It is important to ensure the highest levels of equality are maintained amongst all personnel. Nobody should experience discrimination at work – it’s both incredibly demotivating and extremely divisive. It is also illegal.
A workplace which encourages a culture of equality is more likely to flourish. Team unity and engagement will also result. This article will discuss four ways in which your business can ensure the highest possible levels of equality and diversity, motivating your workforce and increasing productivity in the process.
“Top-Down” Approach
As a business owner or manager, you are ultimately responsible for the conduct of your staff and the ethos that prevails in the office. It’s important to examine your own biases and to make sure that you’re setting an excellent example for your staff to follow. Take some time to reflect on your own unconscious biases and past experiences and use these to inform the way you deal with equality and diversity within your teams. This top-down approach is vital as it will encourage your colleagues to also behave in a way that is fair and unbiased.
Reviews
Another responsibility of a manager is to schedule regular meetings with staff. In these review meetings, you can appraise each employee and discuss their role in more detail. You will also have the chance to discuss topics of a more sensitive nature. You may not necessarily talk about equality but, these meetings will provide a “safe space” in which your employees can raise concerns or worries. You must ensure that every member of staff has an equal opportunity to meet with you on a one-to-one basis.
Training and Education
Professional development covers all areas – including education on legal compliance. It’s sometimes not appropriate to conduct this kind of training yourself. Instead, consider using online training courses like those provided by engageinlearning.com. Online equality training is accessible to all staff , both office-bound or remote working, and you can schedule this in at a time to suit them.
Action
As a manager or team leader you will almost certainly experience some instances of inequality or bias. It is your responsibility to deal with each case appropriately. You may decide to deal with this through additional education, training or mentoring. In some extreme cases, external advice may be required or you may need to escalate this to another department within your organization. As a Manager, you must set the tone – which ultimately leads to a culture of inclusion and diversity.
