What is Inclusivity and Why Does it Matter?
Since the beginning of office culture, one facet that hasn’t seen the progress we had hoped for is Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). Businesses can’t afford to put those D&I initiatives on hold anymore due to its damaging effects, not only to employees, but also to the overall health of a company’s fiscal and cultural growth. From a more economic perspective, Harvard Business Review did a study that showed companies with a higher diversity rate increased innovation efforts and saw a financial advantage when trying to enter new markets! As markets continue to become more and more saturated, this will be a key component for companies to stay competitive and successful. From a cultural perspective, our national demographics are also changing with only 56% of the working millennial population identifying as “white” (Brookings). This is a huge leap for diversity, however, this does not solve the issue of inclusivity.
Inclusion vs. Diversity - What’s the Difference?
Many times, inclusion and diversity are lumped together as one interchangeable term, and while it is easy to understand why this happens - it’s a mistake. Over the past month we have begun the conversation of “what does inclusion mean?” and “what does diversity mean?” Why, you ask? The answer is simple - it is impossible to fix an issue or even understand it if you do not first know its meaning or origin. To better define inclusion, we asked two different contacts in the HR space to tell us what inclusion means to them.
“Inclusion happens earlier than identified- the second people walk in or see a job posting [with language such as] strong verbal skills required, [people with disabilities are deterred]. [Inclusion is having a] different perspective that is important to capture. [It’s] belonging [and] creating a playing field where everyone can be a part of that company and they can thrive - it’s a feeling.”
-Katrina Kibben, Three Ears Media
“For me, inclusion doesn’t exist without disability. We are the forgotten diversity group. I acknowledge [that] we have a long way to go with race and gender inclusion still, but pwd [people with disabilities] have to also have a place at the table. Disability is the largest diversity community in the US and the World. Disability is intersectional – every race, gender, religion, orientation, and ability is included. 45 million American ADULTS every year experience a mental health disability – both chronic and episodic.”
-Julie Sowash, Disability Solutions
What does this mean? On a basic level, diversity is easy to measure, inclusivity isn’t. Diversity is something a company or employer can keep stats on or monitor. Inclusivity is a feeling, it’s a mindset...a way of office life. It’s not something you can judge by the number of racially diverse or disabled people in the office. It’s how you act, the way you speak, and the way that you think. It’s your demeanor. It is embedded in office culture, something that can’t easily be analyzed or tracked by analytics reports. It’s so much deeper than diversity. That’s what makes inclusion tough, though. It can’t be measured, so at times, there’s no way to know if your inclusive efforts are actually working or making a difference. Sure, you may feel inclusive and never intentionally discriminate, but you’d be surprised how many tiny micro-aggressive, discriminatory comments, quotes, and mindsets there are and how many different people they affect. Here’s what Katrina and Julie had to say about the current inclusive climate at the workforce and where it’s gone wrong - spoiler alert, it’s not good:
“There are two major areas where inclusion goes wrong in the workplace: 1.) Job postings - using language such as “strong verbal/communication skills” in your job postings contributes to one of the biggest lies we tell everyday - “we don’t need to use those skills every single day”. An example of this would be a tech support job judging off ‘in-person’ interviews. Why? What does it matter how a person looks if they’re going to be behind a screen or on the phone all day long? 2.) What people see when they walk in the door of the office matters. Employers have to convey an environment when people walk in the door where they feel included. You cannot have inclusion when someone feels like an outsider when they enter the door.”
-Katrina Kibben, Three Doors Media
“Only 4% of the Fortune 1000 include disability in their D/I [disability/inclusion] programs. Businesses view disability as charity not talent – Companies who are moving beyond the philanthropic to the talent value are reaping the benefits.”
-Julie Sowash, Disability Solutions
So, What’s the Problem?
Most of the way we judge, think, hire, etc. is based off of what’s known as our “Natural Bias”. Basically, this bias is based on your natural inclinations towards someone or something which predetermine your opinion or bias of them. It’s something you are completely unaware of and is something that is more than likely born in you. Because of this, we don’t think that we’re being discriminatory or exclusive, and if we are, it’s something we address after-the-fact. We aren’t preventing discrimination or exclusion...we’re just cleaning up the mess afterwards. One side-effect of natural bias are those micro-aggressive tendencies we mentioned earlier.
