How to be inclusive in the workplace

Inklusion und Diversität am Arbeitsplatz stellen sicher, dass sich niemand als Außenseiter fühlt. Der Umgang miteinander und die Einstellung anderen gegenüber, aber auch die benutzte Sprache tragen zu dem Gefühl der Zugehörigkeit bei. Sieben nützliche Tipps dazu finden Sie hier.

Feeling that you belong somewhere is a basic human need. Nobody likes to feel like an outsider. In organizations that are truly diverse — across lines of age, class, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation and world views — creating a sense of belonging can be tricky. It’s definitely harder to achieve than in a team where everyone has similar backgrounds. It requires action on both the company and the individual level.

Many organizations talk about their diversity and inclusivity initiatives. Often, they focus on hiring diverse teams — on getting the minority numbers up, for instance — but they may forget to promote inclusion on a day-to-day basis. For diversity initiatives to work, every employee needs to take responsibility and make sure that everyone in the team feels included.

A diverse workforce is one in which everyone is welcome, but an inclusive working environment is one in which everyone feels welcome every day. Here, we present seven tips for creating such a welcoming situation and look at how the right language can help you become more inclusive.

Promoting inclusion in public

Make inclusion part of your core values and go public about your commitment to it, especially if you are in a position of leadership.

Encouraging participation

Saying that inclusion is a core value won’t make it one. You need to encourage a culture in which everyone feels they can express their viewpoint and that it will be valued. If you have the chance, for instance, don’t let the same people