How can you cultivate a culture of inclusion that attracts top talent?

While Diversity is just the KPI, Inclusion is the purpose. It comes with true spirit and culture of looking any talent only for their talent, beyond anything else. The holistic preparedness through workplace adaptations, policies and mindset can only make an employer "equal opportunity employer", thereby a best attraction for top talent.

I believe Pillars of any Organisation are Vision - what organisation wants to achieve. Mission - Why it wants to achieve & Values- How wants to Achieve. The values are the company identity - principles, beliefs & Philosophy. My understanding is that “Culture “ consisting of beliefs, customs, traditions & shared values drives the organisation, its actions & results. It is the “ operating system “ ( way of doing things) of the company, the Organisational DNA .

Culture is driven top down. The leadership team should : 1. Be vocal about the importance of inclusion 2. Should consistently exhibit behavior in their daily interaction with their teams 3. Should reward behavior in their immediate team which prioritizes performance and potential over background (whether social / educational / experiential) 4. Should recognize that different people exist. Acknowledge, accept and respect the differences. Over period of time, people who are not comfortable with the culture of inclusion will move on, and the organization will attract top talent from a wider spectrum of society and the culture of inclusion & performance will become self-propagating.

Leadership Commitment: Ensure that leadership is committed to fostering an inclusive culture. Leaders should set the tone by demonstrating inclusive behavior and making diversity and inclusion a priority. Diversity Training: Provide regular diversity and inclusion training for employees at all levels. This can increase awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of different perspectives. Diverse Hiring Practices: Implement inclusive hiring practices to attract a diverse pool of candidates. This may involve removing biases from job descriptions, using diverse interview panels, and promoting equal opportunities for all.

Focus on cultural change not just activity. The foundation is developing a deeper understanding of how we see the world. Bring in people who are underrepresented and stand firm on creating inclusion by asking them if they feel opportunities, access, information, and perspectives are as valued. If not, make it known to all, and commit to changing it - but don’t do it in a silo, ensure everyone is part of the effort- then measure your efforts, time and time again. Listen, act, measure, repeat.

Harnessing the power of diverse teams can only exist in an inclusive environment. It is therefore essential that leaders and colleagues believe in the fact that having more diverse teams is a competitive advantage for an organization but recognizing that it won’t come easy. Research shows time and time again that more diverse teams leads to more innovation and better served consumers but they often leave out the fact that having a well functioning diverse team is challenging - but it’s precisely the uncomfortableness of working together in a diverse team that drives this higher performance, so embrace it!

The first thing to cultivate inclusive work culture is to clearly defined your DEI Policy which show your intent and upto to what extent you want to go. Inclusion is not limited to Gender , region, Geography but it must include different thoughts process , different levels within organisation. The organisation must create such forms and platform where everyone can be heard and their idea , suggestion shall be converted in actionable points. Additionally inclusion doesn't mean common policy for all rather policy as per the need of employees. E.g. Typically India different regions have different festival so while defining organisation Annual working calendar try to accommodate holiday for all region till the extent possible.

Attracting top talent is also about retaining top talent. Engaged employees require creating an authentic company culture. This cannot just be spoken, it must be lived and breathed by the whole of the workforce, and not simply dictated from the top. Afterall, corporate culture has no hierarchies.

5 simple rules to inclusive culture that I follow... (Note, all follow inclusion, because without it, you don't get diversity). 1). Keep educating your workforce. (Inclusivity is a topic that is ever-changing, & I personally never feel like I know enough!) 2). Use data to drive the conversations & to reinforce the "Why". Data is the single source of truth. Don't make decisions without it. 3). Introduce organisational values that are REAL - not tokenistic words that sound like false truths. Call people in OR out on their behaviour. 4). Create ERG's (employee resource groups) that are formed by your people, for your people. 5). Conduct semi-regular pulse surveys. Feedback is the food we cannot do without. This feeds into point 2.

Adding to it, We should have “culture of inclusion” and should have adopted and implemented such policies and practices, such as non-discrimination on the grounds of gender, religion, work location etc., that build in and promote - diversity and inclusion.

