Create an Inclusive Workplace
Introduction
An inclusive workplace is one where all differences brought to the workplace are
recognized. Where people feel valued and that their contribution is considered
important. A focus on creating an inclusive workplace can help to address many of the
challenges facing today’s non-profit sector in BC. Research shows that managers who
are more inclusive have more effective work teams, which contributes to overall
workplace success.
Achieving an inclusive workplace requires a focus on inclusive leadership styles and
mindsets, along with engagement, problem solving and strategic planning. It might
also call for new organizational structures, policies, practices, behaviours, values,
goals and accountabilities. An inclusive workplace has an overall culture of inclusion –
supporting adaptability, collaboration and innovation.
Depending on your starting point, the path to becoming an inclusive organization is not
always an easy one. But the destination is well worth the effort.
This toolkit offers resources to help you create an inclusive workplace. It will guide you
through best practices for overcoming bias (both personal and institutional) and
embedding inclusivity in your workplace culture, policies, recruitment, hiring, and
performance management practices.
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The new world of work
The workplace is changing rapidly. New technologies, new cultural trends and even
geopolitical pressures are affecting the way we learn, collaborate and harness the
skills of our employees.
This activity will help you start thinking about the new realities of work, how they could
impact your organization and service delivery model, and what next steps could help
you prepare for the future.
Watch this 4-minute video, The New World of Work (http://bit.ly/1oTpefN). Then, take
some time to respond to the questions below.
Questions for reflection:
1. In the last 10 years, what changes have you seen in your community or your work
place? How have the following changes affected the way you work or deliver your
services?
•
Demographic shifts in your workforce and/or clients
•
Technological advancements
•
Availability of resources – the people and funding you can access
•
Attitudes or values of employees and/or volunteers
•
Attitudes or values of your clients and their needs and interests for your
services
•
Work environment preferences of employees and/or volunteers
•
The speed and need for delivery of services to your clients
•
The pace of change impacting your services and/or your workforce
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2. What procedures or practices does your organization already have in place to
address the impact of change on the aspirations and needs of your clients? How
do you:
•
Keep pace and in touch with their evolving needs?
•
Develop innovative approaches to serving them in new ways?
•
Adapt your services to increasingly diverse and varied needs and interests?
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3. What types of practices does your organization currently have to address the
impact of change on the aspirations and needs of your employees and volunteers?
How do you:
•
Create an environment that encourages innovation amongst your workforce,
whether volunteers or employees?
•
Develop an environment where people can connect and collaborate?
•
Develop an environment where staff from diverse backgrounds can contribute
freely and participate fully?
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4. What new competencies, attitudes, skills and qualities are going to help your
organization thrive in this new environment? Which ones are already strong?
Which ones need more attention?
•
At the leadership level
•
At the level of each employee/volunteer
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5. What type of resources and support would help your organization to thrive in this
new world of work?
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Envisioning an inclusive workplace
What does an inclusive workplace look like?
An inclusive workplace is one where the principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity
and autonomy are promoted and integrated into the organization’s everyday goals and
behaviour. In an inclusive workplace:
1. There is a welcoming workplace culture where everyone is treated with respect
and dignity and everyone feels valued
2. Policies are in place concerning equality, human rights, working conditions, dignity
at work, employee welfare and fair recruitment and procurement practices
3. Members of staff at all levels are aware of the inclusive values of the organization
and are actively consulted and involved in policy development
4. The workforce is representative of the local community (or if not, underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply)
5. All employees are encouraged to develop and progress, any barriers faced by
specific groups are identified and action taken to address them
6. Unnecessary hierarchies and occupational segregation, where groups of
employees are congregated into certain areas, are discouraged
7. The organization is aware of any potential tensions within the workplace, and takes
action to anticipate and address them
8. Inclusive strategies are fully supported and promoted by senior staff
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Inclusivity in action: L.I.N.C.
In March 2013, Long-Term Inmates Now in the Community Society (LINC) was
awarded the Fraser Valley Diversity Award for most inclusive environment.
The founders of LINC have a burning passion about inclusivity. They firmly believe that
we are all people and that everyone has something to offer.
