Inclusive workplaces: human and profitable

Inclusive workplaces are based on a simple idea: being able of integrating many varied profiles among your company while insuring a great team cohesion and an optimal performance.

Unfortunately, some managers express their difficulty in facing diversity today. It can be regarding disabled people, older people, young people, women, migrants, and so many other criteria.

Work is where we spend most of our time – physically and now remotely. It is crucial to create workplaces accessible, adapted, and welcoming for everyone, no matter how different we are. The company also wins in terms of performance and attractiveness.

Inclusive workplaces are obviously evident and the right pattern to follow – though it is not always easy to implement. Our new article aims to help you create inclusive workplaces. And, to kill two birds with one stone, your company will also benefit from many advantages thanks to an inclusive organization ??

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?? What is in reality an inclusive workplace?

It is a workplace thought and conceived taking in consideration people as a whole – their well-being, their needs, their moods, their way of working, their experience, their personality, and their expectations. Inclusive workplaces are an organization which aims to ensure that everyone at the office finds his/her place in the company and the society.

Companies had first chosen the path of diversity. The problem with this approach is that it keeps stigmatizing people as it operates by type of population – women, young people, seniors, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc.

Some managers think that some topics should not be discussed at work. Be careful, they can be problematic exactly because nobody discusses them...

One of the most important goals for a company is to create cohesion and team spirit. You should never neglect uniting all the people working there together. This is inclusion. Inclusion means accepting people with their differences – whatever they are – and making sure they work well together, as a strong team.

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?? Why are inclusive workplaces so important?

• Ethical aspect: Offering a place in the society to everyone should be natural. Remember, when you allow someone with a disability to work at your company, you are not doing them a favour, this should be just normal.
• Creativity and innovation: If you do not allow people in your team to express their differences, you would not be able to generate new ideas and create the innovation necessary for your company’s longevity.
• Well-being and commitment: Inclusion has a key role in the employees’ well-being and commitment, because it affects everyone.
• Team spirit: When you are 100% yourself at work – without fear or shame and in full awareness of your vulnerabilities and your strengths – it helps you to strengthen the bonds between colleagues and enhances the differences of each one.

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?? Best practices to adopt:

If you want to create an inclusive workplace, we will give you several tips right below:

• Identify the obstacles: In order to find suited solutions and make a sort of “self-diagnosis”.
• Highlight “uncommon” skills: Bet on your employees skills. The differences are a source of wealth and a real asset for your company.
• Adapt the work environment: Think of specific needs such as access ramps, soundproofed offices to allow concentration time, adapted toilets or chats for deaf/hard of hearing people, for instance.
• Train managers: Be a good listener is a major element to make everyone feel at ease at the office. Create support groups can also be a great idea to enhance exchanges between employees.
• Use an IWMS System: These software programs will help your company to manage spaces, people, and assets – among many other elements – through tailored solutions. Adapting the solutions to your needs and not the other way around will make the difference.
• Diversify the profiles you hire: Set aside any bias you may have about the perfect candidate profile. Choose different hiring managers to help avoid unconscious bias.
• Practice inclusive management: The management itself must become inclusive. You should adapt your company’s functioning to your employees, and not the opposite.
• Seek an outside look: This can help to objectively estimate the impact of the different measures implemented. You can also work hand in glove with structures specialized in the recruitment of all types of profiles.

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Inclusion has a major role to play in the workplace. When you integrate multiple profiles and enhance the differences into the workplace, you create an extremely rich corporate culture. Inclusion implies for managers to organize reflection time on living together or to create a moral charter between employees to encourage respect and diversity.

When we feel included – I am not just talking about being invited to the table – but feeling truly listened and considered, we are motivated to take part in the company’s life in a deeper way. We then strive for excellence and the company will benefit so much more on so many different levels.

Companies have progressed regarding inclusion over the last ten years. But, there is still a long way to go.

According to the International Labour Organization, companies have a 60% greater chance of increasing their profits and productivity, improving their reputation, generating more creativity, and attracting new talents who lead to great innovations ??