Improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in The Workplace
Creating an inclusive workplace is critical to business success in the long run. Nowadays, employers need to adapt and diversify to meet the specific needs of their customers and employees. Therefore a sound equality, diversity and inclusion strategy is a must.
By promoting equality, diversity and inclusion practices, organisations can benefit from the unique perspectives and experiences of a varied and diverse workforce. This can result in better decision-making and more innovative solutions to business challenges.
Additionally, when employees feel valued and included in your business, they are more likely to be engaged and productive, leading to higher job satisfaction and reduced staff turnover.
Why is equality, diversity & inclusion in the workplace important?
Equality, diversity, and inclusion aren't just business buzzwords, for modern organisations, they are critical components of long-term success. To understand why they are so crucial to businesses, we must first know what they mean.
The term equality refers to the process of ensuring every person has equal access to opportunities, regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, cultural background or sexual orientation. Subsequently, for your workforce to be considered as diverse, it should also include a range of individuals that are different to one another. Finally, to maintain an inclusive organisation, your workforce must feel valued, respected, and able to participate fully in any activities.
Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace benefits everyone. A diverse workforce can provide unique perspectives, experiences, and skills, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving. An inclusive working culture can also positively impact employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. Similarly, it can assist businesses in attracting a larger and more diverse pool of candidates to their roles, which is extremely important in supporting business growth and long-term success.
Recently, there has been a plethora of research supporting the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion within a business context. For example, a study conducted by Deloitte revealed that a diverse workforce is 30% more likely to spot and recognise mistakes. This demonstrates how promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace is not just a matter of ethics but also a strategic business move.
Reasonable adjustments within the recruitment process
To develop and maintain a diverse workforce, it's imperative that your recruitment process is accessible and inclusive to all. Whilst this may sound difficult, all it takes is a few adjustments to ensure that you accommodate candidates with disabilities and those from different cultural backgrounds or underrepresented groups.
Implementing these reasonable adjustments aims to ensure that every candidate has equal access to your opportunities and to remove any barriers that may stop or dissuade an individual from applying.
Here are some examples of reasonable adjustments that organisations can make to create a more inclusive recruitment process:
Utilise accessibility tools
Accessibility tools are a tremendous all-in-one feature that can help make your recruitment process more inclusive to those that require basic reasonable adjustments. Fortunately, Tazio offers a variety of accessibility options within its platform thanks to the Recite Me toolbar. You can learn more about this toolbar here.
Utilise gender-neutral language
When creating your job descriptions and advertisements, it's essential to consider using gender-neutral terms, ensuring that your positions are inclusive to all. For instance, instead of using words like "salesman" or "chairman," use gender-neutral terms like "sales representative" or "chairperson."
Providing accessible job application forms
Your job application forms should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. To ensure your organisation caters to all candidates, consider providing your job applications and descriptions in alternative formats. This can include options such as audio or large print or allowing candidates to submit their applications through different channels, such as email or video.
Offering flexible working arrangements
If possible, organisations should offer flexible working arrangements, such as part-time or remote working, to accommodate candidates with caring responsibilities or disabilities. In addition, flexible working arrangements can attract a broader range of candidates and create a more inclusive workplace.
Using online assessment centres
By taking advantage of virtual assessment centres, you can remove many barriers faced in traditional assessment centre setups. Firstly, online assessment centres can be accessed remotely, reducing travel costs and time commitments. Additionally, they can also be designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities.
To learn more about Tazio's virtual assessment centres, click here.
Organisations like yours can create an inclusive recruitment process by considering the points mentioned above. It's essential to implement as many reasonable adjustments as possible, removing the barriers to application for many candidates. By doing so, you'll be able to attract a broader range of talent and create a more diverse workforce.
The benefits of fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace has many benefits, including increased employee satisfaction and productivity. Research has shown that racially diverse teams perform better than non-diverse teams by 35%. This is because a diverse workforce brings different ideas and perspectives, resulting in improved creativity and innovation.
Below are some of the most significant advantages identified by the Tazio team:
Increased creativity and innovation
Creating a diverse workforce is a great way to introduce new perspectives and experiences to your team, which can boost your organisation's creativity and innovation. With a more diverse team, you'll benefit from various backgrounds and skill sets that can help overcome organisational problems and drive better decision-making.
Improved decision-making
As mentioned above, diverse teams can present varied skill sets and approaches to decision-making. This often results in better solutions to your organisational problems and a further understanding of potential risks and opportunities.
Increased employee satisfaction and retention
You can significantly increase employee satisfaction and retention by strengthening your organisation's diversity and inclusion strategies. By showing your employees that they are valued and included in your business, they will likely be more motivated and satisfied with their role and, in turn, more inclined to remain a part of your team.
Improved customer relations
Throughout your business, you are likely to work with customers from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, having a diverse workforce can help to improve your customer relations. It's essential to understand and meet the needs of your different customers. By building a team that understands the needs and preferences of other groups, your organisation can be one step ahead.
Better financial performance
Research has shown that organisations with more diverse workforces tend to perform better financially. A study by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
How can Tazio help?
To ensure that your organisation is making the most of its equality, diversity and inclusion strategies, Tazio offers a variety of tools and integrations that can support your efforts. As mentioned previously, our platform provides an accessibility tool known as Recite Me.
This web-based software can help you to create an inclusive online experience by providing accessibility and language options that enable everyone to customise your assessments in a way that works for them. Visit the Tazio website and click the "accessibility tools" feature to see the Recite Me toolbar in action.
Time to summarise
In conclusion, fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace offers numerous benefits, including increased employee satisfaction, better decision-making, and innovation. By promoting diversity and inclusion, organisations can create a work culture that values and respects the unique perspectives of all employees, leading to a more positive environment and higher productivity. Employers can implement reasonable adjustments within the recruitment process, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities.
Get in touch
If you'd like to learn more about how Tazio's recruitment solutions can help you improve your equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, get in touch with one of our friendly experts today.
