10 Characteristics of an Inclusive Leader

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The world is changing fast and the skills needed to lead our workforce into the future are also changing with it. The internet revolutionized the way we work and connect, making the world a seemingly smaller place, and since the pandemic, the world has become even smaller and more connected. As leaders, we are faced with the new challenge of adapting to the diversity of employees we work with, whether in-person or remotely. This shift in diversity requires a new type of leadership—one that is inclusive in its approach to captivating and retaining the best talents, as well as creating working environments that are safe, healthy, and productive. 

We want to help you meet this new demand by sharing these 10 amazing qualities that are a must-have for an inclusive leader in today’s workforce.

1: Fairness

Fairness is the centerpiece of inclusion in the workplace. Fair leadership understands and promotes equitable access to resources and opportunities for their employees; it is reasonable, unbiased, inclusive, and respectful. This helps foster unity and cohesiveness among team members, creating a psychologically safe and healthy working environment. When a leader lacks fairness, it can often lead to employees feeling punished, undervalued, and overwhelmed. 

2: Empathy

Another important quality of an inclusive leader is their ability to demonstrate empathy towards others. Not to be confused with sympathy (feeling sorry for someone’s misfortune), being empathetic is the ability to step outside of yourself in order to see and understand something from another person’s point of view. This requires a certain degree of emotional intelligence, as different people may experience similar things in different ways. With empathy, an inclusive leader is able to better understand and facilitate the needs of others, making the people around them feel seen, heard, and valued.

3: Ability to Influence Your Team

Inclusive leaders must leverage the resources in their toolkits to ensure that their team members receive fair and equitable treatment. This sounds really well—until its fruition hinges on making tough decisions that some persons might not readily understand or accept. In such cases, your ability to influence the attitudes and behaviors of your team without strictly resorting to your authority over them will be paramount to your success. A great way of cultivating such influence is by building trust and understanding of what motivates your team and leveraging these with support and cooperation.

4: Advocacy

Leadership is a two-way street, in that you have a responsibility to not only provide your team with directives but also to serve their needs and ensure that they are treated fairly. This role is especially important at the junior to middle management levels. In some organizations, most employees won’t have the access, influence, or authority to advocate for their own needs beyond reporting those needs to their immediate supervisors. As leaders, you must therefore be willing to advocate for the rights and needs of your team, both internally as well as to external stakeholders.

5: Fosters Allyship

When leading diverse teams, there will sometime be persons who need a bit more support in certain areas than others. Quite often, these are persons from historically marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, or others who find themselves in the category of “the only one” (the only woman or woman of color, the only person of color, the only foreign national, etc) or an otherwise small minority. As an inclusive leader, you have a responsibility to ensure that the appropriate resources and systems are put in place to help affirm and reassure those team members that they too have a voice and a place in the organization just as much as everyone else. This doesn’t mean that you’re giving them special treatment or that you’re showing favoritism. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment of their needs and providing equitable solutions to ensure that they feel and know they belong.

6: Collaboration/Collaborative

Leadership without collaboration or consultation is one of the telltales of a dictatorship. Inclusive leadership by definition suggests that you include or involve others in the leadership process. Inclusive leaders understand that it is impractical to get everything done by themselves, so they form partnerships and connections with others and seek the input of the people they lead, especially when making important decisions that will affect those people. Demonstrating genuine interest in the thoughts and opinions of others is also a great way to foster trust and loyalty. As the African proverb says, if you want to go fast, you may go alone, but if your desire is to go far, then you must go with others.

7: Cultural Intelligence

In the highly connected and increasingly diverse world we live in today, cultural awareness is somewhat of a superpower and a critical skill set for leaders to have. Yet, despite our ability to communicate and interact instantaneously with others all across the globe, not enough people actually take the time to learn about the cultural norms and nuances of those around them. It’s important to note that when we speak of culture, it is not limited to race or nationality, but that there are also subcultures within and across communities, classes, and castes. Therefore, a major component of leading diverse teams is the ability to be sensitive and respectful to the variety of cultural differences you will encounter in creating a sense of belonging for everyone within your workplace.

