Article: For your next seminar, training session, or networking event, why not cover inclusion and diversity? These workshops can focus on a variety of issues, such as sexual harassment, cultural diversity, mental health, or equal access. Your HR department can run this themselves by using exercises, courses, and pamphlets found on the internet. They can also hire an outside consulting firm to run the session for them. If your business is small or doesn't have an HR department, talk to your boss. Emphasize how cultural training can strengthen your organization as a whole. Diversity and inclusion begins during the hiring process. Encouraging a more diverse pool of applicants will make your workplace a more inclusive place. Some ways you create an inclusive hiring process include: Write job advertisements with broad qualifications to allow a more diverse set of applicants. Be conscious of how your language might imply gender. Avoid gendered language in your job advertisement. Instead of using "he" or "she," say "the applicant" or "they." Advertise your diversity and inclusion policies, including any non-discrimination rules, in your job advertisement. Emphasize that you do not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or disability. Make sure that the interviewers represent a diverse sample from your workplace. Ask broad, open-ended questions. Avoid questions about the applicant's personal life, such as their religion, marital or relationship status, or children. A set of rules regarding discrimination and equality are important to make sure that everyone knows how they are expected to act. Talk to your boss, human resources (HR), or coworkers about instituting new inclusive policies. Establish a no discrimination policy in the workplace. Remind employees that no one can be discriminated against for their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Post this policy in a public place, such as a break room or near the printers. Make sure that all employees know how to report discrimination in the workplace. Employees who violate the policy may require sensitivity training or disciplinary action. If your company provides health insurance, make sure that it includes policies for a wide range of conditions. Inclusive policies are ones that offer birth control, STD testing, and a wide range of medical conditions. Some people may resist new policies for inclusion or diversity in the workplace. When raising awareness of this issue, remind employees and employers of the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace. Benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace include higher productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and happier customers. You might say, "I think it is important to have more diversity in our office. It's been shown that diverse workplaces are more efficient, and their employees are happier."
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Ask HR to give a cultural sensitivity training workshop. Encourage inclusive hiring practices. Institute policies regarding equal access and discrimination. Explain the importance of a diverse, inclusive workplace.