How to build a safe workplace? The first thing that comes to mind when discussing a safe work environment is psychological safety. Psychological safety plays a very crucial role in many aspects of a team. Team performance is highly affected by the existence of psychological safety in the workplace. Psychological safety is a term coined by Professor Amy Edmondson, a lecturer at Harvard Business Review. It refers to the feeling of being able to share ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of being judged, criticized, or punished. Now, is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion important to build in the workplace? There are many benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace in order to build a safe environment for employees to work in. How can a company build diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)?
Definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends report, it is stated that diversity in the workplace has been a key trend that has impacted the way companies hire their people. 78% of companies prioritize finding diversity to improve culture and promote an inclusive environment, while 62% of companies prioritize it to boost financial performance.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are interconnected concepts that are crucial for creating a safe and supportive work environment. Having DEI in your workplace means that there is psychological safety in an inclusive workplace. What is DEI, to be exact?
- Diversity: Diversity simply refers to the representation of different social and demographic characteristics among employees in the workplace. What does it include? It includes race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and many others.
- Equity: Equity simply means a focus on ensuring fairness and justice distribution in the workplace. Whether it’s resources, opportunities, or outcomes. With equity, leaders can address the disparities and biases that may exist within a team. This can lead to leaders providing equal access to support all employees, regardless of their background or identity. This creates a great organizational culture with high diversity initiatives.
- Inclusion: Lastly, inclusion simply means creating a sense of belonging and fostering between all employees. This means an inclusive workplace where all individuals feel valued, supported, and most importantly, respected. It also involves people with disabilities. Inclusion goes beyond simply having diverse representation and aims to cultivate an inclusive culture – where every voice is heard, and everyone has equal opportunities to contribute and thrive.
Incorporating Psychological Safety in Building Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Building diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace requires a comprehensive approach that includes fostering psychological safety. Here’s how a company can build a strong DEI basis and create an inclusive culture:
Safe Space for Discussion
Create a safe space for discussion. Encourage open and honest communication by creating a safe space where employees don’t feel uncomfortable in sharing their opinions. Employees can share their thoughts without fear of retaliation or judgment. Leaders can try mixing up their teams to allow various perspectives to flow in. This allows enhanced perspective and more creativity in the team.
Inclusive Language and Policies
Use inclusive language in job descriptions and company policies to ensure that all employees feel represented and valued. This will make employee feels included. Inclusive language means using gender-neutral pronouns and avoiding language that could be perceived as exclusive.
As for the policies, the company can acknowledge a variety of upcoming religious and cultural holidays. Be respectful of these days when scheduling meetings, and understand that employees have different needs that may require flexibility. Develop a culture where employees feel appreciated for their differences. This can be achieved by celebrating diversity through events, recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions, and ensuring that all employees feel valued and respected so that no one feels left out.
Acknowledge and Address Biases
Understanding that there are always biases is one great way to foster DEI in the workplace. Leaders can start addressing this by helping employees understand how individuals are impacted by unconscious bias, and what actions continue to reinforce biases. Leaders can also try to implement implicit bias training to help employees recognize and address their own biases. This can be done through workshops, seminars, or online courses that provide tools and strategies for identifying and mitigating biases.
DEI Training
Leaders can also try to provide comprehensive DEI training for all employees, including leadership and HR professionals. This training should cover topics such as diversity awareness, bias, bias mitigation, and inclusive communication. Diversity training, hopefully, will help employees understand that cultural differences can impact how people work and how people interact at work. Diversity training that is offered as optional tends to be more effective than that which is made mandatory. Companies should also focus on training that’s relevant to their specific organization and employees, and that aligns with their broader diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and identified challenges.