What are the 7 Pillars of Inclusion?
The Inclusion Club developed this conceptual framework in Australia for sportspersons with physical challenges. Although this concept was built with individuals with physical disabilities and sports in mind, it may be a perfect way to promote inclusivity within any organization, including at the office.
The goals of the diversity and inclusion pillars are to provide an inclusive approach while utilizing commonalities to build a diverse and welcoming environment.
Initial Purposes of the 7 Pillars of Inclusion
Although the 7 pillars of diversity and inclusion were initially created for sports and individuals who have physical disabilities, they can be an effective tool to address inclusion in the workplace.
1 Access:
What impression do candidates have when they first connect with your company, such as when people arrive at the sports organization centre? If the job description is simple to read, inclusion at work can start with the application process. Is that really simple for each individual to apply for the position? The vibe of the workplace and the culture in place are equally important as physical inclusion in the workplace. Is there a quiet place for candidates who have autism whenever we discuss diversity at work? Were safe tools for enhancing their job accessible to candidates with physical disabilities? Identifying and coming up with ideas for how to ensure that each candidate has an equally positive work experience is important.
2 Attitude:
Inclusion in the workplace can be advanced significantly through attitude. This is primarily about the organization's (as well as the employees') willingness to make a difference and encourage diversity in the workplace by taking effective action. Your commitment to being inclusive at work should be in line with the changes you make. Both your mindset and your actions should be focused on thinking creatively to include everyone.
3 Choice:
By ensuring that every person has a choice, does your organization support diversity at work? As an illustration, suppose a worker with a physical impairment needs a special tool to complete their work but the only one that is available has already been used. In that case, the worker is left without a way to finish their work. Such employees' professional lives are unpleasant in the long run. For groups with specific needs to have a choice of options, inclusion at work includes making modifications to the status quo.
4 Partnership:
Instead of using formal MoUs and contracts, let's just acknowledge that building relationships with people is the key to any partnership that aims to improve workplace diversity. This might be something as simple as shaking hands, or it could be a workplace culture that values teamwork and the support of the local community. Give a tour of the workplace and make the new employee feel welcome when they join the team. This increases inclusion and diversity at work for the organization.
5 Communication:
Not only what you say matters, but also how you say it. The foundation of inclusion at work is clear communication. Every employee deserves the opportunity to have their voice heard. Employees should feel comfortable speaking up to their teams, managers, and HR. As an alternative, your staff should be effectively communicated too. Analyzing the communication at your company might be the first step toward inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
6 Policy:
Policies are regulations that hold each employee of a company responsible and maintain order. However, ensuring that these standards are followed is more important than simply saying in company policies "Every employee is important." Are there laws in place that prevent discrimination against both every employee and a specific group of people? Are they being followed? Implementing these policies in place makes your organization inclusive, and friendly and promotes diversity at work.
7 Opportunity:
Even though this could seem like a choice, there is a difference. For example, an employee may choose to walk the stairs in an emergency if the elevator is occupied, but a wheelchair-using employee may be required to wait as the building is not wheelchair accessible. Therefore, there is a choice but no opportunity. Companies should make an effort to encourage diversity in the workplace by ensuring that every employee has a great workplace environment and equity in access to participation opportunities.
In Conclusion:
Examine your practices and those of your organization using these seven pillars of inclusion. A healthy workplace is one that welcomes diversity. At Job Booster, we use these 7 pillars to be inclusive and diverse in the workplace.
Job Booster always thinks about the employees' side and makes them comfortable by inducing a feeling of inclusion within the organization. Log onto our LinkedIn/Instagram page to know more about our work culture environment and how we ensure inclusion, equity and diversity within our organization. Need assistance with your DEI efforts? Get in touch.