LINC’s mission is to promote equality and justice for all by advancing the basic
principles of restorative justice through positive intervention in the lives of persons
sentenced to lengthy terms of incarceration and in the lives of their families. LINC
provides self-help support groups and one-on-one counseling run by ex-offenders,
which address the issues surrounding an offender’s successful re-integration into the
community.
Sherry Edmunds-Flett, LINC’s executive director, attributes this award to the
underlying principles and philosophies that shapes its service delivery model. LINC’s
values include:
•
The organization aims to be reflective and representative of Canadian society
and the individually diverse communities it serves
•
Everybody should have the opportunity to make a positive contribution to
society
•
There is a need to meet people at the point of need and empower them to
exercise their power of choice
•
It is important to link people together and provide them with a sense of
belonging
•
People are “more than their worst action”
Questions for reflection:
1. What are the values that drive your work?
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2. Are these values conducive to developing a diverse and inclusive environment?
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Overcoming personal biases
How can I be aware of my own biases? What can I do to manage them? The following
section offers tools and activities to help you and your teams overcome biases.
Tips to combat bias3
We have the power to identify and control most of our biases. We each have the
responsibility to become aware of and work at defeating our biases. The best way to
identify a bias is to watch for thoughts or statements that include words like “all” or
“those people” or that imply an inflexible generality about a group. If you notice a
biased (inflexible) thought when encountering someone different from yourself, you
have the power to examine that thought, discard it, and treat that person as an
individual.
Act against your bias. Acting against a bias can actually cause the bias to fade. This
works because:
•
We get positive responses from people whom we treat with respect
•
We find ourselves exposed to a variety of people who, as we gradually come to
learn, have individually distinct characteristics
•
Our attitudes will evolve to align with our behaviour
Identify commonalities. Focusing on what we share in common helps reduce biases by
highlighting mutual interests and values. We are then less likely to see them as a
singular group, whose members are all alike and different from ours. Strategies for
identifying what we share include:
•
Finding workplace opportunities to mix with colleagues who have different
backgrounds (examples: forming groups around shared needs and interests,
clubs, volunteer efforts)
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•
Focusing on common goals
Weaken the foundations of your biases: Uncovering the lack of logic that lies behind
biases can weaken their influence on our perceptions. This can be done by:
•
Asking ourselves how many people we actually know who conform to the bias
•
Asking ourselves how many people we know who do not conform to the bias
•
Asking ourselves if the source of the bias was reliable
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Explore your biases
Situations affect each of us differently. By exploring the following scenarios, you can
reflect on your own “hot buttons” and reactions. Look at each of the four examples
listed below. Imagine that you are going through the stated experiences. Then answer
the questions about how you would feel and what you would do in each case.
Your daughter wants to bring her partner, who is of a different ethnic background than
your family, to the next family gathering. You think that some family members may not
readily accept him. How would you feel? What would you do?
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Your son wants to introduce his same-sex partner to his colleagues at the seasonal
party. How would you feel? What would you do?
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You are part of the hiring committee for new employees. You notice that whenever
good candidates from a different ethnic group or candidates who are younger than
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about 25 come up for discussion, the committee members reject them because they
“don’t fit.” How would you feel? What would you do?
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An Asian family, comprised of grandparents, aunts, children and nephews are your
next-door neighbours. You notice they never get invited to the annual street party. How
would you feel? What would you do?
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Questions for reflection:
1. Which of the previous situations affected you the most? Why?
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2. Which of your values and beliefs were touched?
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3. When have you been involved in situations like these?
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4. Under what circumstances do your own biases come out?
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Examining micro-inequities?4
Micro-inequities are a subtle form of discrimination that can damage morale and
sabotage inclusiveness and diversity. They are the “little things” that people say and/or
do which can either contribute to an inclusive environment, or create barriers to
communication, trust and respect where one lives, works, or studies.
