6 ways to build a more inclusive workplace culture in FY2024

Turn your good intentions around diversity, equity and inclusion into a 12-month action plan, and your organisation will reap the rewards.

In today’s times, the benefits that accrue from fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace are well understood.

An organisation that celebrates, values and supports each and every member of its team stands to enjoy significant productivity and profitability gains. Being able to access a greater diversity of experience and knowledge can lead to increased innovation and higher profits while having a happier, more engaged workforce boosts performance and reduces employee churn.

For many small and medium-sized organisations, though, determining where to invest their resources can be a challenge. Here are six ways to transform positive sentiments into concrete DE&I initiatives that will deliver genuine value to your enterprise and your team during the new financial year.

Establish a Pride network

Unfortunately, it’s no secret that individuals from the LGBTQIA community can be subject to prejudice and discrimination in their lives, both personally and professionally. One way you can demonstrate active support for this cohort is via the establishment of an internal Pride network – a safe and secure environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

Asking your Pride network to propose meaningful actions and activities to help eliminate workplace discrimination is a great way to foster meaningful change. Whether they’d like to see diversity training, company-sponsored Pride Month celebrations, or a donation to a charity that supports the LGBTQIA community, encouraging your LGBTQIA employees to take the lead sends a strong message that they’re accepted and valued and that their contribution matters.

Support women to climb the ladder

If your organisation operates in a sector that’s heavily male-dominated — think ICT and the resources industry, for example — introducing initiatives that encourage women to learn, lead and excel can improve your gender ratio. Sponsoring female employees to take part in a program such as Women Rising, for example, will enable them to enhance their skills, gain confidence and embrace roles that entail greater responsibility and challenge. As well as contributing to their personal growth and success, you’ll be creating a cohort of future leaders and demonstrating to up-and-comers that yours is an organisation where women can progress and prosper.

Introduce a career development program

High calibre individuals don’t just want a job and a pay cheque. They’re looking for opportunities and a well-defined career path – and they’ll actively seek out organisations that offer them, along with high-quality mentoring and succession planning.

Establishing a career development program that focuses on supporting the advancement of all employees, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for under-represented groups within your workforce, will help talented candidates progress and improve your employee retention rate into the bargain.

Create pathways back in

Returning to work after an extended career break is not always easy. Motivated, well-credentialled individuals – many of them women who’ve taken time off due to caring responsibilities – are all too often overlooked by recruiters who prioritise recent experience over aptitude and attitude. In many instances, that’s an opportunity lost for the unsuccessful applicant and employer alike. Recognise the challenge and implement initiatives, such as mature-age “internships” and mentoring programs. This will ease the transition back into the workforce and open the door to a much more diverse pool of candidates who’ll thank you for giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their worth.

Empower the next generation of women

Gender imbalances in certain industries and sectors don’t occur in a vacuum. Very often, the seeds are sown years earlier, in primary and secondary schools, when talented girls switch off from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in favour of more stereotypically feminine options. As employers, we have a collective ability – and, arguably, a collective responsibility – to do our bit to combat that shift.

Supporting a reputable, non-profit initiative such as Code Like a Girl – a grassroots program that provides education and career pathways for women in technology – is one way companies can make a positive contribution. Another is by offering work experience opportunities that allow female students to see firsthand the many interesting aspects of a career in your sector.

Acknowledge DE&I is a journey

Promoting an inclusive and supportive culture isn’t a finite exercise, an undertaking that can be done and dusted in a specified time frame. It’s a journey, and there’s always more to be done. Making long-lasting change is about getting into the trenches and initiating constructive conversations that challenge biases and privilege. Commit to doing so with an open mind and heart, and you’ll stand the best chance of transforming your workplace into a genuinely diverse environment. One in which every individual feels celebrated, valued and supported.

By Larissa Lefevre, senior people and culture manager for Atturra