Workplace Inclusivity: There’s Still Work To Do

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby?

It seems hard to believe, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women now make up 51.6% of the employees in “management, professional, and related occupations” in the USA. That’s a magnitude of change from how things were just thirty years ago! Pursuing greater inclusivity helps organizations hire and promote the best talent without being misled by biases, live up to the corporate value of fairness, and create work environments that engage everyone. Things are better today, but there is still plenty of work to be done to increase inclusivity in the workforce.

Tap other overlooked or underrepresented talent pools

Just as women have long been an overlooked talent pool, there are almost certainly other groups that are similarly under tapped. These might include groups that have faced discrimination, such as overweight people, for example, or people who are short, whose voices are a certain pitch, or who have some other characteristic that might elicit prejudice against them. Making this a priority is not only good for business but also helps companies promote fairness.

Help overlooked people in need

If the goal is compassion, then the inclusion movement might consider groups in need who are overlooked. For example, there are many people who are highly stressed because they have a close relative who suffers from addiction or a severe mental illness. These people typically soldier on without complaining. A worthy social responsibility goal for diversity and inclusion departments is to help these people in need.

Focus on individuals rather than on groups

Companies that want the best candidates need to stop overlooking people for appearance reasons (e.g., body shape, tattoos, fashion style) connected to stereotypes and assumptions about certain groups. Instead, the organization should make better use of assessment tools so they really hire the best person for the job–a practice that is both good for business and fair to candidates. Similarly, initiatives that actively promote environments in which all individuals get along may be more useful than initiatives that stress group-based cooperation.

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Editorial Note: Portions of this blog originally appeared in the November, 2018 edition of ABR Employment Services magazine, ABR HR Insights. It  was originally written by David Creelman, CEO of Creelman Research.