George Walker, Thought-leader on issues of Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity and Professional Certified Executive Coach, writes on micro-aggressions in his feature in Workforce Solutions Review:
“...For those not as familiar, micro-aggressions are the indirect, subtle, or unintentional discriminatory acts against members of a group that is marginalized. A quick example is when we applaud girls for being pretty and boys for being strong. Got it? Girls can be both pretty and strong. Our notion of gender stereotypes is changing rapidly.”
Let’s run with this example, shall we? We have been told that girls are pretty and boys are strong...but why? Believe it or not, this is a form of micro-aggression that stems from a natural bias. It’s something most people wouldn’t think twice about but in reality - this is a form of micro-aggressive gender discrimination. By owing a girl’s value to her looks and a boy’s value to his masculinity, you’re contributing to this form of discrimination and allowing gender-based judgements to categorize people.
Another huge micro-aggressive question is: “Where are you from?” Yes, racially diverse offices are more commonplace, but they do not come without a price for those minorities. They are constantly asked “Where are you from?” and the answer “I’m from Tampa, Florida” is not enough. It continues…”no but like, where are you from?” This marginalizes those who do not fit the physical profile that is deemed “commonplace” - their differences are highlighted where someone who is clearly “commonplace” would never receive kickback from saying they’re from Tampa, Florida.
Furthermore, workplace discrimination goes far beyond someone’s race. It bleeds into someone’s geographical location, their gender, age, educational background, disability, and personality type. People are even discriminated against for their name if it’s not the typical “Jane and John Doe”. Believe it or not, a name is a dead giveaway on an application that someone may be different - even if they elect to skip the EEOC questions.
Discrimination goes as far as not including accessible entrances, elevators, or parking lots in job interview details. Take a second...just one second and imagine you’re immobile, bound to a wheelchair for the rest of your life and you get a job interview at your dream company. Say you arrive at the building, and the only visible way into the building is a set of stairs. Now what? How much more included and welcome would you feel if in the interview request it said automatically: “wheelchair ramp located on the left side of building”? Details like that are life-changing for disabled people!
People often think that steps towards a more diverse and inclusive work environment include massive, drastic measures...when in fact it’s a slow, calculated journey. Yes, people want to tackle this huge workplace issue but they’re trying to (as Katrina Kibben put it) “bake a pie without all of the important ingredients - there is a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to inclusion. Stop looking at inclusion work as a huge transformation. There are small steps that lead to inclusion.” Furthermore, George Walker says, “there is a disconnect between who we say we want to be and the actions and inactions that demonstrate who we are.” This disconnect leaves companies believing they’re inclusive, when in fact, they’re not. So, what do I do? I want to be inclusive and I want to hire a diverse set of employees but I don’t know how OR I feel as though I’ve tried and failed. What can I change to find a proper solution?
Why Do I Need to Change?
Before we jump into what you can change, it’s important to consider the question: Why is there a need to change? Let’s start by saying...no matter the company, culture, diversity, or inclusivity...there’s always room for change and there’s always a need to shift and adjust.
Your first answer should be: “because it’s the right thing to do,” however, we are aware that not all companies feel this way. It’s true, many companies don’t see the need to expand and diversify. Numbers are far too important.
As we mentioned already “inclusivity is difficult to measure, diversity is easier.” Most companies are so focused on ROI (return on investment), numbers and stats that those are the only topics or issues driving important initiatives. That’s why we commonly see “diversity initiatives” being put into place because it’s measurable…it’s numbers based. But, we are still missing a key issue that needs to be addressed: Inclusivity. Since inclusivity is not something that can be measured, we need to ask a different question: what are the repercussions if we don’t focus on inclusivity?
One word: Reputation.
