Diversity and inclusion are words that are certainly familiar to you if you are interested in QVCT (Quality of Life and Working Conditions). Promoting variety has many benefits for your business: we invite you to discover them in this article. We will also give you our 5 tips for implementing these two QWL essentials within your company.
Diversity and inclusion: what are we talking about?
Diversity in business refers to welcoming different profiles, according to the following criteria:
- gender;
- the origin;
- age;
- the social environment;
- skin color;
- religion;
- The disability ;
- sexual orientation;
- the level of education;
- The experience
- etc.
Inclusion refers to creating a welcoming, rewarding and respectful environment for all employees, regardless of their background or the environment from which they come. This means that all employees should have the same opportunities to express themselves, progress or contribute to the success of the company.
What are the benefits of diversity and inclusion in business?
Diversity and inclusion are essential for your QWL. Here is an overview of the benefits they bring to your organization.
Improving well-being and mental health
Creating a healthy, caring, and inclusive environment reduces the stress associated with discrimination and exclusion. This naturally results in better mental and physical health. Healthy employees are happier, less absent, more productive, and more loyal to their businesses.
Strengthening employee engagement
When they feel included and respected, employees tend to be more motivated and more committed to their business. Integrating diversity and inclusion into a QWL strategy creates a work environment in which everyone can feel involved and invested.
Attracting and retaining talent
The job market is competitive, and it is therefore essential to attract and then Retaining top talent. The new generation is giving greater importance to the values of their company, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
Offering a respectful and stimulating work environment is therefore a very good argument in favor of your employer brand. This can allow you to attract diverse talent, which you can then retain for the long term.
Increasing creativity and innovation
Diversity allows everyone to benefit from the experiences of others. The varied life paths offer different visions on the projects and problems to be solved. It is a great opportunity to develop creativity within your teams and to promote innovation.
Download our infographic on inclusion and diversity in business!
Discover the advantages of prioritizing inclusion and diversity in business:
- Collaborative commitment
- Innovation and initiatives
- All the figures related to profitability, employer brand...
Download our infographic now!
Diversity and inclusion in business: our 5 tips
Knowing where to start when looking to build diverse and inclusive teams is not necessarily easy. Here are some tips that can help you in your process.
1 — Take care of your recruitment processes
Diversity and inclusion start even before employees join the company, during The recruitment phase.
It is essential to put everything in place to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds. First of all, this involves job offers that do not exclude part of the population. Interviews should then be conducted in a neutral manner, without prejudice. To do this, try to detect the skills, know-how and interpersonal skills of candidates without asking them personal questions.
Specialized recruitment firms can help you create processes that are fair for everyone.
2 — Treat all employees the same way
It's one of the basic rules of inclusion: all employees should be treated fairly. This applies to working conditions, workload or remuneration.
Parity between men and women is still poorly respected, so it is essential to ensure that equal work is paid as well. This rule is obviously valid for all other discriminatory criteria.
3 — Raise awareness among teams about diversity and inclusion
Without being malicious, some employees may behave in a way that does not promote the inclusion of all their colleagues. To counter this, it is essential to train all of your staff on diversity and inclusion issues.
The aim of this approach is for everyone to be aware of the inappropriate behaviors they may have on a daily basis. It should also give them the keys to take action and fight their prejudices.
It is essential that leaders and managers are also trained: they are the ones who are on the front line in managing conflicts.
4 — Representing diversity at all organizational levels
You need to keep in mind that diversity needs to be present at all organizational levels, including leadership roles.
This representativeness is first of all strategic, because it allows informed decisions to be made thanks to rich visions. It is also a very good way to promote an inclusive corporate culture, showing that professional development is accessible to all.
5 — Include through a crowdfunding platform
Set up a platform for crowdfunding such as Teamstarter allows employees to propose and finance projects that are important to them. Regardless of their hierarchical level or the department in which they work, they can all express themselves and actively contribute to the evolution of their business.
To do this, they can propose a project on the platform and define the amount necessary to carry it out. The company assigns an amount monthly to each employee, which they can then distribute as they wish among all the ideas proposed. Once the required amount is collected, the project owner can make their idea a reality.
This type of initiative allows each employee to express themselves and to engage in projects that are important to them, regardless of their profile and profession. It is a great way to include employees and to value them.
Diversity and inclusion are two essential elements to improve the QVCT in your company. They promote the establishment of a healthy, motivating and respectful environment, which boosts the commitment, well-being and creativity of employees. Several elements can be put in place to promote these essential values: inclusive recruitment, fair treatment of employees, raising awareness among your teams about these issues, etc. Adopting an inclusive and diverse culture is not only beneficial for your employees, but also for the performance and innovation of your company.
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