Category: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

Companies with more diverse and inclusive workforces are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Not surprising when you consider that diverse leadership teams deliver 19% higher revenue. So, if you’re not already implementing these DEI best practices, now’s the perfect time.

Education, education, education

It’s only through knowledge and understanding that diversity, equity, and inclusion can truly grow within a business. 

You could expand your employees’ understanding through workshops, webinars, books, mentorship, or other means. 

Offering a variety of formats will help you educate more employees in a way that works for them. In doing so, you can increase the likelihood of success for your DEI program. It’ll also help with employee engagement because people will feel valued.

In addition, you have to educate the outside world about your practices. This is particularly true if you’re an older business that isn’t known for its inclusivity. Anything that gets you out into the community, talking about what you do and how you’re different from your competitors is a good idea.

Similarly, you could interview employees from underrepresented backgrounds and share their stories on social media. This gives them a voice, grows their personal/professional brands, and shows you appreciate them. Make sure it feels like an integral part of your business, though. Tokenism certainly isn’t on any DEI best practices list.

Recruiting initiatives

Over 75% of job applicants feel a diverse workforce is an important factor when deciding where to work. Being truly inclusive starts with your recruitment process.

A lot of recruiting practices just aren’t all that inclusive. They can be stressful, especially for people who are neurodivergent or who belong to a community more likely to face bias.

People who experience the world differently can lead to new ideas you may never have considered before. Not making your business attractive to them means you’re never going to benefit from those different perspectives. 

Instead, you run the risk of groupthink, fewer creative ideas for new products and services, and fewer opportunities to solve problems. 

Cognitive diversity enhances team innovation by 20%. Bringing in people from different backgrounds is key to business growth.

Some businesses have started to realize they’re missing out on a very large talent pool and have chosen to do something about it. 

For instance, extended interview processes can give candidates the opportunity to show off their unique talents while assessing the employer at the same time.

Managerial involvement

When managers actively support DEI best practices through their actions, not just their words, it can have an even bigger impact. 

That said, open communication is a huge part of any successful business. Holding regular check-ins with employees mean managers can deal with challenges before they arise or turn into something bigger. 

They can also learn about other ways the business can be more inclusive and accessible. Obviously, this helps the organization, and the people within it, to grow and further embrace diversity.

Employee groups

Employees who have a greater sense of belonging and inclusion at work report 167% higher eNPS scores. 

A strong sense of belonging also results in a 50% lower turnover risk and a 56% increase in job performance.

Employee groups are a powerful way to build these levels of inclusion and belonging. 

They empower employees to connect with people who have similar interests or backgrounds to them. 

Without these communities, it’s harder for employees to build real relationships with their colleagues, particularly those from other departments in a remote or hybrid business.

Employee groups are easy to set up but can be a challenge to manage. Incorporating some relevant tools can help make them one of the most effective DEI best practices you implement.

Mentoring and sponsorship

Mentoring can be a positive way for someone to find, and lean into, their strengths. 

We often don’t realize what or where our own power is, but it can be obvious to other people. 

Having a mentor who can nurture our skills and help us grow is a huge part of developing in the workplace. It can go a long way towards speeding up our growth trajectory.

Mentoring and sponsorship also open up opportunities to employees that they may not have otherwise had. It’s one of the time-tested DEI best practices you should definitely have in your toolkit.

Physical visibility

Seeing is believing, as the old saying goes. Employees, and outsiders, need to see you being inclusive to believe that you really are. 

If you say your business is inclusive and accessible, but your office is on the third floor with no elevator for anyone who can’t use the stairs, it sends a conflicting message that reflects badly on your business.

True inclusivity isn’t about expecting everyone to achieve the same thing with the same resources. It’s about adapting the resources so that everyone can achieve their goals.

Workplace policies

Having policies in place to deal with problems before they turn into bigger issues ensures employees know what their rights are when something happens, whether that’s a new pregnancy or a chronic illness flare up.

It also shows candidates and new hires that you take DEI initiatives seriously. You don’t just talk about DEI in your job descriptions as a way to pay lip service to a trending topic or legal requirements.

Even if you’ve never had an employee go through a particular situation—like menopause, for example—while at work, creating a policy in advance means everyone knows how to handle it when it does arise. 

This results in less stress because everyone knows where they stand. Plus, you’re not scrambling to put something together to retrospectively fit your needs.

Conclusion 

Businesses that implement these DEI best practices are more profitable, have happier employees, and do more good in the world. There’s really no downside to creating a more inclusive business. 

So whatever industry you’re in, consider adopting these practices so that your employees know what to expect from you. New recruits will feel more welcomed into your environment, and you get to reap all the business benefits.

If you want to put some supports in place to help you achieve these DEI best practices, consider implementing an inclusive employee experience platform.

For instance, Workrowd makes it easy to manage DEI programs, groups, and events, and enables you to easily track their impact with real-time analytics. If you’re interested in learning more, visit us online or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com.

Building a truly inclusive workplace isn’t just necessary for recruiting and retaining top talent; it’s also the right thing to do.

Studies show that 4 in 5 workers want an inclusive workplace, and that inclusive cultures lead to higher employee engagement. Plus, anyone who’s ever experienced being excluded knows how important inclusion is to happiness and wellbeing.

In this post we’ll look at ways you can improve inclusivity in your business. These tips are designed to make your workplace more inclusive to all, regardless of their health status, gender, religion, etc.

Check out these ideas for building a more inclusive workplace, and let us know how you’re driving inclusion for your team in the comments!

Respect deep work time

Offering deep work time, where employees can really focus on producing something, instead of discussing ideas in meetings, is important. It means they can drown out external stimuli and concentrate better on their work. It also means they’ll produce something of a higher quality as a result. 

You hired your employees because they’re good at doing the job, not because they’re good at sitting in meetings. 

Giving them more time to actually do the work, to truly concentrate, will leave them more fulfilled in their role and mean you get more for your money.

Enabling people to make the most of their skills, working in the way that works best for them, is a great way to build a more inclusive workplace.

Create quiet spaces

As someone whose chronic pain is triggered by noise, there have been times when someone blasting music from a tinny smartphone speaker at 8am has had me almost scaling the walls, and not in a fun, Spiderman-like way.