In today’s society, reputation can make or break a company. With job review sites such as Google Reviews, Glassdoor, and even social media - your reputation can and will be plastered everywhere on the internet. And there’s truly nothing you can do about it. Companies are being held accountable on how they respond to these “issues”. Honestly, the easier option is to simply sit this one out. Ignore diversity and inclusion and not take a stand. Seriously, that’s the easiest, it upsets the least amount of people (subjectively) and allots for your energy usage in other departments and other inter-office issues. Unfortunately, this lackadaisical attitude on these discussions, which are a hot topic today and will continue to become more relevant, can have a negative effect on your brand’s reputation, the culture you are building, AND your revenue. Yep - ignoring inclusivity can affect your revenue. Are you listening now?
In an article posted by Harvard Business Review, they quote Benjamin Franklin in what we feel, is a very relevant statement:
“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”
Let’s take a minute to unpack this a bit further. Whether you are a business owner or you are leading the HR department, you have a huge responsibility in building the company as well as its future. Reputation is not only customer facing, it is embedded into the DNA of a company. From development of personnel to the company’s benefits, there are many elements that you touch every single day that impact the reputation of the company and its culture. You are responsible for the building blocks that make up the foundation, and one crack or one bad experience can compromise the strength of the company foundation. Not to mention, a disgruntled employee. If you’re lacking in the whole diversity and inclusivity department, odds are, you’re going to tick off an employee or two. If this happens and someone quits on poor terms…there goes your Online Reviews as well as your reputation.
Whether you have 20 or 5,000 employees, it only takes one employee or one bad review to bring down a company's reputation. And if that happens, you are left with more than a mess to clean up. The domino effect takes full swing and everyone takes a hit:
Recruitment becomes more difficult…
Employee retention may decrease…
Client retention may drop…
Referrals decrease…
And the list goes on and on....
Although some of these things cannot directly be connected to the issue of inclusivity themselves, they are indirectly related as they pertain to issues that affect reputation. So back to the question: why do we need to change?
What You Should Stop
Stop Automating – Inclusivity cannot and should not be automated. Sure, there may be an app to help you out, but for a company to really shift their mindset and approach to inclusivity, it is going to take a hands on approach.
Stop Being Content – Great - You’ve added some initiatives, sent a survey, and updated the office, but inclusivity is an ongoing process. Inclusivity shifts as culture shifts - you can’t get comfortable or else you run the risk for unintentional discrimination. You could always be doing more...
The Facts YOU Need to Know
We have officially entered a new decade and the issue of inclusivity will continue to gain more exposure than ever as the topic of social issues continues to add to the heat. It’s time to start making changes that are not only bringing diversity to your company, but an inclusive culture where ALL feel welcome.
Did you know?
There are 45 million American ADULTS every year experience a mental health disability – both chronic and episodic (ADAA Anxiety and Depression Association of America).
18.1% of American Adults suffer from anxiety disorders (ADAA Anxiety and Depression Association of America).
There are 4,200 “religions” in the world, the majority have representation in the United States (Wikipedia).
More than 4.5 % of Americans identify as LGBQT (Gallup).
Why are the stats important to the cause? Because these are the ones that make us feel “uncomfortable”. These are the stats that companies do not like to talk about, especially HR and corporate leaders. That’s our point - to make you uncomfortable. If you felt entirely comfortable talking about such topics as mental health and sexual orientation and your office culture was open to these social issues and hot topics - you’ve exceeded the inclusive and diverse demands and there’s no need to read any further. However, we know that most of you are slightly uncomfortable and need to continue to read what we are delivering.
There is hesitation to enter into conversations on how to make change in organizations, because that means you have to bring to light the reality of where you stand on these issues. If the results are not good, or you do not align with the majority/what is right, you’re in trouble and it’s going to get even more uncomfortable. All in all, we get that it is a tough topic to talk about, but Julie Sowash says “we have to move beyond conversation and start demanding action from corporate leaders” so here we are... demanding action. Don’t turn the page though…we aren’t asking for you to stand in front of congress and make a plea, we are asking for you to implement small changes that have a ripple effect. All it takes is one person to stand up and voice an opinion or initiate change.