Micro-inequities can be:
•
Comments or behaviours that cause people to feel discounted
•
Acts of exclusion that build a wall around differences
•
Failures of acknowledgement in meetings or social gatherings
•
Body language and tones of voice
Examples include:
•
Listening with your arms closed across your chest
•
Losing eye contact while someone speaks to you
•
Praising an idea presented by one; ignoring the same idea presented by
another
•
Using your smartphone while someone is talking to you
•
Looking at your watch while someone is talking to you
•
Typing away at your keyboard while someone is talking to you
•
Hovering over someone in a controlling or menacing way
•
Replying to someone with sarcasm
•
Being much more attentive to one employee than to another
•
Rolling your eyes or not paying attention when someone who is considered to
be ‘different’ is speaking or sharing an idea
•
Consistently treating another employee in a slightly condescending manner
•
Walking down the street and not recognizing co-workers who look different
•
Being easily distracted while one person is speaking, more so than when
others speak
•
Greeting some members when they join a group while ignoring others
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Overcoming / countering micro-inequities
You can fight micro-inequities by:
Noticing your reactions:
•
When am I listening?
•
When am I shutting people out?
•
Who am I including and excluding?
•
Who am I encouraging and praising?
•
Do I take anyone’s contributions for granted?
•
Do I consistently overlook anyone?
Avoiding these behaviours:
•
Ignore, dismiss, interrupt, or talk over others.
•
Critique with non-verbal behaviour, e.g., rolling eyes, sighing, shaking your
head.
•
Multitasking (using your smartphone or computer) when interacting with others.
Being aware of how you filter information:
•
We tend to see what we believe and expect to see.
•
We unconsciously dismiss information that does not fit with our
expectations/beliefs.
•
We see certain elements and let others pass through.
•
We make stereotypical assumptions about people who are different.
Practicing micro-affirmations:
•
Take time to listen with full attention and respect.
•
Seek input from others and acknowledge their contribution.
•
Share the floor with inclusive meeting procedures.
•
Credit people for their ideas.
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Micro-inequities questionnaire5
On your own or with your team, complete the following activity using the instructions
below.
1. Take a fresh sheet of paper and hold it flat on your open palms.
2. For every one of the following questions answered with a "Yes," fold the ends a
little closer.
Answer the following questions with “Yes” or “No”:
1. Have you ever not made a conscious attempt to learn the proper spelling or
pronunciation of an employee’s name? Yes or No?
2. Have you ever expressed signs of frustration and impatience at someone’s
difficulty with English? Yes or No?
3. Have you ever listened to an employee with an indifferent facial expression? Yes
or No?
4. Have you ever spoken above someone, or hastily cut them off as they were
making a point? Yes or No?
5. Have you ever failed to make eye contact with a certain group of people at team
meetings?
Yes or No?
6. Have you ever made cultural references or told jokes that only certain groups of
people would understand or could be offensive to some people present? Yes or
No?
7. Have you ever kept checking your Blackberry, e-mail, or seemed preoccupied in
any other way when someone else is speaking at a group meeting? Yes or No?
8. Have you ever had lunch or other informal gatherings exclusively with members of
your own cultural group? Yes or No?
9. Have you ever not invited an employee to an informal work event because you
thought they wouldn’t be interested? Yes or No?
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10. Have you ever turned your back on a colleague/employee who was speaking to
you if a more senior manager entered the room? Yes or No?
11. Have you ever found yourself dismissing one employee’s idea and then embracing
it when paraphrased by someone else? Yes or No?
12. Have you ever failed to give appropriate credit to the work of an employee who
was younger, or of a different gender or cultural background to you? Yes or No?
13.
Have you ever not considered someone for a promotion or development
opportunity because of their gender, family status (e.g. young children/elderly
dependents), or other criteria? Yes or No?
Activity debriefing:
After answering all questions, look through the shape you’ve created with the sheet of
paper. What does it make you think about? What do you experience?
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Adapting your working style
Non-profits in British Columbia, and elsewhere, are operating in a time of complexity.
Change is everywhere – often with complex and multi-dimensional effects. Our
communities are becoming more diverse. Groups that were often marginalized in the
past have a stronger voice. To thrive in this environment, non-profits often need to
change the way they work. Organizations need to adapt.
Thriving organizations are adapting and becoming more representative of the
communities they support. They attract a more diverse workforce and reach out and
meet community needs that are changing and evolving. Successful non-profits are
building inclusive and welcoming workplaces.
There are several resources in this section that can help organizations build or revamp
systems and values to create a more inclusive and welcoming organization, as well as
uncover some of the old processes and structures that could hinder adapting to the
new realities.
