The need for inclusivity in the workplace has been realized by most businesses lately. Homogeneity is a detriment to innovation, and teams that lack inclusive collaboration have very basic assumptions about the way in which the world works. Homogenous teams will not be as comfortable with changes and differences, and as such, are not able to move ahead either. Thus, an all inclusive workspace has become a business imperative.

Building an inclusive culture of collaboration is an important element for establishing and maintaining a diverse workforce. The inclusive collaboration will not only drive the engagement of the employees but will also lead to greater innovation, more diversity, and higher retention. It has been found that businesses that have greater inclusion and diversity have 57 per cent improved collaboration. They also have around 70 per cent success in the new markets.

How to Build an All-Inclusive Workspace

Now that we are familiar with the importance of inclusivity in a workspace, we need to determine how to build an all-inclusive workspace. Following are some tips that can prove to be useful in such a scenario:

1. Give employees opportunities to voice their opinions

It is important to create an open and friendly environment that allows employees to voice their opinions freely. Businesses should try to give everyone a voice by encouraging them to speak up and being receptive to new ideas. In many organizations, women and minorities often do not get the opportunities to voice their opinion. If companies want to encourage inclusive collaboration in the workplace, they need to ensure that these voices are heard. It will encourage open communication among the employees, which will eventually lead to fulfilment.

2. Establish trust through transparency in the organization

To encourage inclusive collaboration among the employees, it is important to establish transparency in the workplace. It is important for gaining the trust of the employees, and by maintaining transparency, they will be able to work towards a common goal. When all the employees work towards achieving a common goal, they will be able to bring out the best in each other. Rather than competition, the employees would work towards collaboration.

3. Concentrate on the leadership qualities of the management

It is quite often said that the employees often end up resigning because of the managers. Thus, it is important to determine that the company management has the right leadership qualities. It is important to cultivate supervisors who the employees would like to work for. By concentrating on leadership skills, the companies will be able to achieve greater employee retention. Better leadership, in turn, will be able to drive collaboration among the employees by giving them feedback and treating them fairly.

4. Support the employees

If you want to ensure inclusive team collaboration within the business, it is important to communicate to the employees that the company has their backs. Quite often, minority groups and women end up suffering in an organization because they do not have a mentor to guide them. Companies should provide adequate support to the employees so that they get opportunities to grow within the business. When employees feel supported, it increases their confidence in themselves and motivates them towards achieving the company goals.

5. Remove the obstacles to career growth

To create an inclusive workspace, it is important to identify the barriers that prevent the employees from bettering themselves. When these obstacles to career growth are removed, it leads to greater trust among the employees and opens doors to inclusivity in the workspace.

Conclusion

With these few tips, companies would be able to create a culture of inclusion and collaboration. Creating an inclusive workspace is not something that happens overnight. It requires continuous effort, actionable solutions, and commitment.

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Jonathan is a technocrat and an avid outdoor enthusiast. He is a community manager and a committed team member. When he isn’t working to make the internet a better place, Jonathan can be found exploring the great outdoors and beautiful coastlines with his sidekick, Zen, a very energetic Weimaraner.