Having quiet spaces where employees can go to disconnect in a busy office to meditate, or just grab five minutes alone, can really help anyone suffering from sensory overload to recover.

Employees shouldn’t have to hide under a desk, or in the bathroom, to find somewhere quiet and less overwhelming.

Remember that people experience the world in different ways, and one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to office design. Ensuring there are spaces to meet an array of employee needs is key if you want to build an inclusive workplace.

Provide prayer rooms

Regular prayers are an important part of some religions. Having a place for people to pray, and not organizing meetings during this time, shows you respect different beliefs.

If your team or company is virtual, you can still practice inclusion by allowing people to take breaks when it’s prayer time. Understand that they won’t respond to messages or calls during this time, either.

Offer adaptable equipment for different needs

Some people find virtual planners really helpful. Others prefer physical ones. And then there are those of us who are awkward and like a hybrid approach (yes, I’m that person).

Regardless of which camp an employee falls into, you should find ways to adapt to what they need. You can’t expect everyone to get on well with the same software. Some aren’t as versatile or user-friendly as they claim.

If there’s really no way around using a particular piece of software or hardware, make sure you offer enough training for employees to make the most out of it without it feeling like a daily chore that inhibits their ability to do their job.

Also, make sure that the desks, chairs, monitors, keyboards, and mice you provide work for each employee. Some people may benefit more from a vertical mouse or a trackpad than a traditional mouse, for example. 

A simple change to office equipment can make a huge difference to someone’s ability to do their job and their quality of life. It can also make for a much more inclusive workplace.

Have a screen-reader friendly website

You know those ALT tags on images? They’re not just there for you to stuff keywords into that help you rank higher in search engines. 

Their original purpose was to help screen readers describe images to partially sighted or blind users.

Therefore, when you’re using it for keyword stuffing, you’re actually making your website less accessible to differently abled prospects, customers, and employees. 

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to describe an image, but it’s one of those things that comes with practice. It’s also a good way to develop your description-writing skills. 

One of the best examples I’ve seen came from a friend of mine, when she wrote a guest post for my blog. She described the images in an SEO-friendly way while also injecting humor into them. This fit the tone of her article, helped with search engine rankings, and accurately described the images to anyone visiting using a screen reader.

Use inclusive language

The language you use says a lot about how you think, often without you even realizing it. 

Addressing a room full of people as “guys,” for example, subconsciously assumes the default gender is male. You wouldn’t call a single person who didn’t identify as male a “guy,” right? 

Language progresses, sure, but can’t we use something that has less gendered undertones? Folks, gang, people…there are lots of alternatives.

Disability-friendly language also plays a role here, such as referring to someone as hard of hearing instead of deaf. Be mindful that everyone has different preferences, though. For instance, some disabled people dislike the term differently abled, while others prefer it.

If you’re worried about getting it wrong, consider my next point…

Be open to listening and feedback

Sometimes you might try to be inclusive with your language, but say the wrong thing without realizing it. For example, this could happen if a trans employee or someone going through a transition hasn’t yet shared their pronouns with you. 

What really matters is how you handle getting things wrong. 

If you shut down and don’t listen to your employees’ feedback, you’re less likely to learn and grow. This will hold back your business—and employees—as a result. 

When you’re open to feedback, it helps you stay up to date and adapt to what your workers need from you. 

The more you listen to them, the more likely they are to listen to each other and even your customers and prospects. This creates a more welcoming environment for everyone, on top of fostering a more inclusive workplace.

Offer unisex bathrooms

If someone is transitioning, or considering it, unisex toilets save the awkward question of where they go to the bathroom. For some people, this makes their life a lot easier and less stressful.

These bathrooms should also include sanitary bins, since it’s not just women who menstruate. And sanitary products down a toilet don’t end well. Trust me on that one…

Give mental health first aid

Most offices have a first aider for cuts and bruises, but how many have someone specifically trained to help with mental health problems?

There are lots of training courses offering this now. 

And as awareness increases around mental health, more workplaces should offer this to help their employees feel supported and accepted.

Conclusion 

Well, there you have it! A list of ways you can really show how inclusive your business is, for employees and customers.

Whatever your business goals are, there are no downsides to being inclusive. A more inclusive workplace benefits everyone and leaves the world a better place. And you want to make a difference to the world, right? Who says you can only do that with the product or services you sell? Sometimes the environment you create matters just as much and can leave a lasting legacy, too.

If you’re looking for a surefire way to build a more inclusive workplace, Workrowd’s suite of tools can help. From supporting thriving employee groups, to increasing access and transparency, to amplifying employee voice, you get everything in one place alongside automated analytics.

Send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more. We’d love to discuss opportunities to partner on building a more inclusive workplace for your team.

If you’ve read my previous posts for Workrowd, you’ll know one of my bugbears is when businesses use their inclusivity efforts as a form of tokenism. Given my personal experiences, this is especially true when it comes to supporting employees with disabilities.

Most of the time, businesses that claim to be inclusive are doing it as nothing more than a box-ticking exercise. 

Their senior leaders have never experienced discrimination in the workplace, so they don’t believe it’s a problem that needs addressing. They’ve never had a disability or mental health issue, nor has anyone they know. Therefore, they assume their business does a great job of handling it.

I didn’t know that much about ADHD until I realized I had it just over a year ago. That sent me down a research rabbit hole where I discovered a whole new worldview. You don’t know what you don’t know, right?

Truth is, until you’ve experienced something, or at least done your research in an empathetic way, you probably don’t know as much as you think you do.

So, take this post as a guide. We’re going to look at ways you can really be inclusive to employees with disabilities, not through tokenism, but through action.

Maybe you do some of these things already, or maybe you’ve never thought of them before. Either way, I hope this helps you think through some ways to better support employees with disabilities.

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower was invented in the UK. Just a few years on, it is now a global initiative. 

Using a simple green lanyard with a sunflower pattern—and an optional card on the end of it—people with invisible disabilities can signal to businesses that they may need additional help. 

Accredited airport staff, railway staff, and more, receive training on how to help people with these invisible and challenging conditions. This way, they can assist those customers who need it.

And let’s not forget that if they have the training for customers, they can help their fellow employees with disabilities, too. 

