As a manager you must think about some more strategies that can help you enable diversity, inclusion, and workplace flexibility.

Implement training and development initiatives

Diversity, inclusion, and workplace flexibility training is fundamental to an inclusive workplace, and all employees should receive awareness training and education.

Training can create general awareness and reinforce its importance, focusing on topics such as eliminating unconscious bias, complying with regulations, embracing differences, and managing diverse populations. Training should also demonstrate the correct way to communicate and discuss the same within the workplace.

Ensure there is effective communication

Effective communication is a key component of building diversity and inclusion programs in your organisation.

Ways to communicate effectively include:

• Providing diversity, inclusion, and workplace flexibility information online and within the intranet, ensuring it is frequently revised and updated to align with organisational changes
• Involving all departments in communications
• Periodically and purposefully sending information to all employees
• Providing internal and external communications in various formats and languages so information is accessible to all
• Using visual communications that demonstrate and reflect the organisation’s commitment to these principles
• Having employees, leaders and executives contribute articles, social media posts, blog posts and news articles
• Developing and distributing workplace communications that illustrate how employees can help to achieve a diverse and inclusive workplace
• Giving all employees equal opportunity to prepare and share their ideas, opinions and concerns during meetings and discussions.

Recognising and celebrating inclusive events

• Recognising and celebrating days or events of cultural significance promotes awareness and a sense of belonging within the workplace.

Introduce workplace flexibility and wellbeing

• Workplace flexibility is directly linked to inclusiveness as it provides employment opportunities to those who cannot work within traditional models. Flexible work arrangements commonly include part-time employment, job sharing or working remotely.
• This flexibility shows employees they are valued, and improves retention rates, employee satisfaction and job commitment. Incentives and activities focused on employee wellbeing also work to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These can include providing mental health first aid for mental health support; childcare and aged care arrangements for family support; accessibility for disability support; and gym memberships for physical health and fitness support.

Ensure the leadership group are committed

• Organisational leaders must be committed for their workplace to become diverse and inclusive. All leaders must champion diversity and inclusion and take responsibility for implementing relevant programs and initiatives.

Periodically review your program

• You should review your strategies periodically to determine their progress and success. Periodic reviews will allow you to gain how and where you need to revise and improve your efforts.

This article was originally published here.