Remember how nervous you were the first day on the job? Along with learning a new role, you probably looked for a sense of belonging, a feeling of inclusion with your new coworkers. We all want to belong.
Amidst the diversity in demographics and perspectives that define each of us, the need to feel seen, heard and valued is a common motivator.
Diversity and inclusion go together. While diversity celebrates our differences, inclusion consciously builds trust. And not just trust among peers, but also you as an employer.
An inclusive workplace creates a people-first company culture because it works with your employees to develop and grow. It also benefits the business overall, increasing retention, innovation and decision-making. It’s a win-win.
Inclusion starts with building a strong people-first culture
1. Define how you want your culture to feel
How your team members feel when they enter the office or sign off for the day says a lot about your current work culture. Do they dread coming in? Are they happy to stay a few minutes late to help someone with a fast-approaching deadline?
Employee satisfaction ratings indicate whether your people truly feel engaged or valued at work. Envisioning how your culture should feel will help you get buy-in with leadership and help you both understand your goal as you identify potential changes together.
2. Outline your culture’s existing strengths
Your team most likely has some great things working already, so assess what’s working well. Recognize those “wins”—you can even send some well-deserved employee recognitions for them, too.
This awareness reinforces your positive work culture. Take the opportunity to evaluate these employee initiatives and see what you can replicate or even expand.
3. Conduct focus groups and gather data
Team members’ diverse perspectives set your organization apart. Work with your people to understand their needs and how you can best support them.
Use anonymous employee surveys or work with a third party to host focus groups to gather honest, critical feedback. Be sure to create a safe environment where people can share openly and honestly.
4. Build psychological safety and trust
A safe environment is one where your people can comfortably work or share feedback without fear. Establishing these resources shows your people that you see and celebrate the diverse demographics in your workforce.
These resources can be tangible, like a lactation room for new parents. It can also be intangible, like an anonymous channel where employees can voice concerns. As you create these safe environments or channels, establish clear expectations on appropriate behavior and use. These resources are meant to encourage conversation and enable people to bring their whole selves to work each day.
5. Make inclusion part of your core values
Core values reflect how an organization approaches business goals and company culture. Incorporate “inclusion” or a similar core value to reinforce your team’s commitment to it.
Internally, use positive reinforcement like employee recognition to motivate employees. Externally, share how inclusion is simply a standard of good business, be it partnership diversity or hiring practices.
Roadblocks with building inclusive culture
Change is never easy, especially for an organization. As you refine your company culture, it’s important to understand the objections from employees or leadership. Anticipating roadblocks can help you plan and support everyone as they adapt.
- Involve leadership in the change process to gain buy-in
- Gather then share employee feedback and what action you plan to take
- Communicate your strategy and adapt as needed
- Use employee initiatives like recognition or learning and development to support change
Related: How leadership development supports employee engagement
Everyone benefits from inclusion
At the end of 2024, our organization was awarded six “top workplace” distinctions. We also reduced voluntary turnover by 4% and 93% of our employees were enthusiastic or inspired by our future.
It’s a reflection of intentionally investing in the team member experience (which we also have a dedicated internal team named after). If you asked an ITA Group team member what belonging looks like at our organization, they might say:
- Using volunteer hours to also build community with peers
- Taking a break in the dedicated quiet space for team members to focus or relax
- Promoting awareness of DEIB-centric topics through an employee-led committee
- Participating in a community trash clean-up incentive for the chance to win points through a digital awards catalog
- Attending a plant potting activity to learn how our employee-stock ownership plan grows team members’ retirement funds
Incorporating a more inclusive approach toward our employee programs led to one of our biggest successes too. We hosted an annual celebration that aligned with our re-energized, inclusive culture. We invited all team members—both local and remote—which allowed us to embody our strategy in a live setting. We received tons of positive feedback from this initiative.
ITA Group continues to reinforce the message by providing frequent recognition of inclusive behaviors through our employee recognition platform, and by leveraging multi-media messaging because everyone learns differently.
Future-proof your organization
Organizational culture is your competitive advantage. When people feel they can bring their whole selves to work and offer feedback, you have an environment where people and ideas thrive. This deep sense of teamwork and trust leads to more communicative and agile teams, future-proofing your organization to better prepare for challenging times.
Foster a sense of belonging all year with our employee engagement calendar to celebrate and support the diversity on your teams.