Pretty much all of us have something that makes our lives more challenging. It could be allergies, chronic pain, depression, or something else. 

When the people around us know how to offer help, it makes daily life much less stressful. We know that the people around us really do get it and are there to support us.

Spaced out meetings

Back-to-back meetings can be horrible for anyone, but they can be even worse for introverted or neurodiverse employees. 

Some employees with disabilities feel drained from being around people for too long. That means they’re less able to concentrate on their actual work because they need time to recover.

For instance, I recently went to a conference. After a day and a half of being around people, I was ready for two days in bed. Even though I enjoyed the conference and got a lot out of it, I’m very much used to being at home in my bubble. Overstimulation triggers my chronic pain and fatigue, so spending so long talking and listening proved draining and required recovery time.

Day-long meetings are much the same. They’re inaccessible and disruptive. The longer a meeting gets, the harder it becomes for someone to concentrate. There are some meetings that even a bucket-sized coffee can’t get us through.

Most meetings really don’t need to be as long as they’re scheduled in for. The next time you schedule a meeting, consider whether you could break it up. Or even better—just say it in an email!

Embrace fidgeting

Some people feel really offended when you’re in a meeting and start fidgeting or doodling. But actually, it can improve concentration levels. 

A study found that when participants listened to a boring two-and-a-half minute recording, those who doodled recalled 29% more information than those who didn’t.

26 out of 44 presidents doodled during meetings, too.

I saw a story recently where a teacher gave her class permission to do things that would help them concentrate. One child brought in some knitting. That child went from being quiet and not speaking in class to being engaged, vocal, and confident. This was all because of the knitting! It didn’t disrupt her classmates, either.

So, while you may find it disrespectful for someone to doodle, fidget, or knit during a meeting, it may well have just the impact you need. It could mean your meetings are more productive and result in more creative solutions. A small adjustment like this can make a world of difference for employees with disabilities.

Regular breaks instead of one long one

Never, in my working life, have I ever been able to sit at a desk for more than an hour. After about an hour, I get fidgety, almost taken over by the urge to move. This is true of many employees with disabilities.

My bosses didn’t like this. At the time though, I had no idea I had ADHD and that’s why I need regular breaks.

One long break in an eight-hour day makes no sense. It goes against the laws of how long we can concentrate for, and it makes for a really boring day. 

Allowing your employees to take breaks when they need them, instead of when you dictate, can be a big help. Employees with disabilities will wind up happier and more productive in their roles.

Respecting lunchtime

Too often, I’ve seen people book in meetings with a colleague during lunch. This means their colleague has to sacrifice their lunchtime as a result. If they have other meetings that day, or lots of work to do, they may not get a well-needed break from their desk as a result. 

Don’t do that. Don’t be that person. 

Respect someone’s lunchtime!

Lunches are important for food, exercise, socializing, and taking a break from staring at a screen all day.

They can also be a vital time for employees with disabilities to recharge when we spend all day in a busy office.

Conclusion

That’s not all! There are plenty of other ways you can show real inclusivity and embrace diversity. Stay tuned for part two next week.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for more ways to be inclusive of every team member, Workrowd’s tools can help. From supporting employees with disabilities by making your programs and events more accessible, to offering disability-focused employee resource groups, we have you covered.

Our platform organizes all your employee groups, programs, and events in one place and gives you real-time analytics. That way, you always know how to improve your people experience for employees with disabilities, and everyone else. Send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

When employees experience inclusion and belonging in the workplace, they’re happier, more productive, and they stay longer. This means you save money on the hiring process and get to make more money from the increased productivity.

Your company culture plays a huge role in whether someone feels like they fit in where they work. To encourage this, it’s important that you put effort into the areas listed here. It will show employees that you really do value inclusion and belonging in the workplace.

These practices must be part of daily life at your company. Not just something you put on job descriptions to attract diverse talent. Or worse, because you feel legally or morally obligated.

Read on for six ways to build inclusion and belonging in the workplace.

Onboarding

How you welcome new employees subconsciously shows the type of place they’re walking into (virtually or in-person). 

If you don’t make employees feel welcome, or your onboarding process reflects badly on the organization, they’re more likely to leave. 

On the other hand, a great onboarding experience increases retention by 82%, and productivity by over 70%. This can go a long way toward generating more time and money to spend on other areas of your business. Not to mention the difference it makes to your culture.

Starting their tenure off on the right foot can help ensure employees feel a sense of inclusion and belonging in the workplace from day one.

Employee groups

Employee groups help team members meet colleagues in different departments who have similar experiences to their own. They’re a fantastic way to build employees’ skills, improve their confidence, and help them network.

Offering a thriving community of employee groups makes it easy for your people to find their people. It’s a sustainable, low-cost way to build inclusion and belonging in the workplace across a diverse team.

Make reasonable accommodations

Employers are legally required to make “reasonable accommodations” for employees who are differently abled. It’s up to employees to ask their employer for the accommodations they need. It’s then on you, as their employer, to make them.

However, it’s worth noting that some people may experience problems but not have an official diagnosis. Others may not even realize they’re struggling. 

Someone shouldn’t require a formal diagnosis or a doctor’s letter to qualify for support. 

To truly build inclusion and belonging in the workplace, you need to be willing to make adaptations regardless of someone’s diagnoses. That could mean allowing them to take regular breaks, getting them a sit/stand desk, or communicating in a different way.

Prioritize mental health

How many times has someone you know been told to keep working, or do even more, when they’re already struggling? How many times have you done that to yourself?

Everyone responds to stress differently. Everyone also has a different limit for what they can handle before it starts to impact their mental health. Being aware of this helps you build a workplace where employees don’t feel their health issues are a problem. They also won’t be afraid to share what they’re experiencing.

In fact, their ways of thinking could even be an asset. Someone with generalized anxiety disorder may have greater attention to detail, for example. Their brain wiring helps them consider all the different things that could go wrong. (I knew someone who did this, and she believed it made her a better teacher.) 

Someone who’s neurodivergent could become your secret weapon because of their alternative experience of the world. They can help you find more creative solutions to problems or identify issues you may not have otherwise noticed.

It’s not your job to treat someone’s mental health conditions, but it is your job to look after them. 