7 ways to model inclusiveness6
1. Be a learner. Be willing to challenge yourself and grow.
2. Be inquisitive. Seek a range of perspectives.
3. Set the vision. Explain the reasons why inclusion is important.
4. Model inclusive behaviours. Demonstrate that "none of us is as smart as all of us."
5. Champion the change effort. Be an active advocate for change.
6. Speak out when necessary. Hold the organization accountable; it is also on a
learning curve, and it needs constructive feedback.
7. Hold each other accountable for all of the above. Hold your colleagues
accountable. Be a learning-partner for them as well as all leaders.
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Leading an inclusive workplace
What does it look like to work in an inclusive way? What skills and behaviours make a
difference?
People in formal leadership positions, like Executive Directors and managers, have
additional responsibilities for creating an inclusive workplace, and some of these
behaviours will be particularly relevant to them. But leadership can be displayed at all
levels of an organization – anyone can take a leadership role in creating an inclusive
workplace.
Competencies
Being trusting and trustworthy
• “I trust myself”
• “I am someone others
trust”
Behaviours
• Being trustworthy (warranting trust, reliable)
• Trusting others (having or placing confidence in
or depending on others)
• Being open to possibilities; suspending judgment
• Open-mindedness
Respectful and inclusive
leadership
• Self-management
• Self-awareness
• Understanding others
• Ongoing development
of self and others
• Demonstrating respect
• Providing feedback that
is descriptive, specific
and intended to be
helpful
• Not considering inaction
as an option
• Managing your emotions and being resilient in a
range of complex and demanding situations;
knowing your trigger points in certain situations
in order to manage one’s reactions appropriately
• Identifying when stereotypes may impact
behaviours and decisions, and the skill to keep
them in check
• Being flexible and working effectively within a
variety of changing situations, and with various
individuals and groups
• Respecting the dignity of every person and every
role; treating others as they want to be treated;
genuinely caring for others
• Demonstrating willingness to change your own
patterns of behaviour in the interest of the
organization and the people who are affected by
it
• Taking action to ensure that all employees are
given opportunities to learn and develop
• Understanding differences among team
members and helping each member feel valued
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• Giving and receiving feedback in a culturally
sensitive way
• Resolving workplace conflicts and insensitivity in
a timely manner
Inclusive communication
• Communicating
effectively with others
• Having the courage to
have difficult
conversations with
employees and peers
• Using different communication styles
appropriately
• Establishing clear communication channels
where all employees can feel safe giving input
and feedback
• Listening well, hearing both the stated and
unstated messages
• Using multiple methods for dealing with
communications obstacles (e.g. gender, cultural,
generational)
• Asking “the right” questions at the right time
• Demonstrating courage and an ability to conduct
difficult conversations and address challenging
issues directly
Commitment to diversity and
inclusion
• Promoting the benefits
diversity and inclusion
bring to the workplace
• Ensuring diversity and
inclusion is hard-wired
into processes,
practices and structures
within the organization
• Displaying exemplary
behaviours related to
inclusive and
harmonious workplaces
• Believing in the benefits diversity and inclusion
bring to the workplace
• Articulating and implementing an operational
level business case for diversity and inclusion
• Critically examining processes, practices and
structures within your field of influence with a
“diversity lens” and implementing actions as
required
• Purposefully bringing together people with
diverse backgrounds and/or perspectives,
shaking up groups that are homogeneous
• Allowing diverse team members to fail and learn
from failures
• Building diverse teams
– people from different
fields, cultures, and
perspectives – working
together to solve
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problems and come up
with new ideas
Inclusive practices for
managing people
• Making fair employment
decisions
• Offering equitable
opportunities
• Adapting management
styles to different
working styles
• Offering work
arrangements that are
flexible enough to
address the needs of
different groups of
employees
• Understanding issues related to diversity of
workforce
• Coaching and guiding employees on inclusive
workplace behaviours and practices for
processes such as: recruitment, promotion,
project assignments, performance management
and career development
• Making staffing decisions based on merit and
competencies
• Creating and developing an environment in
which all employees can act and express
themselves without fear, regardless of
background or differences
• Taking employee backgrounds into consideration
and adapting management and communication
styles accordingly
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Working in an inclusive way
An inclusive workplace calls for particular skills and behaviours from all employees.