8: Empowers Their Team

Great leaders help create other leaders by paving the way for those in their charge to learn, grow, and be prepared to elevate themselves and their careers. An inclusive leader is not intimidated by the progression of their subordinates, but instead, prioritizes the distribution of power and responsibility among them. Empowering your team not only makes your work as a leader less hectic but also creates greater synergy within the team and increases their respect and loyalty to you as a leader.

9: Fosters psychological safety

Psychological safety in the workplace enables employees to share thoughts, ideas, and questions without fear of persecution or prejudice. An inclusive leader understands that in order to get the best out of people, they must feel safe to make mistakes, share opinions, learn, and interact constructively with others within their team. A psychologically safe work environment builds trust, fellowship, and a sense of belonging among team members.

10: Inclusive Leaders LEAD

Cultivating an inclusive workplace culture can often be seen as going against the grain, especially among those within the organization who choose to hold firmly to their traditional values or beliefs. As a leader who champions the principles of inclusion, you must acknowledge and accept that your approach may often be met with varying degrees of resistance, some subtle, and some not so subtle. How you navigate these resistances, both before and after they arise, will determine how effectively you are able to call out inequities and call in all the stakeholders needed to fix these inequities. This requires a great deal of patience, perseverance, and diplomacy, but also a firm, unwavering commitment.

For more in-depth knowledge on how to become an inclusive leader in today’s diverse workplace, visit our website and sign up for our 8-week Inclusive Leadership Lab, which features 5 Modules and 20 lessons with practical exercises to sharpen your leadership skills for today and tomorrow. Get ahead of the competition and click the link to find out more. See you there!

Top 10 Ways to Identify an Inclusive Employer

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In a previous blog on Inclusive Hiring, we explored some best practices for HR professionals and employers to build cultures of inclusion during the recruitment and hiring stages of new employees. However, as a candidate, what are the signs that you should look out for when trying to determine whether the organization you want to work for is in fact an inclusive one? In other words, how do you identify an inclusive employer? In this article, we will answer the questions of what an inclusive employer is and how to identify one, while also highlighting some of the benefits of working with an inclusive employer.

What is an Inclusive Employer?

An inclusive employer is a person or organization that caters to the differences in needs of all its employees without bias, discrimination, or abuse. One of the fundamental principles of an inclusive employer is the equitable treatment of their employees irrespective of race, gender, age, or disability, among other demographic factors.

How to Identify an Inclusive Employer

Here are ten great ways to help you identify whether a current or prospective employer practices inclusion.

1. The language used in job posts

One of the simplest ways a candidate may begin to vet a prospective employer is through the language used when advertising job vacancies. Does the application criteria consist of language that disqualifies otherwise qualified candidates based on demographic requirements that have no bearing on a candidate’s ability to perform the job? For example, having a minimum age limit of 26 years old for an Accounting position on the grounds of equating that minimum age mark with maturity. This immediately disqualifies the 24-year-old accountant who might be more competent and of an equally mature character as their 26 years and older counterparts.

2. Observe their interviewing processes

An interview is a two-way process that not only allows for the prospective employer to get to know a candidate better but also serves for the candidate to get a closer look at whether the employer is the right fit for them. With this in mind, the interviewer gets to demonstrate the qualities of their workplace culture by the way they treat your time, efforts, and presence during a job interview. Does the interviewing panel make you feel welcome? Are expectations honored and reciprocated? For example, if the interviewer is extremely late and fails to provide an apology and a reasonable explanation or advanced notice, this may be a sign of an employer who does not hold themself to the same standards as they hold their employees. 

3. Other Employees’ Experiences

There is a Jamaican proverb that says, ‘if the fish at the bottom of the river tells you that the alligator has a sore gum, believe it’. What this means, is that we should heed the voice of experience. In your pursuit to understand just how inclusive an employer is, one of your best sources will be the testimonies of current and former employees of that organization. One common sign of organizations that lack inclusivity, is a high turnover rate. Of course, this information is not often readily available, except in cases where an organization is frequently advertising the same positions, particularly at the mid to senior level. Ideally, you will want to ask friends and colleagues within the company (if you have any) about their experiences with the employer and what, if any, programs are there to promote inclusion. If you aren’t familiar with anyone who works with the organization, you can always connect with current or former employees via platforms such as LinkedIn or other professional networking communities. Glassdoor is another great resource where current and former employees go to provide reviews on employers. The organization you are considering working with might have a few reviews worth reading before you make your next major move.