The more employees hide their mental health issues, the more stressed they’ll feel. This then means they’ll get less work done, they’re less comfortable at work, and they’re more likely to leave.

When you look after employees’ mental health, they’re much more likely to work hard, speak highly of you, and help you attract higher quality candidates. Over time, you’ll create an even more diverse, welcoming company culture and build real inclusion and belonging in the workplace.

Regular check-ins

Employees often feel like managers don’t listen to them. Regular check-ins show them that you do care about how they feel and what they think about current business events.

These check-ins also allow you to find out what’s happening in employees’ daily lives that may impact their work. This is true whether their concerns are inside or outside of the business.

When these regular check-ins are established, employees will feel more comfortable opening up about what they’re experiencing. This will give you more context on what’s happening with them and help you make more informed decisions.

All hands or all-company meetings are another important way to do this because it puts everyone on even footing. 

Everyone getting company news at the same time helps employees understand the bigger business picture and their role in it. It also creates a sense of mutual respect, ensuring nobody is left out of the loop because of their rank.

Transparency 

When you share with your employees what’s happening—the good, the bad, and the ugly—it shows a level of respect and inclusion you can’t get from anything else.

We share information with people when we’re comfortable with them and when we trust them. It’s the same with businesses. 

When you share with employees how things are going, they get a greater sense of connection to the business. It also helps them visualize the difference their efforts make. Plus, it may even motivate them to help you reach business goals. Your goals will start to feel like goals for them, too.

Conclusion 

Regardless of someone’s role, it’s important that they experience a sense of inclusion and belonging in the workplace. The last thing you want is for them to feel like an outsider looking in.

The more employees feel like they belong at work, the happier they’ll be in their role. And the more productive they’ll be, too. This impacts everything from your hiring costs to your overall profit, and your company culture.

Giving your team a central hub for connecting with all your employee groups, programs, and events just makes sense. If you’re looking to build inclusion and belonging in the workplace, Workrowd can help.

Our tools make it easy to deliver a personalized employee experience no matter where or when team members work. With one-click signups, streamlined communications, automated data collection and analytics, and more, everyone has what they need to thrive.

Drop by our homepage to learn more, or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com. We’d love to chat about ways to ensure everyone at your organization experiences inclusion and belonging in the workplace from day one.

When companies have a diverse workforce, they enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow. Despite this, 41% of managers feel they’re “too busy” to come up with diversity and inclusion initiatives. Luckily, offering flexible work schedules is one way overtaxed managers can cater to a diverse team’s needs.

Many members of underrepresented communities, whether they’re differently abled, a person of color, or from another minority group, aren’t represented in the workplace because they’re unable to work traditional hours.

Businesses that do allow for flexible work schedules will attract a more diverse pool of candidates, have happier, more productive employees, and take advantage of that 2.3 times higher cash flow.

What about the employees themselves, though? What are the benefits of flexible work schedules for them?

They don’t sacrifice time with family

74% of homemakers would return to work if they had access to flexible work schedules. 76% would if they could work from home.

Many parents want to return to work but are unable to when they have young children. The more flexible you allow their work schedule to be, the more you can tap into this talent pool. 

If you have clients overseas, this can be beneficial because you’ll have representatives who can accommodate different time zones. That way, you can give support or continue the sales process outside of your standard working hours.

They can make the best use of their skills

One of the biggest benefits of working with underrepresented talent is the additional skills they bring to the table. Have you ever considered that the parent of four children could be a great negotiator? Or a patient manager?

Members of underrepresented communities often have untapped or beneficial skills, such as greater empathy and compassion. This can help you create a more open, supportive workplace. In addition, it will help employees to fulfill their potential at every stage of their careers.

Businesses with a more diverse workforce are also better at problem solving. A diverse workforce can help you come up with better solutions that stand out against your competition.

They have time to grow their skills

It’s harder to train a mindset than it is to train skills. So, if you hire someone who’s open to learning and eager to do so, offering flexible work schedules can allow them to grow their skills on their own time. This could make them more likely to stick around. It’s a simple way to show you support them and want them on your team long-term.

They can work on a schedule that fits their brains

Some people are not their most productive selves when they work from 9am until 5pm. Some of us are far more productive when we start earlier or later. Forcing ourselves to work a typical 9-5 schedule can lead to stress, lower productivity, sleeplessness, and even burnout.

When we can work around our bodies’ natural rhythms, and we get the right amount of sleep, it makes us calmer and more productive. That way we’re not fighting against what our minds and bodies are begging us to do.

They can work from anywhere

Sometimes the best person for a role doesn’t live as close to your office, or their manager, as you’d like.

Limiting the talent pool to people in a particular location means there are a lot of candidates you may be missing out on that your competitors can hire instead. 

Sure, big cities often have a higher concentration of, say, software developers, but COVID made a lot of people change their priorities and crave a slower way of life. They still have the skills and mindset needed to do their job. It just means that they’re not spending hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on a commute.

Instead, they have that money to spend on themselves, their family, and to go towards the cost of living. 

This is also beneficial for employees who have family and/or friends who live far from them. It means they can go see their loved ones and work in another country for a month, even if your company doesn’t have an office there. They won’t use up as much of their vacation time, and they’ll also get to enjoy a change of scenery.

Their community grows 

In the same way that school and college force us to mix with people we may not otherwise spend time around, our jobs can do the same. Offering flexible work schedules can mean that people who wouldn’t normally get to work together, do.

This can help to open people’s eyes to other people’s struggles and life situations. 

It can also build empathy and compassion, trigger new interests, help them make new friends, and provide further benefits for their mental and physical health. 

Sometimes all we need is someone to listen to our problems. Having colleagues who understand and actively listen can go a long way toward mitigating workplace stress.

It gives their life a purpose

When we feel like our lives have a purpose, we’re happier and we live longer. It can also help to prevent depression.

Many people would like to get this from their job but are unfortunately unable to. However, it’s one of the biggest reasons people now work where they do. 

A purpose is more important to some people now than how much they earn. 

Nobody should have to sacrifice the pay they deserve for a meaningful career, though. They should be paid what they’re worth and encouraged to pursue what’s important to them. Offering flexible work schedules can make all of this possible.

Conclusion 

These are just some of the benefits of flexible work schedules when it comes to supporting a diverse workforce.