Competencies
Being trusting and
trustworthy
• “I trust myself”
• “I am someone others
trust”
Behaviours
• Being trustworthy (warranting trust, reliable)
• Trusting others (having or placing confidence in or
depending on others)
• Being open to possibilities; suspending judgment
• Open-mindedness
Respectful and inclusive
skills
• Self-management
• Self-awareness
• Appreciating the needs
of others
• Demonstrating respect
• Managing one’s emotions and being resilient in a
range of complex and demanding situations;
knowing one’s trigger points in certain situations in
order to manage one’s reactions appropriately
• Identifying situations where stereotypes may impact
behaviours and decisions, and developing the skill to
keep them in check
• Demonstrating empathy and seeing things from
other people’s perspectives
• Taking the initiative in getting to know colleagues
• Demonstrating willingness to change one’s own
patterns of behaviour in the interest of the
organization and the people who are affected by it
• Being flexible and working effectively within a variety
of changing situations, and with various individuals
and groups
• Respecting the dignity of every person and every
role; treating others as they want to be treated;
genuinely caring for others
Inclusive communication
• Using different communication styles appropriately
• Communicating
effectively with others
• Listening and hearing both the stated and unstated
messages
• Having the courage to
have difficult
conversations with
• Using multiple methods for dealing with crosscultural (e.g. gender, cultural, generational)
communications obstacles
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supervisor and peers
• Asking “the right” questions at the right time
• Demonstrating courage and ability to communicate
effectively when faced with difficult people and
situations
Commitment to diversity
and inclusion
• Championing what
diversity and inclusion
bring to the workplace
• Embracing and abiding
by diversity and
inclusion practices and
structures within the
organization
• Demonstrating belief in the benefits diversity and
inclusion bring to the workplace, abiding by all
inclusive workplace policies and practices
• Being open to learning about new values, attitudes
and feelings
• Being willing to change one’s own patterns of
behaviour in the interest of the organization and the
people who are affected by it
• Seeking opportunities to interact and work with
colleagues from different backgrounds
• Actively learning and developing skills related to
working effectively with people from diverse
backgrounds and/or perspectives
• Consider working with people from different
backgrounds as an opportunity for mutual learning
Inclusivity in action: Cowichan Lake Community Service Society
The Cowichan Lake Community Service Society (CLCSS) has a mission to enhance
and support the quality of life for Cowichan Lake area residents. The organization
strives to do this through education, prevention, recreation, and counseling, as well as
coordinating support groups.
CLCSS has developed several strategies and capacities that allow it to adapt to
external changes impacting service delivery:
•
It adopted an attitude that asked, “How do we make this work?” instead of
getting bogged down when faced with challenges. First-hand experience has
taught the organization the importance of staying positive and not falling into
despair
•
It developed the capacity to be flexible, adapting plans to make them workable
when change happens
•
It partnered with others in the community to ensure that there are no
interruptions in service delivery. For example, when the daycare facility had to
be moved, everyone worked together as a community to find a new, suitable
location
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•
When CLCSS loses funding in one area, the team works together to find it from
somewhere else
•
CLCSS has learned to be resilient. It renewed and adapted itself in response to
change. For example, it adapted to shifting demographics and the resulting
socio-economic development challenges when the logging industry moved out
of the community
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Questions for reflection:
1. How do you adapt when change occurs?
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2. How does your organization seek out different viewpoints?
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3. Who do you partner with and how do you include them when you confronting a
challenge?
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4. What do you need to start, stop or continue to become more inclusive and
adaptable?
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Developing inclusive policies7
While the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of individual employees and leaders can go
a long way towards supporting greater inclusiveness, an organization’s policies and
practices are equally important. Even though individuals have a certain amount of
freedom in the way they apply workplace rules to specific situations, those rules
provide the framework that guides and governs their behaviour.
By examining your workplace policies – both formal and informal – through the lens of
inclusion, you can demonstrate commitment to a more inclusive and welcoming work
environment – one that supports the individual journeys of your staff towards greater
open-mindedness and acceptance.
An organization’s systems, structures, policies and norms usually reflect the values
and perspectives of those who created the organization or are part of the dominant
cultural group. It is difficult for those who have always done things a certain ‘way’ to be
able to discern and identify barriers embedded in the systems, structures, and
practices of an organization.
