Take it from the experts: 5 steps you can take to build an inclusive work culture

October 25, 2021 11:00 AM

There’s been a lot of talk about DEI over the last year and a half, but less action when it comes to the steps employers are taking to create a workplace that’s inclusive for all.

While 74% of workers say it’s important that their company is addressing lack of diversity and inclusion according to Arizent’s latest DEI report, just 67% of employers feel they have only been “somewhat successful” in creating a diverse and inclusive work environment, according to the Society of Human Resource Management.

Today’s inclusive workplace means a recognition that employees are bringing many experiences and backgrounds to the table, whether that be a physical or neurological disability, mental health challenges or special accommodations for child care. Employees want to feel welcomed, supported and safe.

How can your workplace make this ideal into a reality? Employee Benefits News spoke to five DEI experts on the practices and policies that will lead to change in the workplace and across the country.

Rethink “one size fits all” interviews

When looking to hire a more diverse population, employers need to ensure they’re giving all candidates an equal shot. For example, traditional conversation-based interviews may fail to assess whether neurodiverse and disabled candidates have the experience and skills needed for the job.

“For people with autism, the first 15 to 30 seconds of interacting with a new person is by far the environment they struggle with the most,” says David Friedman, founder and CEO of AutonomyWorks, a company that creates jobs for people with autism and other disabilities. “They may struggle to handle interpersonal cues and communication, while a hiring manager is making their first and lasting impression of that individual.”

AutonomyWorks finds job opportunities for neurodiverse talent, replacing face-to-face interviews with job shadowing, where candidates can be introduced to the company, try out their role’s duties, and meet other workers. These tactics can give employees an opportunity to stand out on their own terms, Friedman says.

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“Companies need to recognize that there are still so many people in the United States and around the world who are on the spectrum that are unemployed, yet have these incredible talents that are not being utilized,” says Friedman. “Creating equal opportunities for all people is not just the right thing to do, it is a business imperative.”

Tailor your training programs to support diverse needs

Especially as onboarding has moved online, executives and managers need to determine whether their training programs are accessible for all.

“My dad is blind due to macular degeneration, and it was really a struggle for him to lose his ability to do his job and not have the technology in place to help him," says Michael Masters, chief revenue officer at Media Partners, which offers training on inclusion and belonging, sexual harassment and workplace violence. “If someone is visually impaired, your training content should have voiceover navigation and screen readers that talk to the listener.”

Masters notes that these small considerations often go unthought of, even when it comes to day-to-day communication. Slack, for example, may not work for someone who is visually impaired. This person will then be less likely to ask questions since their learning environment is isolating, Masters explains.

“We need to create an environment where people feel it's okay to learn and make mistakes,” says Masters. “At the end of the day, everyone wants to be part of the team. They want to participate and be included.”

Be sensitive to what’s going on outside of work

For working parents, inclusion means employers that understand the stressors they’re going through and helping them adapt. Julie Law, a full-time mom and head of human resources at life insurance company, John Hancock, has worked to integrate working parents and their children into their company’s culture, from focusing on mental health assistance to creating after-school clubs and a virtual summer camp last year.

“If you told me 18 months ago that the CEO of John Hancock would actively know my kids' names and see them hanging on my back during various leadership calls, I wouldn't have believed it,” says Law. “If organizations don't give their employees the green light to talk about [their challenges], I think that is a big miss.”

These programs were offered during the pandemic in hopes of reducing stress and making working parents feel included in the community.

“We built our own curriculum so our children had opportunities to learn and grow,” says Law. “This was our response after actively listening to our people and their needs.”

Don’t make assumptions

Throw away any preconceived notions that you may have around employees with a diverse background.

“If you make assumptions about what that individual’s skills are without doing your homework on the individual, then how can you discern what their interests are or if this will be a good job match,” says Brian DeAtley, director of workforce development at Source America, a non-profit that creates job opportunities for people with disabilities. “There’s a wide spectrum of disability and our work concerns itself with people who are often overlooked or undervalued.”

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DeAtley, along with Amy Stapley, senior program manager at Source America, match neurodiverse and cognitively disabled talent with the right job for over 700 non-profit agencies. Stapley recalls how employers often wrongly assume that these candidates will require extra safety measures or too many accommodations.

“If this person is getting the right job, they're not going to be asking for anything above and beyond,” Stapley says. “That’s why we take an individualized approach for not only the job seeker but the employer and get to know them holistically and naturally.”

Don’t overload HR with all the responsibility

While HR managers play a major role in pushing these DEI efforts forward, true change requires company-wide effort.

“The most frequently recurring disservice I see to HR professionals is the business placing responsibility on our function to “fix” culture,” says Moses Balian, HR consulting manager at Justworks, a workforce management and compliance software company. “The pandemic has stretched our penchant for overextending to the max, and many of us are feeling burnt out.”

The 2021 Pulse of HR Report found that 70% of HR leaders felt this year had been the most stressful year of their lives. With pressure to craft solutions for a nation-wide labor shortage, the continuation of remote work and holes in DEI initiatives, these teams are overwhelmed. Companies must stop perceiving culture as solely defined by HR, Balian explains.

“Culture also lives with managers,” Balian says. “Managers are the ones who must lead and work in ways that reinforce, propagate and exemplify the cultural values that the company intends to exhibit.”