It’s not just for underrepresented talent, though—many of us could benefit from flexible work schedules. Whether it’s on a bad day when we need to sleep a little longer, when we have a medical appointment, or even when we have clients who want to meet later but we still feel like we have to be at our desks from 9 until 5.

Flexible work schedules are the way forward. They’re the best way to attract all types of talent. Failing to be flexible can mean you miss out on some of the best candidates, slowing business growth.

On the other hand, when you hire candidates that your competitors may be missing, it can give your business a boost in everything from knowledge to mindset to skills. All these things add up to give you the upper hand as an employer and a business.

If you’re exploring flexible work schedules but want to make sure all of your team members stay connected, Workrowd can help. With a one-stop shop for all your employee groups, programs, and events, it’s easy to keep everyone looped into your company culture from day one. Drop us a line at hello@workrowd.com to learn how we can support you in driving engagement and retention.

The concept of belonging at work has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. Most of us have felt like an outsider at some point, whether that’s at work, school, or even among family. 

Initially, we may not realize how much this impacts our wellbeing. Over time though, feeling like we don’t belong can negatively impact our mental and physical health. It can even make us age faster!

So, is it really any surprise that belonging at work is crucial to employee wellbeing?

When employees feel that they belong in their workplace, it can significantly benefit the business, too.

Let’s explore why belonging at work is crucial to employee wellbeing, and how it can help your business.

Belonging improves mental and physical wellbeing

Belonging is so important that in her recent book, Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life, Professor Rose Anne Kenny has a whole chapter on friendship, and another on intimacy.

Friendships and community can impact everything from heart disease to how we die. The significance of a sense of belonging really can’t be overstated.

You don’t have to live alone, or be totally cut off from civilization, to feel lonely.

If you don’t feel supported by the people around you, you can feel lonely in a room full of people.

On the other hand, if you feel like your team supports you, you’ll be better able to handle whatever life may throw your way.

The old saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” is actually kind of true.

It isn’t always solving a problem that makes you feel better. Sometimes it’s just letting it out and not bottling it up. Not everything in life can be solved, but knowing you’re not facing it alone can help you keep going.

Employees feel understood and supported

When you don’t get along with your colleagues, it can feel like nobody really gets your ideas or what you bring to the business. 

And if nobody gets you, how can you properly explain what you’re trying to achieve? Or what direction you’re going in? Sometimes you don’t know what that direction is, but someone who knows you can help you figure it out. They can weigh up your skills and consider what you’ve done in the past to help you work through it.

If you can’t articulate what you’re thinking, someone on your team who knows you can help clarify. This can only happen if you’re working with someone who truly gets you and what you do, though. It’s important that you really do have a sense of belonging at work and feel comfortable enough to be yourself.

Empathy becomes a positive, not a negative

When you’re an empathetic person, your boss being in a bad mood can affect the rest of your day. 

Even if it’s likely a personal issue, their bad mood can make you wonder if you’ve done something wrong. This can mean you spend your energy feeling drained, or looking for ways to help them. It can affect your ability to work and your relationships with those around you.

In a situation like this, empathy is a negative, because it’s negatively impacting someone’s ability to work.

However, when someone feels a sense of belonging at work, empathy can be a positive. 

They can use it to better communicate with their colleagues. For instance, they’ll feel comfortable asking their boss if they’re okay without worrying they’ll be shouted at for checking in.

Encouraging empathy can also mean those who feel it more strongly can become some of your best communicators. They can then support team members with whatever they’re going through.

They could even become some of your best salespeople and marketers. Empathy can help them tap into what your customers really want and need in that moment, even if the customer can’t properly articulate it themselves.

Employees who feel they belong are more productive

In most cases, if you feel like nobody cares about you, you’re not going to try as hard. This applies in the workplace just as much as in any other relationship.

If you feel a sense of belonging at work, you’re going to want to do your best to lift up those around you. That could manifest as helping them, or as working harder so that you boost their output, too.

When employees feel belonging at work, they’re also going to put in more effort because they care about the business’s future. That just doesn’t happen in your average job.

So many people have a job just to pay the bills, but studies have shown that Millennials don’t want that kind of life. It’s about so much more than a paycheck – they want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world. And the way they pay the bills can be a big contributor to that.

Conclusion 

Making employees feel a sense of belonging at work has nothing to do with hiring people who all think the same. 

Instead, it’s about encouraging employees to be their true selves and embracing them for doing that.

With so many businesses claiming to be diverse and supportive but in reality, being the opposite, it’s important that you show—internally and externally—that you really do mean it. 

What are you doing to help your differently abled employees? 

How can you best support neurodivergent employees? 

How can you make LGBTQ+ employees feel accepted enough to come out at work?

All these little things build into a sense of belonging that will lead to happier employees who stay longer, are better at their jobs, and are more productive in their roles.

If you’re looking to cultivate real belonging at work, send us a note at hello@workrowd.com. We’d love to learn about your team and any challenges you’re currently facing, and explore ways our platform can help. With a full suite of tools to market, manage, and measure your employee initiatives, it’s easy to keep everyone connected and engaged. Drop by our site to learn more.

As an employer, it’s part of your job to give employees all the tools they need to thrive. Without these tools, it can lead to lower employee happiness, a toxic company culture, reduced productivity, and less revenue. That doesn’t have to be the case, though. Simple workplace accommodations can make a huge difference to how well someone can perform their role. 

Let’s take a look at some workplace accommodations you could make to help your employees thrive.

Buy better equipment

The right equipment can dramatically change how well someone does their job. 

The wrong type of laptop, a screen that’s too large or too small, a non-ergonomic mouse and keyboard, a desk at the wrong height, a chair with little to no support…all these things may sound small and inconsequential, but they can lead to physical pain, eye strain, and frustration.

My RSI—which has been dormant for about five years—recently returned because I stopped using my ergonomic mouse for a few days and didn’t use my trackpad properly. I’m now having to wear a thumb support as I type this. None of that would’ve happened if I’d just kept using my proper desk setup.

Obviously, that’s my own fault. But you decide what equipment your employees use. You can choose to buy the cheapest available, or you can pick equipment that will help employees’ current injuries and prevent future ones.

