How to Create a More Inclusive Workspace

If you want your workspace to be one that is highly productive and collaborative then, above all else, you need to ensure that it is inclusive. This means, quite simply, that none of your employees, regardless of their individual backgrounds or beliefs, should be made to feel alienated or alone when they come to work. All of your staff members should be feel like they are included, as this is the only way you are going to make them feel comfortable and, thus, inspired to work hard for you.

To find out how you can create a more inclusive workspace, make sure to read on.

Start at the top

In your bid to create a far more inclusive workspace, you should start right at the top. In other words, you should start with your managers. These are the people you are going to charge with ensuring that all of your employees feel happy and welcome within your business while you are not around, so you need to get them onboard right away with regards to your inclusivity plans.

You’re going to need to equip your managers with a plethora of skills — if this means that you have to change management process, then so be it. Some of the skills your managers are definitely going to need in this instance include:

• The ability to have meaningful discussions with their team
• Being able to respond to issues on their feet
• Knowing how to ask the right questions

Interact with everybody

If you’re seen to have favorites in the workplace, the employees that you don’t spend a lot of time with will start to feel alienated and, thus, their morale will drop. It is essential, then, that, as their boss, you are not seen to favor one employee over another, even if you do get on better with certain members of your staff.

You must interact with all the members of your workforce in some form or fashion. Of course, your busy schedule isn’t always going to make this easy, but it is important that you at least show that you are trying in this instance.

Improve your meetings

Meetings play an integral role when it comes to inclusivity, whether you’ve realized that yet or not. By holding a meeting and not, for whatever reason, allowing some employees to voice their concerns or ideas, you will make them feel like their opinions do not mean anything. As a result, before long, the staff member in question will begin to question whether they really belong at your business.

To ensure your meetings set the inclusive standard that you want and need them to set, you need to ensure, first and foremost, that none of your employees are allowed to speak over other employees. Everybody should have the chance for their voice to be heard, and it’s essential that you make this a precedent for your staff meetings.

In your bid to create a far more inclusive workspace, it is essential that you put the above advice into practice right away.