Diversity and inclusion – ‘A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.’ ~Sundar Pichai

Diversity and inclusion are crucial parts of employee engagement and retention, which make way to enhance productivity in the company. Workplace diversity refers to employing individuals from different geographical areas, ethnicity, gender, age, race, religion, cultures, etc. And an inclusive work culture means engaging various individuals in every section, from the top management to the bottom level.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity and Inclusion:

According to Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, companies that include diversity in the top management earn 19% higher revenue.

Research by Josh Bersin, an industry analyst & researcher, found that a diverse workplace gives rise to more innovation and is 1.7 times more competent to be a market leader.

Cloverpop, an enterprise platform for business decisions,  published that diverse teams outperform individual business decision-makers 87% of the time.

According to Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers consider a diverse workplace to feel safe socially and professionally.

According to McKinsey, an adviser and counselor to the global businesses, Racially and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more successful in developing effective industry policies.

Why Should Small Businesses Promote diversity and inclusion in their remote teams?

COVID-19 has made the work-from-home a preferred work culture accepted by all. Now google meet, virtual coffee, and slack notifications add fun to the virtual work. Besides, statistics show that remote work culture has increased employee engagement by 9% and retention by 50%. Accordingly, Big organizations like Google, Microsoft, etc. have decided on a year-long WFH, whereas Twitter has announced a permanent WFH. One of the most prominent reasons behind this organizational development is the diverse work culture which is an effective practice in these organizations. Similarly, small businesses should take the opportunity of building an efficient and productive remote workforce. They can do this by opting for a diverse and inclusive work culture in the team. 

Here are 6 points small businesses can adopt to ensure a diverse and inclusive work culture in the remote team:

Effective and clear communication

Prepare new communication guidelines and introduce communication tools like Slack, InVision, Zoom, Team, etc. It helps run smooth communication across the team. Also, ensure that all the team members have access to the communication platform to bring an inclusive culture to your virtual team. Besides, focus on flexibility like one-to-one massage room to help keep the privacy of some individuals intact. It will create an organized remote workforce and encourage employees to be conscious of quality and deadlines leading to enhanced productivity.

Ensure inclusion of every individual to meet a common goal

Diversity and inclusion will remain a catchphrase until and unless you practically engage every individual. Because a diverse workforce is valueless without inclusion, diversity and inclusion combine to create the core value. So try to make every individual feel that they are valued. According to Patricia Fili-Krushel, CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation, “an actionable, measurable plan” ensures a diverse culture in the company. So, diversity and inclusion will benefit the company only if you practice it in the true sense.

Avoid homogeneity and encourage group-work

If you are planning for new hires then this is the perfect opportunity to get diverse individuals on your team. As remote work is not limited to a specific location, you have a vast pool to hire from. You can get people from different geographical areas, individuals with mobility issues, parents of small children, and so on.

Create accountability for every individual in the team

Active inclusion means every team member has a specific role for which they are accountable. It motivates them to take the initiative in providing new ideas and integrating the organizational and individual goals. Further, an accountability program works as informal mentoring. It makes way for better communication, and employees will set their own goals and deadlines, leading to better productivity.

Make a careering environment for the employees 

Responsible employers take care of their employees’ mental health and emotional well-being. The pandemic has resulted in mental stress for many, and the companies are liable to plan an employee well-being program to counter this situation. It will indirectly payback as research shows that an employee’s mental health is directly related to better performance and engagement. The well-being program may include online counseling and a private massage room. You can also create a support group where individuals can express their anxiety and frustration. It makes the employees feel all in touch and relieve them from the loneliness of remote work.

Offer flexible holidays to the team

All your team members do not celebrate the same festivals. To cope with this, offer flexible holidays to the employees. In this way, you can show respect for others’ cultural heritage. It will make way for better engagement and employee motivation. Additionally, history left us with uncountable events to celebrate, and you cannot recognize every occasion with a holiday. So, It is wiser to plan floating holidays which will fairly treat each employee. Moreover, you can make religious and cultural celebrations a part of team-building activities to encourage inclusion.

Create an Employee Resource group to promote team diversity

Employee Research Group is an employee network that works as a volunteer to provide a safe work environment. It works through a positive discussion of identity and inclusion. ERG supports the remote team with mentorship so that every individual can discuss their personal needs. It also maintains communication with the top management which is a part of inclusive culture in decision making and team building. The Team-building events are organized to culturally foster diversity and inclusion in the company.

Conclusion 

The importance of diversity and inclusion in an organization is not a new concept. But the worldwide remote work culture due to the pandemic has uncovered its necessity across the industries. So, management teams are emphasizing this specific culture admitting that diversity and inclusion are unavoidable concepts in a company’s growth. The above 6 points are based on well-researched statistics and information to help small businesses create an effective, diverse and inclusive remote team.