Offer more flexible hours

The traditional working hours of nine to five don’t actually have any scientific basis. They started back in the 1800s, then Henry Ford brought in the 40-hour workweek that we know so well.

However, some jobs don’t really need someone to work five days a week, or to be present during the usual hours of nine to five.

Some employees are more productive later in the day, or earlier in the day. Do you really want to miss out on employees’ most productive hours because of a rigid policy you’re doing just because that’s what everyone else does?

Parents often prefer more flexible hours as it makes it easier for them to take their children to school and pick them up at the end of the day. Whether they’re in the office or not, flexible hours gives them more time with their children. It also opens you up to a wider talent pool with less competition. It’s one of the simple workplace accommodations that can drive both recruitment and retention.

Experiment with four-day weeks

Some businesses are now trialing four-day work weeks while still paying employees for five days. It’s been suggested this can improve employee mental wellbeing and productivity.

I’ve spoken to people who work for companies with four-day weeks and have found that the fears some businesses have about it are often unfounded. In fact, many employees become more productive. It also improves employee experience and wellness.

I’m sure we’ve all seen it—people who don’t efficiently use their time at work because they don’t have enough work to fill their hours. So that employee ends up aimlessly scrolling on social media, distracting their colleagues, organizing unnecessary meetings, or even working on personal projects to fill their time. 

This lack of work—which could be remedied by shorter hours—can lead to boredom and stress.

Shorter time constraints mean employees can be more motivated to get things done. 

More time at home to spend with loved ones, work on hobbies, and just relax, also means they get to recharge. This can help employees feel more able to handle whatever their job throws at them.

Try a new software

There are lots of organizational programs out there designed to help us tackle our to-do lists.

Sometimes a program doesn’t fit with how we think, or we struggle with the interface. If an employee struggles with how you’re organizing things in an app like Trello, Asana, or TickTick, consider trying something else or changing how you use it. This will help them to better organize their own to-do list and get more done.

The same applies to social media scheduling apps, employee advocacy tools, and any other software you use. Just because it’s the tool that’s always been used, it doesn’t mean it’s still the best one for the job. Making workplace accommodations can be as simple as better orienting systems to the way your team works.

Adapt your training sessions

A training session that involves someone reading from a slide is going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Hint: it’s unlikely to be because of the content.

There’s no way you can offer a training session that works for everyone. It can help though to offer sessions in a variety of ways including written, video, and audio. This will ensure that you can reach as many employees as possible.

Making training more interactive with quizzes or activities will also help employees to understand the material. It will help them get the most out of a session, too. 

Subscribe to industry publications

What industry publications could you subscribe to that would help your employees? 

Industry publications are at the forefront of your industry for a reason. Giving employees access to those resources—free and paid—will help them to be aware of what’s happening and what’s coming up. This will give them the upper hand over competitors.

They also won’t need to use their own money to research the latest industry updates. This will save them crucial dollars as the cost of living continues to rise.

Conclusion 

Workplace accommodations can include anything from a new chair to better training. 

To find out what your employees need, ask them. Encourage them to come to you if something isn’t working for them.

If they feel dissatisfied because of small adaptations you can make, but feel like they can’t request those changes, it’s going to affect their productivity.

If you don’t tell them that they can approach you with these issues, it’s unlikely that they’ll bother. They’ll probably just leave instead, increasing your employee churn rate because of a basic problem.

On the other hand, if you encourage them to come to you, and make the workplace accommodations quickly, they’re more likely to feel supported and want to stay.

If you’re looking for a better way to connect with employees and keep the lines of communication open, check out Workrowd. Our one-stop platform makes it easy to give team members a voice, and distribute important communications on how to access various workplace accommodations. Send an email to hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

We spend most of our waking lives with our colleagues. In many cases, much more time than we spend with our loved ones. Support from colleagues can therefore be essential to employee happiness, satisfaction, and retention. Community is key, which is why these employee resource group examples are so effective.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) have been around since the 1960s. Today, more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies offer them. I find it hard to believe they’d be so popular in such large companies if they didn’t help employees and businesses achieve their goals.

In this post, we’re going to explore the most common employee resource group examples you’ll see in businesses. We’ll also explain why they’re important for your diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

But first, let’s look at what an ERG is, and what its role in a business is:

What is an employee resource group (ERG)?

ERGs are employee-led groups, where employees who have something in common come together. This could be a shared value, passion, background, or culture. 

Employee resource group examples may include communities for women, people of color, differently-abled employees, parents, or veterans.

ERGs help to foster a diverse and inclusive working environment. Outcomes include supporting employees in their internal and external goals, helping them to network with potential mentors, and giving them an opportunity to socialize with colleagues.

As ERGs are employee-led, they’re often created informally. Over time, the business may offer them budget towards things like activities. Typically, the employee leaders of the ERG will manage these funds.

It’s worth businesses encouraging ERGs because they can help to drive inclusion goals. How better to show you support belonging than encouraging employees to network with those who have similar experiences to them? That’s why it’s so important to have a range of ERGs for team members to join.

That being said, it isn’t the job of ERGs to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives. They can be part of the strategy, but it’s up to business leaders to create and follow your DEI policy. 

Leaders set examples from the top down. If managers aren’t practicing what they preach, employees are less likely to care about your DEI efforts.

What are the benefits of ERGs for businesses?

The ERGs within a business can reflect the company’s values a lot more than a cookie cutter DEI statement. 

While it isn’t an ERG’s job to drive any DEI policy, they can set an example. They can help you identify where to focus your DEI efforts, and which areas are in need of improvement.

ERGs are great for celebrating your employees and underrepresented groups within your workforce. They can encourage other people from these groups to join because they know that they’ll have friends and allies within your business.

Allies can also use their existing privilege for good, both inside and outside of the workplace.

What are the benefits of ERGs for employees?

ERGs help employees connect with colleagues who share something in common with them. They provide a sense of community, which can help people find their purpose and confidence in the workplace.

The fact that they’re set up informally, or often have an informal atmosphere to them, can be refreshing. This is particularly true in businesses that are larger, more formal, or may be perceived as old-fashioned.

The most common ERGs

Companies often establish their ERGs in a predictable order. Most will start with a women’s group, to support and encourage women in the workplace. 

Next is likely to be a group for Black employees or people of color. Organizations may create an LGTBQ+ group around the same time.

