Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2023 - 25

* Processes: Do your processes,
including compensation and bonuses,
support inclusion? Are they fair? Do
they encourage the right behavior?
Could they inhibit inclusion?
WHAT TO CHANGE
If your organization has an issue with
inclusion, here are 10 approaches that
might address the problem:
1. Mission and Values: If your
employees are not aligned with the
overall purpose and values of your
organization, they'll never truly feel
part of the business. Your mission
should showcase what you stand for
- and your employees should feel
inspired to achieve it.
2. Recruitment: While supporting
diversity, your recruitment process
should target candidates whose
personal values match those of
the organization. Training for hiring
managers should be broadened
from equal opportunities and
employment law to include the
interviewing skills needed to
identify candidates who are likely to
feel included in your organization.
3. Onboarding: Instead of simply giving
new recruits a diversity policy to
read, create a training intervention
on inclusion. This should highlight
why it's important to value people's
differences - and how to do this.
4. Communication: Share details of your
operational performance and your
plans for the future with employees.
Let them feel included in the direction
of the business and in the decisions
that underpin the organization.
Initiate " town hall " meetings, where
employees can meet and question
senior managers.
5. Leadership: Your leadership team
should role-model inclusive behavior.
Consider creating a module for your
leadership development programs
on inclusion. The challenge here is
that your leaders will think they're
inclusive. No one wants to be seen as
sexist, racist or homophobic. But their
role in shaping the culture of your
organization must be emphasized.
The attitudes they display are also
important. If your employees look
at your leaders and think it's never
going to be possible to be one of
them, they'll feel excluded.
6. Line Managers and HR Business
Partners: Managers at all levels
- including first-line managers,
supervisors and team leaders -
have a responsibility to look for signs
of exclusion (or not participating
fully) in their teams. They should
help each person to understand
how their work contributes to the
organization's mission. They can
ask people directly: " Do you feel
included in what we do as a team? "
If people are fundamentally against
the values of the organization, they'll
probably leave. But there may be
issues or blockers which are making
them feel excluded that can be easily
addressed. HR business partners
have a similar role in enabling
inclusion in the organization.
7. Performance Management: Inclusion
can be integrated into your
performance review process. This
should be a forum where employees
can openly discuss any issues they
have around fairness, transparency
and equality of opportunity.
8. Succession Planning: Some
employees feel inhibited from
applying to management roles in their
organization because they believe
these are restricted to certain people,
for example, those of a certain
gender or a certain background.
The challenge here is to ensure that
all employees feel that their internal
applications (for roles they're capable
of undertaking) would be welcomed.
9. Exit Interviews: When people are
leaving, they're more inclined to be
honest about any issues that have
prompted their departure. Ask them
if they are leaving because they felt
excluded or held back in some way.
10. Development: Inclusion awareness
training should be integrated into your
existing diversity training programs.
It can even be added to team
development programs. A team may
not be achieving high performance
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - FALL 2023 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
because one or more of the team
members feels excluded either from
the team or from the organization.
Development interventions should
ensure that individuals are equipped
with the right mindset, toolset and
skill set to be effective in their role.
This is key to helping them feel part
of the organization.
CONCLUSION
If your diversity and inclusion initiatives are
focusing primarily on the need for diverse
talent, rather than how to make people
feel included, aspects of your business
are under threat.
EXCLUSION
ACTS AS A
PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISTRACTION.
Diversity and inclusion shouldn't be
about simply setting targets and quotas.
It should equip your organization with a
variety of viewpoints and perspectives,
so you can better understand and meet
the needs of diverse customers. Yes, your
organization can benefit from recruiting a
diverse workforce - but you'll only realize
those benefits if your people actually feel
included and valued enough to contribute.
We all deserve the opportunity to work
in a safe, supportive and inclusive
environment where we can achieve our
potential. Is anything inhibiting this in your
workplace? If so, strive to address it.
Lee Russell, a director of client solutions,
has worked within the consultancy
space for over a decade, with a specialty
in helping people and teams to reach
and sustain their peak performance.
His creative and pragmatic approach,
combined with his extensive experience
in leadership development, allows him
to deliver a variety of blended solutions,
which provide long-lasting results for
clients. Email Lee.
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https://trainingindustry.com/articles/it-and-technical-training/4-training-keys-to-improve-hiring-in-the-diversity-deficient-tech-sector/ https://trainingindustry.com/articles/it-and-technical-training/4-training-keys-to-improve-hiring-in-the-diversity-deficient-tech-sector/ https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/the-business-of-learning-episode-27-inclusive-leadership/ https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/the-business-of-learning-episode-27-inclusive-leadership/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2023

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