Creating a Culture of Belonging: Strategies for Fostering Inclusivity

Inclusion is one of 3 closely related values – diversity, equity and inclusion – that can be demonstrated by organizations’ support of different groups of individuals. This includes people of different races, ethnicities, religions, genders, ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds and abilities. Inclusion simply refers to how the workforce experiences the work environment. Is the organization dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion, embracing and supporting all employees, or are some made to feel excluded or marginalized? Do all members of the workforce feel as though they are being heard, or that they are able to make meaningful contributions for the betterment of the organization and their own careers?

How are diversity and inclusion related? While diversity can be a way to describe the makeup of an organization along the lines of ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and more at any given time, inclusion gets to the heart of why diversity is a goal worth attaining.

Research shows that individuals of all backgrounds can encounter barriers to feeling included, with additional challenges experienced by women, those identifying as LGBTQ+, and people who are ethnic and racial minorities:

Organizational leaders can take tangible steps toward creating an environment that champions an inclusive culture, beginning with an honest assessment to help them gain an understanding of where their organization performs well and where it is lacking. Further steps include formulation of a plan to put this information into action, valuing input from all levels of the organization and maintaining open, two-way communication between senior leadership and all employees.

Leadership should be prepared to set the tone for an inclusive culture, starting by recognizing and addressing their own biases then mapping a clear statement of vision and values and demonstrating those values with their actions. Open communication is an effective first step in the process, and the most effective way to gain understanding about what is working for workforce members and what is not. Listening can be conducted in many ways, including one-on-one conversations, workshops and employee surveys.

The goal of any listening session should be to get a clear and unvarnished view of what it’s like to work for the organization.

Improving employee engagement, satisfaction and participation is crucial in the journey toward creating a culture of inclusion in the workplace. Inclusivity can improve employee engagement, which is a broad term that describes employees who more actively participate – contributing in meetings and brainstorming sessions, completing more work on time, greeting their coworkers and other behaviors that signal belonging.

Inclusivity begins before employees are hired – and must be part of the recruiting and hiring process:

An inclusive workplace means different things to different people. That’s why creating a sense of belonging is an ongoing and multidimensional process. The celebration of diversity and promotion of cultural awareness in company policies and the physical workspace are essential to getting the job done. It takes a commitment to the treatment of every person as an individual and a dedication to organizational change. Here are a few tangible steps employers can take toward creating a sense of belonging in the workplace:

The challenges to new or well-established diversity and inclusion initiatives include unconscious bias, resistance and skepticism, and a lack of understanding of how to measure and evaluate the results of inclusion efforts.

Unconscious bias (UB) is a silent killer of inclusivity. Because of its deep-seeded nature, UB is one of the most challenging obstacles facing any inclusivity initiative. The snap judgments powered by unconscious bias reinforce stereotypes and affect a range of decision-making processes in recruiting, employee awards and bonuses, promotions, education benefits, talent succession and other areas.

UB training has been helpful for leaders wanting to make their workplaces more diverse, equitable and inclusive and reduce bias in behaviors at work. The most effective UB training goes beyond awareness, teaching trainees to manage their biases, change their behavior and track their progress.

It’s important for employers to address unconscious bias in recruiting, and how UB may be even more of an issue in a remote recruiting environment. Job descriptions, an element of the hiring process that has always been remote, should be written using inclusive language and tested with a diverse group of people before posting.

Video interviews are another UB-prone area that should be evaluated. Recruiting conversations are happening more frequently on a video conferencing platform these days, with the backdrop most likely being the candidate’s home. Factors like background noise, technical and software incompatibility and the lack of a private space at home may contribute to visuals and noise that are less than ideal. None of these factors affect the candidate’s ability to do the job, so it follows they shouldn’t impact your perspective of them as a candidate.

UB can play a role in the interview process in other ways. In non-standard interviews, candidates don’t have the same opportunity to share their story in a way that demonstrates how they would fit the role. By standardizing the interview process, asking the same set of questions of all candidates in the same order, interviews can be better focused on factors that have a direct impact on job performance. As an alternative to relying upon candidates’ self-assessments, a case-based interview, whereby the candidate is asked to solve a problem similar to one the company might face, could allow hiring managers to evaluate candidates more objectively.

Resistance and skepticism are ever-present headwinds blowing against the progress of diversity and inclusion initiatives. To cut through them, the benefits of inclusion must be communicated frequently and consistently. Resources and ongoing support must flow from an organization’s highest levels to be sure the initiative remains an essential part of the organization’s culture.  

When employers have gained a better understanding of what a more diverse and inclusive workplace looks like, they can begin to establish the metrics and benchmarks that allow them to measure the results of their DEI efforts. Regular assessments can then provide the basis for adjustments in an atmosphere of constant improvement.

Here are some important metrics: