Driving Cultural Change: INvolve’s 5 Top Tips For Employers
Cultivating a diverse and inclusive organisation isn’t just down to interventions and policy. By being aware of the wide range of factors which contribute to overall company culture, employers can facilitate authentic and positive changes to the benefit of their employees, stakeholders and customers. Here are five key recommendations for driving change towards an inclusive work culture.
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Change the way your organisation thinks about inclusion
Everyone has ingrained biases, but we so often approach diversity and inclusion as a strategy rather than a cultural change. The first step to driving cultural change is identifying and tackling bias. Regular diversity and inclusion training should be held at all levels – particularly around conscious inclusion – to help shift perceptions and embed practical tools for countering bias which can reach into every corner of company thinking.
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Understand that cultural change is driven from the top
Leaders within an organisation need to understand their role in defining and influencing company culture. Only if the leaders are vocal in their support for inclusivity, and embody this support through their everyday actions, will everyone believe this change to be authentic and permanent.
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Support role models
Likewise, making role models from throughout the business visible and vocal is powerful. Never underestimate the importance of being able to look up and see someone who ‘looks like you’; showing that minority groups can succeed in the company while being authentic to themselves. Role models will help to secure a future talent pipeline and help build employee led networks which will further support change.
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Give life to your equal opportunity recruitment policy
An equal opportunity recruitment policy should not just be commitments on paper. Put together a hiring committee who will ensure the policy is observed, brainstorm ideas for attracting more diverse candidates, and consider where you are advertising for jobs and the language you’re using to find candidates. Diversity needs to be made part of the company’s core values so everyone knows that inclusivity is not a one-time initiative.
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Keep pace with inclusive policies
Make sure that all your talk about inclusivity is not undermined by outdated policies. Society is moving fast so companies need to review their policies regularly to ensure they are keeping pace. Introducing progressive policies such as parental leave for same sex couples and medical cover for transition related procedures will concrete the company’s true commitment to inclusion.
@INvolvePeople