4. Representation

When you enter the building, who do you see? One of the simplest methods you can use in assessing the inclusivity of an organization is by walking the floors of the building to see the diversity (or lack thereof) of its employees. An organization with visibly diverse staffing (by age, gender, race, disability, etc), can often be a good sign. An even better sign is when diversity is visible not only at the lower to mid tiers of a company’s hierarchy but also at the senior levels. Not all organizations operate from a single, physical space and so in these cases, instead of walking the floor, you may visit their website and social media pages, including promotional materials, to get a view of what representation looks like within the organization.

5. They cater to the diverse needs of employees

Inclusive organizations that operate from a physical location must design their facilities to be accessible to persons with disabilities. A common example is to have wheelchair ramps or elevators where needed for persons with mobility issues. Utilizing aides like closed captions in video or audio memos is another simple method that can be used and is especially great in helping persons with hearing difficulties as well as persons with ADHD and others to better understand and process information.

An inclusive employer acknowledges and respects cultural and religious differences among their employees. They also reserve judgment towards parents and caretakers whose responsibilities to their family may require them to leave work on time or take a break to attend to caretaking duties, while still honoring their contracted work hours and KPIs.

6. They value/welcome employees’ input and ideas.

One of the beauties of having a working environment that fosters inclusivity is that it creates a diverse pool of employees with different experiences, ideas, and perspectives. The neurodiversity of employees is something that employers should value, acknowledge, and cater to. Some of the most successful organizations today understand this and have been able to benefit from it. Organizations that welcome employees’ input and ideas on projects, day-to-day activities, and ways to improve organization processes, tend to be synonymous with employees' success and development, which is key to advancing your career.

7. Teamwork and collaboration.

To be inclusive is to ensure that nobody gets left out or left behind. However, this philosophy often ends at the team or departmental level, especially in medium and large organizations. The danger of this is that some teams or departments, and by extension the person who make up these teams/departments, may at times become marginalized and treated as lesser employees (e.g.: some office workers might look down on sanitation workers). This is certainly not the way to go! Respect and non-discrimination based on job type are things that are sometimes overlooked, yet should never be ignored. An inclusive employer fosters healthy Interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships within their organization.

8. Opportunities for learning and development.

A major component of employee success rests in the opportunities made available for them to develop their skills and advance their careers. Learning and development programs not only help in enhancing employees’ competence but also makes them more eligible for promotions within the organization in lieu of hiring from outside. This helps to demonstrate that the employer values their employees and in return, fosters a greater sense of loyalty between the two. An organization’s growth is often reflected in the opportunities it provides to ensure that its employees are able to not just survive, but thrive.

9. Compensation and benefits.

Every organization understands that the employer-employee relationship is a value exchange that is based primarily on the reciprocation of compensation for labor. An inclusive employer, however, further understands the importance of providing fair, nondiscriminatory wages, which includes equal pay for equal work, irrespective of race, gender, or age. Organizations may also demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity in other forms of statutory benefits and non-statutory benefits such as, for example, facilitating access to mental health care (via free or subsidized counseling services), subsidizing meals, or even having a Day Care Centre for staff members who are parents or primary caregivers, just to name a few.

10. A comprehensive DEI program.

Finally, another positive sign to look for in an inclusive organization is the existence of a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program that is not only there for symbolism, but that is actively incorporated into the workplace culture through staff sensitization and has representation across every department. A strong DEI program should include persons who hold real power and authority within the organization, as it enables the program to have a legitimate influence on DEI policies, as well as to enforce such policies with clear penalties if/when breached. Another great feature to look for within or alongside a DEI program is the existence of employee resources groups (ERGs). ERGs are small sub-communities of employees, usually of similar needs, interests, geography, cultural background, etc., and serve to help employees develop a greater sense of belonging. ERGs are particularly beneficial for new employees and employees from predominantly marginalized groups, looking to make a smooth transition into the organization. 

