Promoting workplace diversity and inclusion is an important initiative a company should take.

Apart from the fact that it is the right thing to do, managing a multigenerational workforce has its benefits. Older employees have unparalleled experience and insights. Meanwhile, younger employees are quick to adopt technological advancements.

Still, you must find a way to make these differences complement each other. In this post, we will walk you through the benefits of diversity and inclusion, as well as the simple things you can do to improve it:

Rethink existing workplace policies

As your company becomes diverse, examine your organization's current practices.

Evaluating your company policy could mean amending the existing ones or creating a new one. This also explains why your workplace policies should be flexible.

Here are some inclusive strategies that you can include to help support diversity and inclusion in the workplace:

• Letting employees take days off for religious holidays that are otherwise not observed by your company.

• Reviewing your current office setup and see how you can make it inclusive (e.g., adding gender-neutral bathrooms).

• Providing the option to have more flexible working hours.

• Giving on-site daycare.

• Having a mobile workforce app that has a translation feature. That way, every employee can communicate in their preferred language.

Tackle unconscious bias

One of the first steps you need to take towards real change is understanding bias and creating awareness.

You can also address this issue by educating employees about unconscious bias. It would be best to give a real-life example and the impact it creates on their colleagues.

For instance, you can talk about what the older generation assumes about the younger generation. As such, discuss how these stereotypes affect workplace dynamics.

Lastly, you should converse about how to get rid of these biases.

Strive for a more inclusive leadership

Leaders should create a safe organization where employees can speak up, be heard, and feel welcome.

They should be open to their colleague's input. You might be surprised at how a diverse background can provide a new perspective or fresh ideas. This can also be an excellent opportunity to remind each other about your company's core values.

Build a multigenerational workforce

Today's workforce comprises mainly Millennials. However, it would help if you build a workforce that accommodates and recognizes different generations. Doing so is the first step to diversity and inclusivity.

Nonetheless, you have to be wary that each generation adapts to progress differently. Traditionalists would prefer to stick with what they know. On the other hand, Gen Zs tend to make a leap of faith.

As a business owner or leader in the workplace, it is your job to find the balance. Luckily, you can find online resources about managing a multigenerational workforce. The key here, though, is understanding where their biases are coming from.

Celebrate differences

Another way to promote inclusivity and diversity is to allow your employees to celebrate their differences. This can make them feel welcome as it shows that you are respecting their culture.

Here are some ways you can promote this inclusiveness:

• Hold lunches where your employees can bring food that showcases their culture.

• Recognize, or celebrate significant days like Pride Month in June, Black History Month in February, and so on.

• Almost every employee carries a stigma of belonging to a particular community or faces some discrimination. Make these stories known through a platform. That way, they can voice out their beliefs, opinions, ideas, or any experience of prejudice in the organization.

• See to it that employees with different cultures, races, or ethnicities have their say in the organization's decision-making process.

Foster diverse thinking

Get your company to think in culturally diverse ways. This is essential because people coming from different backgrounds and generations have different perspectives on issues.

This includes what they want to wear for work, the ideas they pitch, and how to help operate your business. Your employees do not need to understand everyone's thought patterns 100% of the time. However, they should develop a sense of curiosity and understanding and be open to discussion.

Embracing diverse thinking is helpful in coming up with new ideas. It also creates an environment wherein everyone in the organization feels relevant and part of a shared mission. This is to foster diversity and inclusivity in the workplace culture.

Final Thoughts

When managing a multigenerational workforce, the key here is to understand your employees' diverse perspectives. That way, you can create a workplace where everyone feels welcome and safe to own their truth.

Plus, workplace diversity can be beneficial for your business. For one, you have years of insights and experiences from your older employees. Second, you can be abreast with the latest technological advances from your younger employees.

Hence, make sure that you adopt these strategies to create diversity and a more inclusive recruitment process.

About the Author:

Andi Croft is a freelance writer interested in topics related to business, technology, and travel. She has a passion for meeting people from all walks of life and bringing along the latest tech to enhance her adventures. To see more you can follow her on Twitter.