Diversity And Inclusion Are Important to Younger Employees – What Organizations Can Do Cultivate The Right Environment

Why Workplace Diversity Matters

This week Starbucks closed its doors for a day to provide diversity and inclusion training, specifically around unconscious bias, to all of its employees. Clearly when organizations don’t support their team members in creating an inclusive environment for customers and colleagues, there are significant consequences.  As our culture shifts to one in which there is zero tolerance for behaviours that do not promote an acceptance of diversity and that does support inclusive environments,  younger employees and customers have an expectation that the world they live and work in with be open, tolerant of differences and cultivate inclusion .

Our National Gen Z Survey found that 76% percent of Gen Zs (those born between 1996 and 2012) say that a job in a workplace that is diverse and inclusive is important to them. While older generations also wish for inclusivity and diversity, Gen Zs have a strong desire to work in an environment where diversity and inclusion is the norm. This generation isn’t satisfied with attempts to become more inclusive, it expects inclusiveness to be the default.

And that doesn’t just mean in the workplace. Sixty-nine percent of Gen Zs surveyed agree that living and working in a diversity community is important. For Gen Zs, diversity is a part of life.

What does this mean for organizations? Inclusiveness means fostering an environment where individuals feel like they can be themselves at work and where their differences will be celebrated. It also means ensuring that all team members have opportunities to succeed and that no one is discriminated against (openly or unconsciously) due to their race, gender, orientation, religion, age or any other aspect of their identity.

Many organizations – even those who could be considered “forward thinking” – lack employee diversity. For instance, Google recently disclosed that its staff is 70% male and 61% white. One potential reason for situations like this is unconscious biases. These can occur at an organizational level or with individuals in leadership positions. In general, many of us naturally gravitate to people who look and behave like us. However, this can lead leaders to exhibit homogeneous hiring practices or favouring employees who are “like myself” for promotion, often without realizing that they have blinders on.

These situations lead to a lack of diversity in an organization which impacts innovation, creativity and engagement of diverse client / customer groups. In a workshop this week, a client revealed that when their department took time to examine what biases may be impacting their career development processes, they found that employees who are extroverted and tend to model typical behaviour of an “outgoing, talkative, high energy” sales or marketing employee, where more likely to be considered by senior leaders for promotional opportunities event if they were the most qualified. This awareness was quite profound and allowed the department to make changes to how they evaluate candidates for internal promotion.

The Importance of Inclusion

Diversity matters. However, it is just one part of the equation. Inclusion is also crucial. This means not only hiring diverse talent, but also making employees feel comfortable in the organization and ensuring that all team members have opportunities for growth and development.

This is why it is crucial for organizations to celebrate diversity, not just seek diversity. Organizations should actively work to engage and support all forms of diversity by cultivating inclusive environments that draw on the strengths and uniqueness that different types of employees bring to the organization. If inclusion is not achieved, an organization could find itself hiring diverse talent, only to see that talent leave the organization when they realize that they are not respected or treated as an equal part of the team.

Creating an Inclusive Work Environment

An inclusive work environment is one in which everyone is given the opportunity to participate and contribute, without fear of being ignored, insulted, or made to feel “different.”

There are many ways to accomplish this. One is to ensure that leaders are accountable for diversity and inclusion goals. If diverse team members are hired, but many of them leave the organization or remain in entry level positions, the organization should take the time to investigate why this is happening and hold leaders accountable for the successful development of their team, when appropriate. Leaders should receive training on unconscious biases and how they may be undermining diversity efforts without realizing it.

To create an inclusive environment, organizations can implement proactive, long-term strategies across all areas of the organization. Rather than thinking of diversity as an “HR issue,” multiple departments and all levels of employees should be engaged and leveraged to be champions for change across the organization.

This may involve training team members and leaders so that everyone in the organization understands what it means to demonstrate inclusion and that everyone understands the business case for why diversity and inclusion matters.  If team members and leaders understand how diversity benefits the organization, they will be much more likely to support efforts to foster a more inclusive environment.

Other aspects of your organization’s culture are also important.  Be conscious of the small things – how do corporate events inadvertently exclude certain groups (i.e. gender preferred events, or events that are centered around consuming alcohol). Your communication and use of language is also important to investigate. For instance, instead or referring to “spouses” when putting together a social event, use the term “partners” instead. This may seem like a small step to take, but it’s an important one that shows that the organization does not assume that everyone is heterosexual. The same is true for various religious or cultural events. They should all be similarly marked and celebrated, without giving preference to one culture over another. All of these small actions can go a long way to creating an environment where all employees, regardless of differences, can feel comfortable and accepted.

Giselle Kovary

As president and co-founder of n-gen People Performance Inc., Giselle is dedicated to building strategies and programs that target, motivate and engage a multigenerational workforce. She is a sought after resource to industry leaders, having worked with 18 of the top Fortune 500 companies. Over 60,000 people globally have experienced an n-gen workshop or presentation. She has devoted more than fifteen years to researching the impact that generational differences have on organizational performance. Giselle has co-authored two books: Loyalty Unplugged: How to Get, Keep & Grow All Four Generations and Upgrade Now: 9 Advanced Leadership Skills. She has a Master’s degree in communication studies from the University of Windsor.