With that in mind, it is important to remember that policy development is:
•
A process – the process of developing policy is as important as the content of
the policy. Ensure that key stakeholders are involved in policy development
•
A tool for education – during the process, all stakeholders can become aware
of the issues related to policy and their role in developing and adopting it. This
can be essential to ensuring the adoption and implementation of policy
•
A tool for change – the process itself can raise awareness around
organizational culture, leading to positive behavioural changes and the removal
of systemic barriers
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•
An opportunity to demonstrate leadership – ensure an effective policy
development process through leadership endorsement, providing commitment
and support
Commit to being inclusive when developing your organization’s policies and programs.
Get started by reviewing existing policy or developing new workplace policies and
practices using an inclusive lens:
•
Assign the task of reviewing or developing inclusive policies and practices to a
group made up of people with different perspectives and backgrounds, who are
representative of the communities your organization serves. For example, if
your organization provides health services for a special needs group, ensure
representatives of this group are involved
•
Engage the highest levels of the organization by providing opportunities for the
group developing or reviewing policies to report and be accountable to the
highest levels of the organization
•
Be clear and realistic about why a certain policy is needed. For example: is the
goal of the specific policy to respond to an ongoing complaint regarding the
quality of services provided to particular groups?
•
Early in the process, engage and educate as many diverse stakeholders and/or
representatives of stakeholders as possible. Seek their input as to how
organizational policy can be inclusive and relevant to diverse members of the
community
•
Once policy is developed or revised, share the draft with a diverse set of
stakeholders inside and outside the organization. Inform them of your key
findings, and the process leading to the draft policy. Seek their input as to
whether the policy is inclusive and appropriately addresses the needs of
diverse groups
•
Based on the broad stakeholder feedback, revise the draft policy and present
any policy updates to key stakeholders
•
Engage and seek approval from the highest levels of the organization
•
Once approved, communicate the policy broadly, using diverse methods for
key stakeholder groups. Make it easy for all employees to have access to the
revised policy. For example, if all employees do not have access to a
computer, post a hard copy of the revised policy in a common area where
everyone can view it
•
Provide clear examples of the implications and meanings of each clause
•
Devise action plans for implementation of policy - indicate timeframe and
accountabilities
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•
Identify incentives and sanctions to motivate all stakeholders to implement the
policy
•
Develop goals and measures of success for each clause of the policy
•
Based on the goals and measures of success, evaluate the effectiveness of the
policy over time
Pay and reward policies:
•
Are your policies based on objective criteria, which are clearly understood by
employees?
•
Do you have clear guidelines on starting salaries and performance-related pay
increases?
•
Have you examined your current employees’ pay to ensure that there are no
pay gaps based on gender, disability and/or ethnic groups?
Fair treatment policies:
•
Do you have policies in place to ensure that all clients are treated equally and
fairly, regardless of their background?
•
Have you considered how to make your services accessible and available to all
groups in the community?
•
Do you have provisions for accommodating the different religious, cultural and
language needs of your clients, if necessary?
Recruitment policies:
•
Are your recruitment processes transparent and consistent for all applicants?
•
Are your recruitment processes clearly communicated to all employees,
volunteers and community members who can be possible candidates?
•
Does your organization draw from a wide pool of potential candidates who are
representative of all groups in the community?
•
Can your recruitment procedures impact any group negatively?
•
If there are any groups that are under-represented in your workplace, do you
have proactive strategies or plans in place to redress this issue?
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General policy questions:
•
Does policy address the needs of the diverse groups represented in the
community?
•
Does policy impact any group negatively?
•
Are the terms of the policy clear and transparent to all employees?
•
Are policies communicated clearly and understood by all employees?
•
Has policy been vetted by key stakeholders representing different groups of
employees and community members?
•
Has the organization been inclusive in its approach to policy development by
engaging, consulting and involving diverse sets of stakeholders?
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Evaluate your workplace policies
This exercise will help you reflect on some of the formal and informal policies within
your organization. Formal policies might include, for example, where you advertise
your jobs, or the criteria for selecting board members. Informal policies might include
scheduling meetings at times that make it difficult for people with family care
responsibility and/or certain religious practices to attend.