Employees don't want to solely know that the company has a DEI statement, they also want to tangibly feel included. One way to make others feel this is through storytelling. When you think leaders, don't just think C-Suite. Think about the ERG Leaders who are from the communities they support. They are uplifting the DEI work and bringing it to life. Their ability to speak to a company's inclusive practices and culture will not only validate others who listen, but also attract candidates who want to experience those sentiments of belonging as well.

Leaders need to walk the talk, period. With their vast range of influence they can make or break the DEIB agenda. Leaders need to prioritise it as 'must do' (regardless of business scenario, profits etc) rather than just 'good to do'. And also be mindful to not throw it under the bus at the first sign of fatigue or any major change in the business.

In my experience Good leadership is the driving force to cultivate a culture in organization without there involvement rather say their full commitment things are not possible . In any organization where Promoters shows their intention and motivates employees through there act will give greater impact on overall growth and higher accountability in the organization

Authenticity is absolutely key here. Saying the right thing is not good enough if actions don’t reflect and reinforce the message.

Une culture d'inclusion est un atout majeur pour attirer et retenir les meilleurs talents. Pour la créer, les organisations doivent d'abord affirmer leurs valeurs de diversité, d'équité et d'inclusion (DEI). Ces valeurs doivent se traduire par des politiques inclusives et un traitement équitable de tous les employés. Les organisations doivent également promouvoir la diversité en offrant des opportunités de développement axées sur la DEI.

To foster an inclusive culture, continuous assessment is pivotal. Measuring the impact of inclusion efforts involves monitoring employee satisfaction, engagement, and workforce diversity. Utilizing data and feedback, organizations can identify and address gaps in their inclusion strategy. Few companies exemplify this through initiatives like regular diversity and inclusion surveys, analyzing employee feedback, and tracking diversity metrics. For instance, companies may set diversity goals, measure representation at different organizational levels, and implement targeted interventions to address disparities. Transparent communication of achievements and areas for improvement ensures accountability and a commitment to ongoing progress.

É importante que os indicadores de progresso de diversidade e inclusão seja de responsabilidade de toda a organização. Para isso, é interessante dar visibilidade, principalmente para as lideranças, do contexto atual dos indicadores e do que almejamos alcançar no futuro. Assim, é possível priorizar frentes específicas de diversidade e inclusão para serem atacadas dentro de cada área, definindo metas e ações para alcançá-las, responsáveis e prazos para criar um ambiente mais diverso e inclusivo na prática. Os grupos de representatividade são grandes aliados para levar o tema para a prática, porém precisam do apoio e reconhecimento de toda a empresa para que tenham um impacto significativo, principalmente da alta liderança.

Let's remember that it's a business - what gets measured gets done. Organisations can choose to begin with a basic dashboard which is easy to compile and report on a regular basis. But as the DEIB agenda evolves, it is important to move to deeper and more nuanced reporting. This can include intersectional cuts. It is important to focus on the emerging insights which lead to meaningful actions, rather than getting caught up in a web of numbers.

Through a combination of data-driven insights, employee feedback, benchmarking against goals and industry standards, and transparent communication, we ensure that our inclusion efforts remain adaptive, effective, and aligned with the evolving needs of our workforce and broader community. Our commitment to continuous improvement is unwavering as we strive to create an inclusive workplace where all individuals can thrive and contribute to our collective success.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken to foster a more inclusive culture, is very important to measure the progress. You can not improve if you don't have the real data. Therefore, create specific indicators to evaluate and improve.

If you want change, you’ll actually need to change things. It won’t be easy, comfortable or well received by many. Engage senior change champions and ensure positive yet firm messaging that evolution is for everyone…status quo is not.

In the reality ti be flexible is one of the most complicated thing to do for a company. Especially the big one that are full of processes and procedures. They are necessary to help company to become exponential but at the same time they can block the innovation. To have innovation and new ideas you need people able to think outside the box, they should be allowed to use new ideas or implement concepts seen in other domains. But to do that you need flexibility from leaders and open minds. And flexibility means sometimes taking risks.

In preparing a culture of inclusion at SNVA Group, recognizing that inclusion is an ongoing, dynamic process, we understand its evolution alongside our growing organization, changing employee dynamics, and evolving market landscapes. Our approach emphasizes flexibility and agility, acknowledging that inclusion is not a one-time project but a continuous journey. We promote a culture of openness to learning and experimentation, actively responding to feedback and change. Proactively seeking new ways to enhance our inclusive culture, we remain committed to ensuring that SNVA Group adapts and innovates in tandem with the ever-changing needs of our workforce and the dynamic market environment.

