What is inclusion?

Many of us have thought, what is inclusion? And what does it mean to be truly inclusive?

Inclusion is critical to society, and we must all work together to make inclusive and diverse spaces. This does not mean you have to know everything, but understanding what inclusion means is a good place to start.

Keep reading to learn more about what inclusion is, why it matters in the workplace and how to develop inclusive workplaces.

What is workplace inclusion?

Inclusion is a broad subject and is a term that trips off the tongue of many. However, people have different understandings of what the word means. In order to understand inclusion in the workplace, it is important to know what inclusion means:

Cambridge Dictionary’s official definition for inclusion is:

“The act of including someone or something as part of a group, list, etc., or a person or thing that is included.”

Cambridge Dictionary

Simply put, inclusion in the workplace is about ensuring that everyone feels valued and respected as an individual.

Is there a difference between diversity and inclusion?

Many people interchange the words inclusion, diversity, equality, and even equity.

However, focusing on inclusion does not prevent us from thinking about, discussing, or acting on diversity and equality.

Equality

Equality is about the fair treatment of everyone and is often linked to the legislative framework in the UK, The Equality Act 2010.

Equity

Equity is about creating equal possible outcomes for everyone because, despite effort and merit, people can experience substantial barriers in the workplace.

Diversity

Diversity is the mix of people.

Inclusion

Inclusion is the culture in which the mix of people can come to work, feel comfortable and confident to be themselves and work in a way that suits them and delivers your business or service needs. Inclusion will ensure that everyone feels valued and, importantly, adds value.

What is inclusion in the workplace?

At Inclusive Employers, we focus on workplace inclusion. Inclusion is an overarching culture encompassing diversity, equality, and many other aspects of our working lives.

It would be naïve to think that by focusing on inclusion, we automatically mitigate the inequalities that exist in the workplace.

With inclusion as our objective, we are much more likely to see greater diversity in our workforces, fair treatment of everyone and greater equality of opportunities as outcomes.

Why is workplace inclusion important?

All evidence proves that organisations focused on building a more inclusive culture attract and retain a wider diversity of talent.

An inclusive culture empowers diverse talent to think differently and share their experiences and perspectives, which is a key driver for innovation, development and engagement.

Inclusive cultures enable our colleagues to do things differently, working in ways that suit them, flex working patterns to ensure their life-work balance is healthy and that they can deliver their best for their organisation.

This focus on inclusion equips our colleagues to make a difference in their well-being and in the success of our organisations.

The world is changing, and inclusion is imperative to future-proof our workplaces, with many organisations priding themselves on an inclusive workplace model. However, true inclusion is always ongoing and about consistent learning.

Visit our membership page to learn more about joining us to help create a more inclusive workplace.

Understanding the impact of workplace inclusion and diversity

Workplace inclusion is crucial to a successful organisation. However, there will inevitably be challenges along the way.

See below the benefits and challenges of inclusion and diversity at work.

The benefits of workplace inclusion

Feeling included is a key aspect of human life. Many of us can recall a sense of exclusion: moments when we felt left out; other; different; that we weren’t welcome or weren’t appreciated.

Inclusion is the reverse: making people feel welcome; ensuring that it is safe for them to express who they choose to be; demonstrating our appreciation for their input; working collaboratively and showing we care.

People spend the majority of their time at work, so it’s critical that they feel safe and respected. The advantages of inclusion and diversity in the workplace are numerous, with main benefits including a large pool of talent, a positive culture, and mutual respect throughout.

The challenges of workplace inclusion

Developing workplace inclusion can be challenging. People have different requirements and different things that are important to them.

Some challenges you may face are:

Communication
Unconscious bias
A lack of trust
Trying to tick every box
Discrimination
Hostility in the organisation
A lack of senior buy in

The most important thing is to actively take action to be an inclusive organisation and create a safe space for people to be their most authentic selves.

How to improve workplace inclusion

Improving workplace inclusion is an ongoing task – people are becoming more comfortable with expressing what they need from a job and what makes them feel safe in the workplace.

Here at Inclusive Employers, we have a huge amount of expert knowledge on all aspects of workplace inclusion and can offer real practicable support.