Inclusivity, a rather broad term, in the workplace has taken on a new meaning in the last decade. Moreover, for companies to stay alive, relevant, and hold positions as market leaders, they must hire and retain employees who are not only a good fit for the role, but the right candidate will help propel the company mission forward. The best way to do this is by creating, or continuing to operate, an all-encompassing work environment and culture.

Companies are interested in diverse candidates due to the expansive top-of-funnel talent pool that has been passed over due to a non-global approach to the hiring process. Take this notion a step further and you will find companies who are uncovering new and creative ways to solve problems by hiring individuals with diverse backgrounds, educations, and perspectives.

Creating an inclusive environment allows your organization to embrace and welcome employees with a variety of skills to engage in projects and teamwork to help the overall company success. To attract a more diverse applicant pool try integrating images of your already diverse workforce into your website, or section of a portion of your website to highlight a current employee’s unique background and current success.

As an employer, you may be interested in understanding what you can do to help shift the waters of your current cultural and employee environment. Some suggestions include:

• Focus on hiring employees based on their merit.
• Empower all employees, regardless of hierarchy rank, to have a voice and a place at the table.
• Create an inclusivity council to set specific diversity and inclusivity hiring goals. This group can also address any engagement issues surrounding underrepresented groups.
• Provide a safe space or method for employees to share ideas or concerns.
• Ensure teleworkers are not only included in meetings but are also given the opportunity to lead the conversation.
• Create measurable company-wide inclusivity goals, report on them, and publish to the entire employee base to make sure everyone is on the same page.

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