At the end of the day, everyone wants to feel valued in the place they work. An inclusive work environment that makes you feel seen and heard is by no means a hard ask; in fact, it should be the norm. Inclusive employers foster creativity, growth, and an overall healthier working environment. After all, we are social beings and we perform at our best when we can feel and know that we belong.

3 Considerations for Transitioning to a Post-COVID Workplace

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Are you treating the transition back to the office with the same care as the Pandemic?

There are so many variables to consider when thinking of the transition back to the workplace post-COVID. Organizations have the rare opportunity to reset their workplace culture from what it was before 2020. Those of us in the DEI space are well aware that many companies got a free pass from having to address issues of exclusion and inequity in their workplaces during the lockdown. As more and more businesses resume face-to-face operations, many of those issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion pre-COVID can be expected to rear their heads once again. As a result, companies must now work to address exclusion and biases with as much care and urgency as the pandemic!

Below is a compilation of three (3) quick tips to consider when thinking of making the transition to a post-COVID workplace as smooth and inclusive as possible. This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are countless numbers of situations and scenarios that you may need to prepare for, but we thought we would share some key areas to be considered.

1. Consider your leaders.

Before a ship sets sail, the captain must first be on board. Likewise, as you evaluate the quality of inclusion within your company, your team leaders and managers should be the first ones to be trained and adequately equipped to handle the many and varying needs of employees. Some of the inclusivity issues that are likely to arise may range from demographic-related concerns that are racial and gender-based, for example, to less obvious ones such as whether employees get to have a say in various decision-making processes, including those on policies and procedures that affect them. Are managers aware of the different learning styles, processing styles, and interpersonal skills of their staff? It is important that before we return to the workplace, leaders know exactly how their staff is likely to react, and be equipped with the right tools and authority to make decisions that will create less resistance and dissatisfaction within their teams.

2. Beware the “eager to return” crowd. 

The COVID19 lockdown had an immense impact on the mental well-being of many individuals. As a result, we have seen an increasing number of persons develop a greater understanding and appreciation for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. While some may find work from home to be the answer to optimizing their work-life balance, for others, this comes in the form of working from the office. Whether it be an annoying roommate, disruptive neighbors, inadequate equipment and/or resources at home, or even their personality type, the office may serve as a haven for productive work to take place. Be it for these or other reasons, many employees are looking forward to resuming work in the office. Companies must therefore ensure that they create spaces that are safe and welcoming as opposed to being another source of torment that their employees dread.

Who are the extroverts and social butterflies on your team? These individuals have been particularly eager to return to working in the office and will likely be at the front of the line when companies issue their return to office orders—for those that haven’t already done so. On the other hand, there are those among us who are on the introverted end of the personality spectrum and might be dreading a return to the office. Companies will need to brainstorm and create structures to help these employees reintegrate into the office space, ensuring that all the necessary health regulations are upheld and that effective employee engagement programs are in place.

3. Avoid early judgment and try to reduce uncertainty.

People who need flexibility, and who may prefer not to be in the office can be subjected to scrutiny. This is especially so for knowledge workers who can do their jobs remotely and, in many cases, might have been working remotely throughout the pandemic. One of the few things that were made undeniably clear over the past 2 ½ years, is the practicality, convenience, and benefits that come with working remotely. Therefore, companies are strongly encouraged to consider these preferences without judgment. Reserved judgment should also be extended to parents and caretakers whose responsibilities outside of work may require them to leave work on time (especially in spaces with a custom of working uncompensated overtime), without being written off as someone who lacks commitment. Similarly, caregivers may need to take a break to attend to caretaking duties, but still, honor their contracted work hours and established KPIs. While it won’t be practical for every company to make concessions for all of these scenarios, each company is certainly capable of exercising some degree of flexibility. Organizations that do this in a manner that meets the specific needs of their employees, will go a far way in reducing uncertainty and fears of termination or reprimand, translating to an increase in productivity.

