring your company’s inclusivity and diversity program or designing one from scratch, you’ll need all the help you can get. Building a culture of inclusivity in the workplace takes a lot of planning, effort, and commitment.

If you’re a company leader with inclusivity and diversity goals at the top of your priority list, Nexus HR can give you the support you need to accomplish them. As a full-service human resource service provider, Nexus HR can help you with administrative, employee communication, and data-gathering tasks in promoting workplace inclusivity.