The employee resource group examples after this point tend to vary based on the company’s demographics. Groups may include:

• AAPI
• Latinx
• Indigenous
• Veterans/military
• Parents/caregivers
• Mental health
• Dis/differently abled
• Faith-based (often interfaith)
• Age-based (e.g. young professionals, seasoned professionals, intergenerational)
• Region/location-based groups

As you can see, there are a wide range of employee resource group examples organizations can create to drive belonging.

Over time, some of these groups may break away to form smaller groups or related groups, depending on what their goals are.

Because ERGs are employee-run, and can require minimal business involvement at least at first, there’s no limit to how many ERGs a business can have. The more you have, the more it can reflect and support the diversity of your workforce. 

It may even attract more diverse employees if they see how diverse your workforce is already. 

After all, candidates are more likely to be attracted to roles in a business that demonstrates and encourages diversity, and where they can see people like them working already. They’ll feel confident the organization will welcome and support them, whether that’s as a cleaner or a manager.

Conclusion 

While it isn’t the job of an ERG to build any sort of diversity policy, they can reflect your policy. A solid diversity policy will attract a more diverse workforce, and therefore encourage a wider variety of ERGs. 

Colleagues will find it easier to connect with and support each other. You may find that you attract more diverse candidates when they find out about your DEI efforts, too. 

Extra points if it’s your employees talking about how great your DEI efforts are. This will feel more genuine than if it’s coming from a faceless company.

Networking with colleagues who have things in common with us can make us feel more connected to our jobs, and therefore happier in our role. It can be a place to find guidance and make new friends. There really isn’t a downside to setting up and supporting ERGs, regardless of your business type or size.

If any of these employee resource group examples sound like a good fit for your business, we’d love to help you get started or grow your program. Workrowd offers an array of ERG support options including the Global ERG Network, a vetted consultant network, and of course, our software platform.

Our suite of tools makes it easy to launch, manage, and measure ERGs with templates and guides to support group leaders, user-friendly features to build transparency and connection, and automated data tracking and analytics. Drop by our site or ping us at hello@workrowd.com to learn how we can partner to drive real belonging at your organization.

We’re wrapping up our series on bias at work, after covering gender bias, racial bias, disability bias, heterosexual bias, age bias, and trans bias. We hope you’ve found it informative. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Wanting to support employees from underrepresented communities and avoid implicit bias in the workplace is one thing. Knowing how to do it – and putting that knowledge into practice – is something else entirely.

It can be easy to feel bogged down and like you have too much to do. 

But if you were a member of an underrepresented group (or a different underrepresented group), imagine how you’d feel working somewhere that didn’t notice you experience the world differently. 

It’d make you feel even more excluded than you already did. 

You wouldn’t feel supported, meaning you’d be less productive in your role. It could impact your mental health, and you may decide to go work somewhere else instead.

So, with that in mind, here are some simple (often common sense!) ways that your business can take steps to counter bias at work, and show you really do support employees.

Listen 

Listening is one of those skills that everyone thinks they have, but that most people are actually pretty terrible at. 

If you interrupt people, you’re not listening. If you try to project your point of view on to someone, or tell them they’re wrong, you’re not listening. You’re trying to control the conversation.

Listening is about shutting up and paying attention to what the other person(s) has to say. 

You may not like what they’re saying. 

It may make you uncomfortable or even a little anxious. 

But it’s only through listening and challenging our own opinions and beliefs that we grow as people and business owners.

Even if we disagree with what we’re hearing.

So, the next time an employee from an underrepresented community comes to you with feedback, a query, or a complaint, listen. Then consider how you can take action against bias at work.

Change your hiring practices

The typical hiring process we’re all used to of submitting a resume, doing an interview or two, then getting a job offer (or not), is outdated and inaccessible. It also leads to biases against many underrepresented communities.

From blind resume screening to group activities that allow you to observe someone’s skills rather than asking them to describe their abilities, there’s more than one way to hire a new employee.

Have a reporting system

There has to be a way for employees to report any issues that they experience. This especially applies to instances of bias at work.

Ideally, you should give employees the option to report anonymously. Not everyone will want their name attached to an issue for fear of retaliation. That doesn’t mean the issue should go unreported, though. Journalists never give up their sources for a reason.

Believe your employees

It’s not unheard of for an employee to draw attention to issues of bias at work and get ignored. 

Or worse, the person who raised the issue gets punished instead of the person causing the issue.

Don’t be that business. Be the business that supports and believes your employees, punishing the person who committed the offense, not the whistleblower.

Send sensible surveys

Too many times, I’ve seen businesses ask employees to provide feedback on their jobs and employers via questionnaire…

…then require the employee to submit that questionnaire to their manager, who’ll forward it to HR.

If an employee is having issues with their manager, they’re not going to raise it somewhere their manager can see. And that manager may well delete what the employee has said about them, then go on to make their life even more difficult.

A simple solution to this is to get employees to send their responses directly to HR.

Or make sure that HR is accessible enough for employees to feel like they can talk to someone if/when they have a problem with bias at work.

Be flexible

What works for one employee may not work for another. 

Some differently abled employees won’t be able to use the stairs, for example. 

Other employees may need a more supportive chair or a filter on their monitor. There are plenty of minor changes you can implement to support employees in the workplace.

Offering employees the option to work from home is another example. It opens up your talent pool, encourages homemakers back into the workplace (many of whom would consider a return to work if they could work from home, instead of needing to be in an office), and it can save you money on office overheads. 

Many businesses still assume they can’t trust employees to work from home. But if you feel you can’t trust your employees when they work from home, well, you have bigger problems…

Put policies in place

There are many areas where businesses don’t have to have policies in place, but where doing so can protect both the organization and its employees. 

Policies on issues like menopause and transgender rights aren’t required, but they mean that when an employee goes through menopause, they know what to expect from you. They mean that when a trans person considers applying for a role at your company, they can clearly see you’re going to support them – and what sort of support they will receive. 

The clearer and more accessible you make these policies, the more supported employees will feel.

Build a diverse culture

The more diverse your culture is, the more welcoming it will be to everyone. When a Black woman walks into a room full of white men, it immediately makes her the odd one out. When a wheelchair user is asked to meet his colleagues on the third floor of an office without access to an elevator, it makes him feel excluded.

