10 Changes Leaders Must Make to Truly Address Diversity and Inclusion

As a leader, I consider it my highest priority to ensure that my employees are happy. They invest more than eight hours a day, five days a week in my organization; it’s almost like their second home, so, they deserve to feel at home.

An employer’s responsibility does not end with issuing the paychecks on time, giving pep talks, or holding monthly status meetings; it is their duty to plan and establish a work culture that does not inhibit, exclude, or discriminate against employees.

Addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace is important because it not only enhances employee experience, but also drives innovation and change across the organization. Simply having physical diversity within the workforce can help improve performance and motivation, as it presents an opportunity for employees to look at things from a different point of view and learn something new.

Why Diversity and Inclusion?

A 2018 research conducted by McKinsey confirms the link between workplace diversity and company financial performance. According to this study, organizations that are in the top quartile for gender diversity and ethnic diversity are more likely to outperform the companies in the fourth quartile by 21% and 33% respectively on EBIT margin (earnings before interest and taxes).

While this is excellent news, leaders should be excited by diversity and inclusion initiatives for reasons beyond the incentive of an increased financial margin. This requires that they be mindful enough to take the necessary steps for uprooting bias — regardless of gender, race, sexuality, age, religion, disability, marital status, or court records — that levels the playing field for every employee to have a chance at equal opportunities. In my experience, having a solid diversity and inclusion strategy helps attract top talent to the organization, and most importantly, makes them want to stay.

Here are 10 changes to make for an effective diversity and Inclusion initiative:

1. Instill a Sense of Belonging
2. Mold Empathetic Leadership
3. Focus on Connections not “Culture Fit”
4. Re-examine Evaluation Processes and Recruitment Policies
5. Shape a Multigenerational Workforce
6. Revisit and Reinforce Anti-discriminatory Policies
7. Build Inclusive Workspaces
8. Conduct Pulse Surveys Within Minority Groups
9. Have an Open-door Policy
10. Understand that This is an Ongoing Exercise

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