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10 Ways An Inclusive Workplace Helps Elevate Employee Motivation

An Inclusive Workplace Helps Elevate Employee Motivation

Nurturing and implementing an inclusive workplace culture is a priority in today’s business world. It is the easiest and most ethical way to become a great place to work. When employees feel included, it depicts higher employee motivation.

Imagine you have new hires joining, and they are not invited to join a group for lunch because of their background or identity. They will feel out of place. In any situation, not being included feels discriminating and demotivating.

It is time we start realizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and we must work hard to create an inclusive workplace.  The key to inclusivity is a diverse workforce that receives equal development opportunities, enhancing the experience and employee engagement levels.

So, in this article, we will discuss an inclusive workplace culture and ways to nurture it for enhanced employee motivation. Let’s begin with what it means.

What is an Inclusive Workplace?

An inclusive workplace refers to a work environment that values every employee irrespective of their differences and how these differences contribute to the organization’s bottom line. This type of inclusive environment characterizes affirmation, like the impact of bias training, workplace harassment, unequal rewards and recognition, and much more.

An inclusive workplace celebrates workplace diversity and how it helps businesses flourish. What matters is that everyone must enjoy equal opportunities and a level playing field. We must acknowledge peoples’ differences and offer them equal opportunities without any discrimination.

Glassdoor recently added a poll that includes 5200+ responses from employees across four countries to understand how companies work on inclusivity. The research shows that over one-third of employees experienced ageism, 33% faced gender discrimination, and 24% faced LGBTQ discrimination. Hence, as an employer, you must ensure every employee receives equal treatment at your company without discrimination. And this is how you can successfully build an inclusive workplace culture.

10 Ways to Become an Inclusive Workplace For Enhanced Employee Motivation

There are numerous ways to become an inclusive workplace for organizational success. But here are the ten best ways to help you become inclusive, attracting employee motivation. Let’s take a quick look.

1. Share everything

Sharing every small and significant piece of information with your team leads to inclusivity, which is the first step to becoming more inclusive as a workplace. Whenever you see employees resisting, look for opportunities to share with others. Also, try to share your lunch, books, and resources with employees you feel are being isolated.

Share something feasible for you and promote the culture of sharing at work. Start small, lunch, snacks, etc. You can choose not to share your personal belongings. Also, sharing does not refer to objects or food but to everything that happens at work, from progress to failure. Make sure your employees know everything about your company.

2. Initiate a conversation

Most shy new joiners face this issue as they do not know how to initiate a talk or a conversation. Why don’t you initiate, instead? If you see someone who is scared to talk to people at work, try to make them feel comfortable.

We know it; people are usually warm to your face even if they do not like you. But let’s not make it evident. We must welcome every employee of every gender, race, caste, ethnicity, and sexuality with love and support.

Do not wait for them to initiate; rather, you must cultivate an environment where your team welcomes new joiners without prejudices. This way, you’re one step to becoming an inclusive workplace and motivating your employees.

3. Empathy is your priority.

Usually, when we talk about diverse employees and their struggles, we only tend to sympathize and not empathize. We must learn the difference. To practice inclusivity, you must learn to empathize. As a leader, you must put yourself in your employees' shoes and learn to think from their perspectives. All you need is compassion and empathy.

You must stop judging your workers and let them be. By doing so, you’ll garner their trust and support, and as a result, you’ll get to experience higher productivity and increased employee retention.

Next time you see an LGBT worker or a minority worker being themselves, do not judge them. If they are voicing out their sufferings at work, listen and empathize, do not judge. And you must make this a part of your company culture, which we call inclusiveness and employee motivation.

4. Rumination is important

You can’t just say you’re inclusive. First, you must understand why inclusivity is important in the workplace, and it helps you produce things that privileged individuals can’t produce alone. We are all interdependent.

You must promote an inclusive workplace because it signifies equality, freedom, and respect. For the same reason, you must contemplate why and how you can make your workplace more inclusive.

5. Promote workplace diversity

We are globally connected in this world of likes and shares. Hence, it is obvious to have workers from various cultures, religions (where religious lawyers step in if there are any issues), gender, race, and ethnicities. If you know to promote diversity in the workplace, the point is that you can achieve inclusivity, too

For example, some coworkers might judge another coworker based on their sexuality or cultural upbringing. Would they feel inclusive in such an environment, which could be mentally triggering? Moreover, would they align with your company values? Initially, they’ll get stressed and discriminated which will lead to employee burnout and job dissatisfaction.

So, the key to being an inclusive workplace is not to judge people on the surface. Everyone is different, and everyone is worth it. Embrace diversity to achieve inclusivity.

6. Keep an open mind

As the popular saying goes, “be open to everything, attached to nothing.” This is what you must follow. When you as an employer keep an open mind, you will tend to make yourself more inclusive and make your employees feel inclusive.

It’s time you stop judging people and be curious to understand their plight. As you gradually learn about a person, you’ll start learning from that person. An underprivileged person might have gone through many lived experiences, and with your curiosity, it will get easier to understand and accept them.

7. Organize events for all

event

While you’re trying to become an inclusive workplace, you must ensure you organize events for everyone to attend and make them feel included. You can conduct monthly meetings where people discuss culture, gender, and sexuality, and it could be more of a seminar where all kinds of people come and discuss their lived experiences.

Also, whenever you organize office events like parties, lunches, and gatherings, make sure you respect everyone’s needs. Some people might come from various religious backgrounds and follow dietary restrictions. So, try to accommodate all, and you’re way to go.

8. Recognize employees equally

It is imperative to have a rewards and recognition platform for instant recognition. But merely having the program is not it; you must ensure equal and fair rewards and recognition for all your employees. Employee recognition is the key to employee motivation, and when it is done equally, it garners employee satisfaction.

You must not treat underprivileged employees as different or ostracized. Instead, focus on recognizing the talent and skills and not the person’s identity behind it. Doing so will result in high employee motivation and increased job satisfaction. You must never indulge in gender inequality, racial injustice, or unfair recognition as an employer. And that is the key to becoming an inclusive workplace.

9. Organize diversity training programs

We understand training is a cost to the company, but trust us, this is important. But when you start working towards making your workplace diverse and inclusive, this is your go-to solution. Education is the key to breaking all the misconceptions about gender, caste, race, ethnicity, and cultural differences.

Diversity training programs include speakers from various underprivileged backgrounds who help you understand minorities and their experiences. This will give your employees a wider perspective to respect and honor every person not based on their identity but only on their skills. You can take help from Employee Resource Groups to invite popular D&I leaders from various companies to provide such training at your workplace.

10. Work on your company culture

Last but not least, you must nurture a workplace culture that is inclusive and encourages employees to treat everyone with respect and equality. Start by appointing a D&I leader or executive whose prime responsibility is to ensure a discrimination-free workplace.

Their job is to create a culture where employees do not feel shy to voice their opinions because of isolation or workplace harassment. Primarily, no one should indulge in such unwarranted activities, but your company must take necessary actions against it if found.

When you have a great company culture, your employees tend to stay with you longer as it enhances their employee experience and increases motivation levels.

Conclusion

Employee motivation is a crucial factor for increased productivity and business growth. And when you motivate employees by becoming an inclusive workplace, it attracts respect, equity, and trust. These were the 10 ways to promote an inclusive workplace that elevates employee motivation.

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