Tips for Building a More Inclusive Workplace

If you’re a manager, CEO or company leader who is wondering “how do I make my employees feel more included, valuable and supported?”, then you’ve come to the right place. 

Here at Learnest, we offer bespoke commercial services catered around your needs. We have developed our training by combining our years of experience delivering training with the latest peer-reviewed research and testimonies from communities with lived experiences. Not only do we provide services for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion essentials, but we can also help you and your company with:

• LGBTQ+ Awareness

• Mental Health in the Workplace

• Community Development and Strength-based Approaches

• Marketing and Social Media

Please do check out our commercial services and training packages for more information! But for now, here are a few handy tips on how to make your workplace more inclusive and supportive.

1. Keep connected with your employees.
   Checking in on your employees and their needs can go a long way. By showing that you’re there for support if needed, your team will feel more comfortable being themselves in the workplace, and their quality of work will improve even further. A good boss and a kind attitude can make all the difference!

2. Add your pronouns to your email signature.
   Everybody uses pronouns. It’s a fact of life! By adding your pronouns to your email signature, it will help to not only show your employees that you are an ally to the Trans community, but that you are actively trying to make the workplace more inclusive. This will also reflect well for your company externally, as clients and/or future employees may potentially feel at ease knowing that your company is taking these extra steps.

3. Speak up about inclusion.
   If you’re on a zoom call and one of your employees makes a “joke”, or uses incorrect language - don’t shrug it off. Using your privilege as a leader and speaking up is one of the most important things you can do to show your support to your employees. Don’t worry though, just because you’re calling somebody out on their mistakes doesn’t mean you have to be ‘tough’ with the perpetrator. You can quickly, and calmly correct them, and move forward. Just speaking up is enough, and will help to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

4. Listen to your employees needs.
   It might be obvious, but listening to what your employees need and want from you will be the most important thing you can do. Why not set up an anonymous form online where your employees can submit their concerns and needs? You can set aside an hour or two each week to reflect on these points, and move forward knowing that you’re doing everything you can to make your employees feel secure in their job.

If you’re reading this blog post and thinking to yourself, “Wow, these tips are super helpful! I hadn’t even thought to __”, we would definitely recommend looking further into our training packages. We do have discounts available for charities and small businesses, so please do get in contact with us to discuss how we can help you out!