#EmbraceEquity has become this year’s International Women’s Day tagline, which has got us thinking about the wider meaning of Equality and why need much more than this. But as well as this, how you can find or encourage this in the workplace.
It is much more than equal pay or opportunity for promotions and training – creating the right culture will harvest a strong sense of community and togetherness with employees.
Encourage sharing and conversation – Anything from systems, processes to exciting news and achievements. Ensure you have an environment where people can speak up and share! Working well together comes from having common goals and interests.
💡 [Having quarterly informal meetings could encourage sharing and conversation]
Create an empathetic environment – Staff wellbeing benefits and taking an interest in employees personal situations goes along way. The CBI states; “Employer-led health interventions, to prevent common physical and mental health risks, could help save £60 billion every year – reducing the impact of ill-health on the UK workforce by up to 20 per cent.”
💡 [Have an information pack ready for employees returning from maternity or paternity – give information about flexible working opportunities and what funding is available i.e. tax free childcare allowance]
Embrace diversity – Everyone is different, and employers need to champion this! Also, an alternative view point could set the ball rolling in a very exciting direction.
Use people’s strengths – (and support the weaker areas). Help your staff to improve and advance in their roles. We need to be upskilling existing workers which, in turn, will attract interest in your business.
💡 [Get your staff involved in choosing a charity to support each year, you could run an event to raise money and get your employees fully involved]
Show Flexibility – Research from Timewise shows that nine out of 10 people want flexible work. But, only three out of 10 job adverts offer it. The stats around part-time work are even starker – where the volume of people wanting to work part-time is outpacing available part-time jobs 4:1.
In todays labour market, your culture will influence your employees. Make sure this is meaningful and positive, as this will make a difference in attracting new talent. But, also ensure you hold on to current experienced talent!
“Without strong societal values, a central sense of purpose, a commitment to better employee lives, and active diversity and inclusion strategies, you will lose the talent war,” says the CBI. Younger generations are increasingly choosing where to work based on a companies’ behaviour to them and the world.