Utilizing imagination is essential to innovation, although similar minds typically come up with similar outcomes. However, inclusion in the workplace can assist businesses in breaking this mold and, in doing so, open them up to find new markets, products, and methods of operating or running their businesses. In order to be innovative, one must be able to see things from multiple perspectives and combine them to generate novel ideas. This is where diversity and inclusivity come into play. They are important forces behind innovation and prerequisites for success in the global marketplace.

There is no absolute right or wrong when it comes to what makes DEIB agenda successful. What works beautifully in one organisation may not be half as impactful in another. This is why there needs to be an appetite for experimentation as we go along - retain what works, and learn from whatever doesn't. Also, we are still evolving with our own understanding of this topic, so what may be relevant today may undergo a complete change very soon. When I started, it was only D&I, then Equity got added, and now Belonging.

Set right expectations and commitment to DEI. I am completely aligned on the collaboration efforts and partner internally with business stake holders, leverage ERG groups, create strategic campaigns on social media humanizing your brand, partner externally with professional forums and career fairs. . Conventional thinking would say that we should first create the environment for diversity to thrive and then we will be able to better attract diverse talent. However, reality is that both must go hand in hand and in most cases, the right representation paves the way for the environment to be created. As they say “An equal world is an enabled world”, while we have set a stage on the positive journey, there is lot more that needs to be done.

In my experience, collaboration is helpful when bringing people of different skill set together, it fosters inclusion by allowing teamwork and acknowledging that each individuals strengthen can be used to empower another ones weakness when they work together and embrace uniqueness, we can all learn from each other when we collaborate rather than compete with each other.

Trabajar codo a codo con entidades sociales para poder formar e insertar colectivos con dificultades de inclusión en el mundo laboral es la clave. En este sentido alinearse con estas entidades del tercer sector nos permite unir fuerzas, misión, visión y valores para proporcionar proyectos de vida a personas en riesgo de exclusión. Llevar a cabo acciones formativas, prácticas, campañas de sensibilización nos ayuda a atraer este talento procedente de colectivos vulnerables a la vez que nos permite aumentar internamente la mentalidad de los empleados/as para que empaticen y estén sensibles para acoger e integrar a estas personas. Con la inclusión ganamos en diversidad y somos más responsables con nuestro entorno social.

One additional point: Make sure you have "Psicological Safety" in your organization at all levels. That's the basis for inclusion.

Pay people what they are worth! No matter who they are. No matter where they come from. No matter their gender or sexual orientation or race or creed or religion. Pay people.

Create the right environment to ensure when top talent is brought in the organization, then there is an ecosystem, that helps them thrive. There are clean inclusive behaviours that are displayed and rewarded. There are policies and guidelines which encourage inclusion and those which discourage the breach of an inclusive culture. We can bring in the best talent but if do not have a culture or environment which helps them stay and feel motivated in the organization there is risk of loosing them.

Create ventilation post in the organisation. Nurture open and honest relationships with teammates. Allow employees to share their experiences, feelings, thoughts. Encourage employees to share the learning and experiences.

Cultivar uma cultura de inclusão é fundamental para atrair os melhores talentos e promover um ambiente de trabalho diversificado e colaborativo. Posso indicar 10 estratégias que podem ajudar nesse processo: 1) Liderança comprometida: 2) Políticas de Recrutamento Inclusivas: 3) Treinamento e Sensibilização: 4) Criação de Redes de Apoio: 5) Políticas Flexíveis: 6) Comunicação Clara e Aberta: 7) Avaliação de Cultura Organizacional: 8) Políticas Antidiscriminatórias: 9) Celebração da Diversidade: 10) Reconhecimento e Incentivo: Cultivar uma cultura de inclusão é um processo contínuo que requer comprometimento e esforços constantes.

The few things that need to be considered: 1. Develop a sense of belongingness among each other. 2. Treat your colleagues as your 2nd family, as you spend around 40% of your time with them. 3. Celebrate small victories. 4. Extend a help if someone needs it.