Inclusivity Begins at the Top

In today's dynamic workplace, effective leadership is not one-size-fits-all. As we navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, it becomes increasingly evident that fostering a sense of belonging is paramount to driving engagement, innovation, and success across generations.?

Leaders must confront challenges within their organizations and industries by redefining policies and strategies to ensure that every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive.?

This article delves into the transformative power of inclusive leadership, urging leaders to champion belonging as they navigate the shifting paradigms of the future workplace.

Embracing Flexibility and Adaptability

Inclusive leadership begins with embracing flexibility and adaptability to meet the diverse needs and preferences of employees. In the wake of the pandemic, many organisations across the globe began leaning heavily on return-to-work (RTO) mandates to boost performance.?

However, the cost and effort of returning to the office could outweigh the benefits. According to researchers at Harvard, 67% of employees feel that returning to the office demands more effort compared to the pre-pandemic era, and 73% perceive it as a costlier endeavour. Moreover, 48%, believe that RTO mandates tend to prioritize the preferences of leaders over facilitating conducive conditions for employees to perform optimally.?

These numbers signal the need for leaders to reconsider such traditional policies and instead, reimagine work arrangements, providing options that accommodate various lifestyles, responsibilities, and workstyles.?

A mere fraction of the workforce comprises office workers. For service workers, frontline employees, and others whose duties cannot accommodate remote work, the concept of flexibility may manifest quite differently. Another vital aspect of inclusion and flexibility involves establishing a workplace conducive to supporting employees with disabilities.?

Are Leaders Prepared?

But are leaders prepared to accept and adapt to the rapid changes in the future of work environments??

Many managers today feel ill-prepared to effectively execute their responsibilities. For instance, despite a majority of organisations transitioning to operating in the hybrid work mode, operational challenges, including talent retention, continue to persist and grow. Experts like Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace and wellbeing, believe that this is because of a lack of effective leadership and managerial training. Per Gallup, 70% of managers today have had no training on how to manage a hybrid workforce.

This lack of support provided to managers can translate to burnout. Did you know that a growing number of managers have reported actively disliking one or more aspects of their role?

In a 2023 Gartner survey, 57% of managers said that they were fully responsible for managing and resolving team conflicts. However, one in five of them admitted that they would prefer not to handle the people management aspect of their roles.?

So, how can organisations effectively train managers to perform at their best in the future of work setting?

Fostering Trust Through Value Alignment

At the core of inclusive leadership lies the ability to foster trust and empowerment within teams. Leaders must align organisational values with the aspirations of employees across generations, genders, and geographies, challenging harmful biases and stereotypes.?

A common organisational value is integrity. Leveraging this value to foster trust among the workforce can be achieved through enhancing policies for recruitment and work modes that encourage equitable gender representation.?

Take, for instance, remote work. Since 2021, leaders and experts have expressed concern about remote work affecting performance. Some cited instances of employees spending fewer hours at their remote workstations as examples of weakening workforce integrity and performance.?

When TCS saw a mass exodus of female employees after curtailing remote working options, experts saw it as a sign of misaligned values and priorities. In reality, this was an indicator of evolving times. It called for leaders to re-examine their workforce’s trust in them and pivot accordingly.?

Incidents like TCS’s mass exodus also led to generalised assumptions about remote work primarily benefiting women. However, a 30-year study conducted on remote work and its effects on women’s careers indicates the opposite.?

The study found that female employees opting for remote work may earn less since they are more likely to receive less favourable performance evaluations. Researchers also noted that remote work blurs the lines between professional and personal life, posing significant challenges.?

As per Deloitte's 2023 Women at Work Report, 42% of female employees feel that their career advancement could be jeopardized if they are unable to remain constantly accessible for work, thus unable to disconnect. This statistic highlights how traditional organisational values like integrity may be perceived as managers focusing on availability instead of output.?

Promoting flexibility in working hours and evaluating performance based on outcomes rather than hours logged enables employees to work when it aligns best with their schedules. Establishing remote work policies that acknowledge and embrace employees’ personal commitments such as childcare and other caregiving responsibilities can alleviate anxiety and foster trust.?

Diversifying hiring practices to encompass new geographical locations can significantly contribute to advancing gender equality in remote work settings as well. Leaders can proactively address workforce challenges by investing in training and development programs that concentrate on enhancing skills such as remote communication, virtual collaboration, time management, and leadership.

Inclusive leaders recognise the value of diverse experiences and backgrounds, challenging traditional hiring criteria and embracing skills-based hiring practices.?

For instance, organisations are now increasingly shredding the paper ceiling — the invisible barrier workers without degrees face — and embracing skills-based hiring, even for some corporate jobs long considered degree-dependent. Major companies, including Google, Delta Airlines, Accenture, and Zoho, have already removed many of their degree requirements from job postings to attract qualified talent.?

The narrative weaved throughout this discourse underscores a critical truth - the success of organizations hinges on their capacity to foster belonging, trust, and empowerment across their diverse and multigenerational workforce.?

The journey towards inclusive leadership necessitates a fundamental shift in mindset and action. Crucially, inclusive leadership is not a solitary pursuit but a collective endeavour grounded in shared values and aspirations. By championing integrity, trust, and equity, leaders can dismantle barriers, challenge biases, and pave the way for a future where every individual, irrespective of age, gender, or background, can thrive.