Small changes that can make your workplace more inclusive

An inclusive workplace is one where every employee has equal opportunities, feels valued and has the chance to develop and progress in their career. 

You might think that this would require some major changes in your policies or some significant investment, but creating a more inclusive workplace is actually more about making small, consistent changes to help employees feel supported, respected and empowered.

Here’s some simple changes you can make to ensure everyone feels welcome in the workplace:

Use inclusive language

• Use gender-neutral language such as ‘everyone’ or ‘team’ instead of ‘guys’ and ‘girls’.

• Ask employees to let you know their preferred name and pronouns and use them consistently

• Review your job descriptions, policies and internal communications to remove any unintentionally exclusive language, e.g. replacing his/her with their.

Ensure meetings are accessible

All employees have different communication styles, responsibilities and accessibility needs, so it’s important to make sure attending meetings is as easy as possible for them.

• Share meeting plans and agendas in advance so people have plenty of time to prepare

• Offer virtual attendance to meetings where possible

• Encourage everyone to contribute rather than putting individuals on the spot

• Provide meeting notes and recordings afterwards for anyone who wasn’t able to attend or even those that did and would like to review notes.

Be flexible where possible

Flexible working has seen a huge surge over the past few years and can make such a difference to employees who have children or family members/loved-ones that they care for, those with disabilities or other long-term health conditions and mental health conditions too.

Flexible working where possible can really improve employee wellbeing and productivity. Why not have a read of our blog post on flexible working here?

Recognise different cultures and religions

To help employees feel seen and respected, you can acknowledge different cultures and religions that they may have. If you’re unsure what they might need, simply ask, but otherwise you could:

• Offer flexible working where appropriate

• Avoid scheduling meetings during significant religious festivals

• Provide suitable food options at any events/meetings.

If you haven’t already, you can start introducing these small changes in order to help employees feel welcomed in their workplace as well as respected. 

A workplace with inclusion embedded into its everyday practices has employees that feel more engaged, managers that lead more effectively and they often retain those talented individuals and look more attractive to potential employees.

We’re experienced in helping businesses create a more inclusive environment and are happy to help you too, just get in touch and we can get started.