How Small Changes Can Lead to Big Results
In order to change, the first step is to evaluate where you stand. This can be tough. It’s never easy holding a mirror to your flaws and short-comings. However, the best people are the ones that swallow their pride, admit their faults, and accept a needed change. Here are a couple of ways you can start to evaluate yourself and your company:
Start with a Survey – “Oh boy…not another survey!” Hear us out. Do you have a record of past applicants that turned down your offer? Start there. Build a survey that asks about their experience. How did they feel about the job description? When they came in for an interview, what was their first impression? What made them turn down the offer? You’d be surprised at just how much information you can gather if you ask the right questions.
Review your Job Descriptions- A simple phrase on a job description give a sense of discrimination. The standard “Strong verbal and communication skills required” is a common overlooked discriminatory detail that is found on most job descriptions– Yes, for some jobs this is a must, but when it’s on a job description for a help desk manager who never speaks to a client, this can create a heavy sense of discrimination. Why? A position like is perfect for a deaf IT engineer, however due to the lack of verbal and communication skills, this person may never fill out the application. Stop using useless skill descriptions and check to make sure that the phrases you use, invite the majority of people into the hiring process or else you may be missing out on incredible employees...just because they’re not your typical office-worker.
Review your Standard Emails- Take a moment and review your standardized emails that are sent out every single day. These emails can have a discriminatory tone, message, or lingo that you don’t even realize! It starts with that initial email you send to an applicant requesting a job interview. You may be scratching your head right now in confusion, but it’s true. As an HR professional or leader within the organization, you may have done all of the background checks needed, but they obviously don’t state if someone is disabled. If an applicant shows up for an interview in a wheelchair and you only have a staircase to enter, what kind of picture does that paint of the company? The absence of simple information can create a sense that there is a lack of inclusion within your company. Remember our analogy about ramp access from earlier? It’s something that seems so minuscule to able-bodied candidates and employees, but to someone limited in mobility - it runs the risk of unemployment and it all started before the applicant came through the door.
Re-Evaluate your Environment- What is the impression that people get when they come through the door? Environment is important and it is a reflection on your company’s brand. It’s also a major factor of inclusivity. If someone enters your office and all they see is gray walls, clean lines, no color or personalization - someone with an outgoing, more creative personality may turn around and walk the other way. Did you just let your future sales director walk out the door? What if they were the right person to bring the company into an industry that would double your revenue? Do you have personalization in the foyer? What does that look like? Is it a team photo where everyone looks the exact same? This is where diversity hiring comes into play because someone may feel exclusion just by a quick glance at a group of carbon copied co-workers. We aren't saying you need to splash a bunch of paint on the walls but a simple step in the right direction would be to ask current employees what their first impression was when they came into the office. Or, for an unbiased opinion, ask a friend or office-neighbor to stop by and give their honest feedback.
Allow Freedom of Expression- This can be within cubicles or by just asking how you can update the front entrance to be more inviting. When simple steps like freedom of expression come into an office environment, you are opening up your doors more to another pool of qualified candidates that may have looked the other way. It’s also allowing for a boosted employee experience and comfort if they feel as though they are encouraged to speak up and be heard.
How Do I Know I’m Making a Difference?
We’ve already established that inclusivity is not something that can be measured, so the ways in which you identify growth must happen differently. For change to really take effect, you need to set standards of accountability. The simplest way of doing this is by asking and allowing your employees (who should be your biggest advocates) to hold you accountable to becoming an inclusive environment. Surveys show that “91% of employees feel that accountability is one of the most important things they would like to see in their workplace” (mondayblog). In turn, by asking your employees to play a role in helping the company stay accountable, you will not only fulfill your employees’ request for more accountability, but you are more likely to see change. The best part? Your employees are helping make this change in the office environment happen!
At the end of the day, as Julie Sowash from Disability Solutions said: “we need to stop looking at this topic philanthropically”.Inclusivity matters and it starts with us - Our recruiters, team members and companies must become advocates, not just for diversity, but for inclusivity too. So, we leave you with this as a reminder and a call to action in the new decade: Small Changes Lead to Great Results...Do your part and make a difference.