These are uncertain times and so now more than ever, it is important to be communicative in your message to employees and reassure them that different needs will have different accommodations. A workforce that feels appreciated and catered to, will go a farther way in driving productivity than one that is stifled beneath archaic regulations that merely provide a false sense of productivity.

9 Principles of Inclusive Hiring

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Inclusive hiring is one of the most important steps your company can take to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. By following some fundamental principles, you can develop a process that will help you identify and hire the best candidates for your organization, regardless of their background or identity. In this guide, we'll discuss what inclusive hiring is, why it's important, and how you can start implementing it in your own organization.

What is inclusive hiring?

The way we hire is one of the most important decisions we make. It shapes our company culture, and it has a lasting impact on the people who work for us. Hiring inclusively means that we care about diversity and inclusion and that we want to create an environment where everyone can thrive.

The Importance of Inclusive Hiring:

Creating an inclusive and equitable workplace is important for many reasons. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it can also help you attract and retain top talent. Employees want to work for companies that value diversity and inclusion. By creating an inclusive workplace, you can show your employees that you value their unique perspectives and experiences.

Principles of Inclusive Hiring:

There are a few key principles that should be followed when implementing inclusive hiring:

1. Make a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Inclusive hiring starts with a top-down commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. This means that your organization's leaders need to be on board and committed to making changes.

2. Define what diversity means for your organization.

Once you've made a commitment to diversity, it's important to define what that means for your organization. What groups of people do you want to focus on recruiting? How can you make your workplace more inclusive for everyone?

3. Define your ‘employer’ brand.

When we think of branding, one might readily consider how an organization appeals to its clients or consumers. However, your brand as an employer is just as important. Every organization has an employer brand, regardless of whether or not you are intentional about that brand and what it represents. In defining your brand as an employer, you want to do so in a which ensures that your organization appeals to candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

4. Create a recruitment plan.

Once you know whom you're trying to recruit, you need to develop a plan for how you're going to reach them. This may include attending job fairs that focus on diversity, partnering with organizations that support underrepresented groups, or using social media to reach a broader audience.

5. Train your hiring managers and interviewers.

It's important that everyone who is involved in the hiring process is trained on how to identify and assess candidates fairly. This includes understanding their own biases and being aware of the different types of privilege and oppression that exist in our society.

6. Implement blind or anonymous screening.

One way to help reduce bias in the hiring process is to remove names and other identifying information from resumes when they are first being reviewed. This can help to level the playing field for all candidates and ensure that everyone is being assessed on their qualifications rather than their identity.

7. Conduct outreach to underrepresented groups.

Reaching out to communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the workforce is essential for inclusive hiring. This can be done through things like attending job fairs hosted by community organizations, partnering with diversity-focused Recruitment firms, or creating targeted advertising campaigns.

8. Review your job descriptions and requirements.

The language you use in your job descriptions and requirements can make a big difference in who applies for your open positions. Make sure to avoid unintentionally exclusive language or require unnecessary criteria that may eliminate otherwise qualified candidates. For example, you might consider experience, skills, and potential instead of GPA or school name.

9. Be aware of your own biases.

We all have unconscious biases that can impact our decision-making. It's important to be aware of these biases and make an effort to overcome them in the hiring process. In the 6th principle of inclusive hiring, we mentioned the benefit of blind screening to reduce the risk of bias. Another method is to have a diverse interview panel that consists of people who are all willing and able to hold each other accountable for hiring the most suitable candidate(s) without letting their implicit biases get in the way.

Becoming an employer of choice and attracting talent from traditionally underrepresented groups can be a challenge for some organizations. These challenges range from insufficient data gathering and flexibility to identify and source diverse talents, to retaining those talents once they are hired. Organizations must be mindful to not fall into the trap of viewing diverse hiring as a quota-driven process to appease stakeholders. This line of thinking is counterproductive to creating an inclusive hiring process. Your ultimate goal should not simply be to hire diverse candidates; it should be to advance diverse representation at every level of your organization, which in turn, also benefits your bottom line, as was found in a 2018 study by McKinsey&Company. A large part of advancing diverse representation involves having the right infrastructures in place to promote equity and inclusion for candidates and employees from underrepresented groups.

