Building Inclusive Workplaces: Skills You Can Learn Today

A diverse organization must have an inclusive environment to remain competitive, foster innovation and bring out the best ideas. Here’s how to make it happen.

Embracing a diverse workforce has become a way of life for companies and organizations in every field — a vital component that taps into a wide range of viewpoints, skillsets and backgrounds. Diversity reflects the rich tapestry of faces and voices in our communities, but diversity itself isn’t enough without creating an inclusive environment.

It’s an important strategic step as well. In today’s increasingly competitive and mobile global marketplace, an inclusive workplace is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. According to a post-pandemic Microsoft Work Trend Index, 41% of the global workforce are likely to change employers with 46% of those planning a major pivot or career transition.

The key to staying competitive is offering an environment where people can simply “be themselves without fear of judgment or fear of retribution,” said Jennifer McCusker, Chief People Office of Duly Health and Care, in a UC Irvine webinar on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

“You can have a very diverse company and still not be inclusive,” she added. “So, unless you have this culture where people feel psychologically and mentally safe to be themselves, show up as who they are, you're going to have a hard time creating a space that fosters innovation and gets all the best ideas out.”

Inclusion can take different forms, but there are a handful of principles or skills that can ensure that employees feel seen, appreciated and valued in any organization. All of which results in a more energized and engaged workforce.

Based on a set of guidelines from Reworked, a leading community of employee experience, digital workplace and talent management practitioners, here are five skills that can establish an inclusive and productive workplace.

Model empathy

Above all, leaders need to be empathetic, able to see themselves in place of every team member in order to truly connect with them and make everyone feel valued. For some, it comes naturally. For others, modeling empathy can be a challenge, going against their natural corporate instincts, but having open discussions on the subject, and even experiencing virtual reality training, can help grow empathetic instincts.

The onus doesn’t fall completely on team leaders, of course; everyone in the organization must be able to connect emotionally with their coworkers to truly create an empathetic workplace that ensures all employees feel valued and connected. Still, leaders need to model empathy to set the tone.

Communicate inclusively

Daily communication is necessary to create and foster an inclusive workplace culture, and it starts with leaders modeling effective communication skills and advocating for inclusive input from all team members. Make sure that every interaction in the workplace strives to maintain or improve an environment of respect, while closely listening and responding so people feel heard and understood.

This imparts self-esteem in employees, so they feel valued and respected. It’s also helpful to freely share ideas, feelings and rationale behind strategies so everyone feels involved, providing assistance and advice as needed without removing or overriding responsibilities or authority.

Manage inclusive meetings

Make sure that meetings aren’t dominated by the same people, or person, every time, but rather structured so that a range of ideas and viewpoints are represented. Creating and communicating ground rules to foster inclusivity ensures equal participation opportunities, imparting psychological safety and a place where people can be their whole, authentic selves.

According to Dr. Steven Rogelberg, an expert on meetings and the science behind them, it’s important that meetings have a clear purpose, making sure the right people are involved for generating ideas as well as making decisions. Start your meetings, he said, by defining objectives and benefits to mitigate interruptions, and share materials beforehand to save time, creating space for equal airtime in discussions.

Create opportunities through delegation

Too often, managers tend to assign the highest-profile projects to the same people, denying other team members the opportunity to build upon their skillsets and experience, making for a weaker overall workforce. To take full advantage of a diverse team, leaders need to be more mindful of developing the capabilities of all team members, offering opportunities to grow when they present themselves.

Leaders should start by considering what prior assumptions they’ve made about what each worker can and cannot do, and look to be more inclusive with project assignments, rather than basing delegation on habits or favoritism. Seek to create a versatile team and don’t always take the easiest path forward.

Mentor workers to ensure growth

Team leaders often feel most comfortable mentoring and coaching workers with similar backgrounds, whether cultural, gender-based, educational or in terms of life experience — people like themselves, in other words. To ensure a productive and versatile workforce, one that realizes its full potential, leaders must be open-minded and coach diverse groups to promote personal and organizational advancement.

To be a more inclusive coach or mentor, authentically listen for intent, emotion and content. And show vulnerability, as well; it can make the team feel safe and comfortable sharing a range of experiences. By doing this, leaders can show real empathy, become more effective mentors, and truly connect with their teams.