The more diverse your company’s culture is, the more mindful everyone will be of these types of issues and the impact it can have on someone’s mental and physical health.

Diverse company cultures are also more productive, make more money, and they’re doing more about climate change.

So, tell me, what’s the downside to a diverse company culture?

Conclusion

Countering bias at work really boils down to two things: building a diverse culture and listening to every employee. 

Because you never know which employee will have an idea that could completely alter your business’s trajectory for the better. 

They may have the perfect way to solve a problem you’ve been stuck on for months. Because they aren’t a part of the “in” crowd though, they’ve never been given the chance to share their thoughts. 

Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective to remind you of what you could achieve.

Building a truly inclusive company culture is key to helping your team members counter bias at work. Creating opportunities for your people to get to know each other beyond the surface level will not only help them overcome their own biases, but will also ensure they feel comfortable calling out issues when they see them. If you want to drive real belonging at your organization, check out Workrowd’s platform, or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

Welcome back to our series on systemic bias in the workplace. Over the course of several weeks, we’re spotlighting various categories of bias, including gender bias, racial bias, disability bias, heterosexual bias, age bias, and now trans bias and transgender discrimination in the workplace. Our aim is to add to the ongoing conversation and help everyone build more inclusive environments. We hope you find it informative. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

60% of transgender people have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace. 38% have experienced it from colleagues, 25% from management, and 29% during job interviews.

Which really makes it unsurprising that 53% have felt the need to hide their trans status from colleagues.

But why, in 2022, is this still happening? And what can businesses do to prevent transphobia and transgender discrimination in the workplace?

The ugly stats

The unemployment rate for transgender adults is twice that of cisgender adults.

Even if they are in employment, cisgender adults make 32% more per year, regardless of whether a trans person has similar—or higher—education levels.

Not only do trans people earn less, but two-thirds of them remain in the closet at work. 

Sadly, they feel like employers support them less than their cisgender colleagues in the workplace. Given the stats we’ve already looked at, is that really surprising?

Overcoming transgender discrimination in the workplace to include more trans people could create a $12 billion boost to annual consumer spending. 

It would help businesses to really understand their market, and give them more diverse opinions to solve their customers’ problems. Which may also give them a competitive advantage.

Let’s not forget that diverse companies are significantly more profitable!

A long way to go

Even though the UK’s Equality Act (2010) should protect LBGT people from workplace discrimination, a 2018 report found that 43% of businesses were unsure if they’d hire a trans person, and almost a third said they’d be “less likely” to hire a trans person.

The retail sector had the highest number of businesses unlikely to hire a trans person, at 47%. IT was close behind with 45%. 

Construction and engineering were the most agreeable to the idea, but even then, 25% of businesses reported they’d be unlikely to hire a trans person.

That’s still a large percentage of the industry that’s closed off to the idea of hiring someone because of their gender. These businesses are just perpetuating transgender discrimination in the workplace.

The trouble with ‘culture fit’

Unsurprisingly, only 3% of businesses have an equal opportunities policy that welcomes transgender people to apply for roles. Which could be off-putting for potential candidates because they’ll have no idea whether their colleagues will welcome and support them if they join.

Only 8% of that small group of businesses that have a trans hiring policy believe trans people deserve the same rights to a job as everyone else. 

This stat seems odd to me, but it came from the same survey as the industry stats. It seems to suggest that even the businesses with a trans hiring policy in place may only have it as a form of lip service. I really hope that’s me being cynical, but then, it gets worse.

Only 4% believe they have a diverse enough workplace culture where trans people can “fit in.”

If you hire someone purely based on cultural fit, you end up with a culture of zombies. Everyone thinks, looks, and acts the same way. Innovation becomes harder and groupthink becomes more common.

Hiring someone based on cultural fit alone isn’t an option anymore. 

You want someone who’s different because they’re the very skills, opinions, and attitudes that your business lacks. If you embrace them, they’ll be the ones who help you to outperform your competitors.

There really isn’t a downside to avoiding employing the same person over and over again.

What can employers do?

Leaders within a business need to set an example. If they’re active supporters of the trans community, and they hire trans employees, the rest of the company will follow. And if someone doesn’t support these decisions, they don’t belong in the new environment.

Creating a diverse workforce requires a mindset shift from those at the very top of the business. That mindset will trickle down over time.

If leaders don’t set an example, employees will believe they can get away with discriminatory attitudes, policies, and hiring processes because they either don’t know that they’re doing it, or they’re still full of prejudices and don’t see a reason to change. 

Many people don’t have the right language to talk about transgender experiences, or they worry about offending someone. Meaning that transgender experiences get ignored or erased.

The transgender community has a lot more visibility now than it did a few years ago, but onscreen representation takes time to trickle down into everyday society.

Education, support, and community are important here. Documentaries like Disclosure explore how trans people have been depicted in film over the years and how that’s impacted American culture. It shows that we’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go.

There are also plenty of online resources that can help employers to educate themselves on how to best support trans employees.

When it comes to the hiring process, a blind process only goes so far. It won’t change the prejudice that can come from an in-person interview. 

And the prejudice is big—44% of trans people feel an employer has turned them down for a job because they were trans. Clearly, transgender discrimination in the workplace is still a very real and pressing problem.

Conclusion 

One thing I noticed when doing my research for this blog post is that all of the stats are high. Higher than they are for any other underrepresented group. And the odds are really stacked against trans people in ways we need to talk about more.

20% have been, or are currently, homeless. Trans people are also four times as likely to live in poverty. Businesses can play a role in changing these stats. Your business can play a role in changing these stats.

The trans community is heavily discriminated against. The workplace is just one of the places where they have to deal with transphobia just to pay the bills.

Employers have an obligation to set an example to their employees who may be responsible for transgender discrimination in the workplace. They also have a responsibility to educate themselves.

They can then use that education to start meaningful conversations within the business to develop more inclusive policies, and help to create a more supportive workforce for trans employees.

If you’re looking to break down biases and drive real belonging at your organization, Workrowd can help. Check out our suite of tools for ensuring that every team member can get fully immersed in your company culture from day one, alongside real-time analytics. Drop us a line at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.