If you're looking for support as you work to build inclusive hiring practices, please get in touch with The Seen and Heard ProjectⓇ at support@seenandheard.com to schedule a consultation.

Return to Office: The Great Dilemma

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97% of Black knowledge workers don’t want to return to the office—here’s why:

Reflection

2020 was THE WORST, can we all agree? So, why are employees of color reluctant to return to the office—2 years later? The U.S. declaration of a public health emergency on February 3, 2020, marked a period of widespread panic, fear, and confusion for many. However, this period also catalyzed the largest transition to remote working in human history, in a wave that spread right across the world. Coincidentally, this happened at a time when the eyes of the world were fixed on the U.S., not for its Covid-19 response, but as the country grappled with issues of heightened racial tension. With more people being at home and having the time to tune in to these occurrences, there were renewed debates and conversations around systemic racism, prejudices, and microaggression within the workplace and other institutions. As fate would have it, the country’s racial issues, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the practice of remote work would all come to an unlikely intersection.

A New Normal

As the world quickly and reluctantly adapted to a new normal in the face of the pandemic, many businesses closed their doors, meanwhile, remote working allowed others to continue their operations. Knowledge workers who previously worked in the office now had the opportunity to create their own bubble as more people started working from home. Zoom and other virtual platforms diversified the spectrum of what was deemed OK in the workplace, from working in our shorts and bed slippers to every day being a “take your pet to work day!”.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly), this was not the only form of diversification that work from home would facilitate. Amid the country’s racial tensions, people of color who work(ed) from home seemingly found reprieve from the daily bouts of microaggression and prejudices faced by many in their places of work. Despite the many voices amplifying the harm of inequity in the workplace, many were surprised when a 2021 Slack Future Forum publication revealed that only 3% of Black knowledge workers wanted to return to the office, while the remaining 97% preferred a hybrid or fully remote arrangement; this was compared to only 79% of White knowledge workers.

Is WFH a Band-Aid or Super Glue?

Black knowledge workers are clinging to remote work at a higher rate than their White colleagues, and while there are numerous benefits to having a remote workforce, it is also true that each company must decide for itself whether to have employees return to the office, or continue their remote or hybrid working arrangements.

In this decision-making process, companies must be mindful to not simply use remote working as an escape from addressing racial disparity within the workforce. Avoidance is by no means a remedy for the lower sense of workplace belonging and higher stress levels with which employees of color are faced. Instead, business leaders must seek to leverage their resources to fix inequity and exclusion issues in the workplace. To do so is to promote a healthier working environment for everyone and reduce the marginalization of great employees, both inside and outside the physical office.

The Employee Experience

If the Great Resignation has taught us anything, it is that employees have a natural yearning to climb the ladder of Maslow’s Hierarchy, not only in their personal environs but also within their places of work. Employees, regardless of their race, gender, class, or caste, deserve to have and feel a sense of safety, belonging, respect, and professional dignity in the places where they spend approximately 50% of their waking hours. This stands true whether employees are working in the office, or if they work in a remote or hybrid setting. However, the fact that people of color are disproportionately impacted by issues of inequity in the workplace, simply cannot be ignored. Until the needs of marginalized employees are adequately catered to, it is only natural that they will be more inclined to work from home if it means not having to deal with discrimination and microaggression in the office.

Getting Back to the Office

A strong sense of community will not simply appear out of thin air just because we return to the office. It is imperative that businesses consider everything that was wrong in their workplace culture before the pandemic. Returning to the office has different implications for different groups of people. As companies implement return-to-office policies, business leaders must familiarize themselves with the challenges of their marginalized employees and be prepared to address these challenges as they develop.

While the decision to return to the office is subjective, one absolutely non-negotiable thing is the need for a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace. The desire to work from home should be driven solely by individual preference and conveniences, and not something that employees have to resort to as an escape from inequity, discrimination, and microaggression in the office.

THE SEEN & HEARD PROJECT ®