Examine the formal and informal policies of an organization by asking the following
questions:
1. What is the objective of this policy/practice/norm/work style?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. How might this practice be, or be perceived to be, a barrier to some peoples’
access and strategic involvement in the organization? (Remember to consider
micro-inequities or subtle challenges posed by this practice.)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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3. Who might be excluded by this policy/practice?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. How might this policy/practice be or perceived to be as a privilege to some people?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Who will be privileged by this policy/practice?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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6. Is there a way to accomplish the objective of the practice, but in a new inclusive
way?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. Do we need to continue the existing practice at all?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. How might we change or amend the current policy/practice to ensure a more
inclusive way of operating?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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Recruitment and hiring
Inclusive recruitment and hiring processes are essential to an organization’s success.
When these processes are restrictive and biased, an organization may turn away
talented individuals with the potential to make significant contributions. The
organization may also miss out on new perspectives and community connections that
a diverse workforce offers.
Is your organization’s hiring and recruitment process designed to attract and welcome
talent, wherever it can be found?
Inclusive hiring practices involve several steps. Review the steps mapped out below to
ensure that your process is inclusive from start to finish.
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Screening candidates objectively
Research has shown that many qualified candidates are overlooked during the
screening of applications – even before the interview stage. Characteristics such as
apparent age, national background, or even a person’s name can have an impact.
Use a standardized and objective process to help ensure you are screening in
qualified candidates, not screening out those who might be different in some way. Be
open to new talent.
Be particularly careful to avoid making assumptions about candidates whose
backgrounds might be different than your typical candidate. Consider that candidates
might have gained relevant experience for a particular task through volunteer work or a
job in the for-profit sector.
Maybe a candidate’s work history is comprised of a series of short-term jobs – do not
assume this signals lack of commitment; this work pattern is not uncommon for
newcomers to Canada, Aboriginal people, youth or people with disabilities as they
search for an organization like yours that can leverage their strengths.
Step 1: Prepare
1. List those job duties essential for the position, as well as those that are nonessential
2. For each duty, write down what type of experience or skills will show that the
candidate can perform the job
3. Give each of the job duties an importance weight (1 to 3); more important tasks
should receive greater weight
Step 2: Assess
1. Screen each résumé and look for the information about experience and skills
related to the job duties
2. Be particularly watchful for candidates who might have gained their experience in
non-traditional ways
3. Summarize the key points for each candidate and rate their skills and experience
from 1 to 5
4. All candidates should be scored and those with the highest ranking should be
short-listed for interviews.
The screening worksheet below can aid you in evaluating candidates more objectively
by focusing on the requirements of the job and the ways in which a candidate fits those
requirements. By focusing on the essential duties and identifying those that are nonessential, you can avoid being influenced by superficial or unimportant criteria.
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Qualifications screening worksheet
Position title:
_____________________________________________________________________
Candidate name:
_____________________________________________________________________
Essential Duties
Importance
Weight
(1-3)
1 = Low
3 = High
Summary of
Candidate’s
Qualifications
for this Duty
Rating
(1-5)
1=
Low
5=
High
Total
Score:
Weight
X
Rating
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
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__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Essential Duties Subtotal: __________
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Non-Essential Duties
Importance
Weight
(1-3)
1 = Low
3 = High
Summary of
Candidate’s
Qualifications
for this Duty
Rating
(1-5)
1=
Low
5=
High
Total
Score:
Weight
X
Rating
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
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__________________________
__________________________
Job duty:
__________________________
__________________________
Experience required:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Skills needed:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Essential Duties Subtotal: __________
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Conducting inclusive interviews
Double check your interviewing methods – are they as inclusive as they could be? The
following checklist will help you ensure the interview process is inclusive and facilitates
the selection of the best candidate:
☐
Do we have a representative (diverse) hiring committee?
☐
Have I created a “cultural diversity friendly” interview environment?
☐
Have I reviewed my questions for cultural bias?
☐
Have I reflected on more than one possible answer to each of my questions?
☐
Am I flexible in my communication style?
☐ How relevant are the personality traits I am looking for? How can they be
interpreted across cultures?
☐
Have I rated the candidate’s responses to the questions in a bias-free manner?
☐ Did I remain patient and non-judgmental during the interview process i.e. when I
experienced
language difficulties and/or different non-verbal behaviour than expected?
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Asking the right questions8
While the interview process (whether conducted by phone or in person) is an
opportunity to get to know the candidate better, collect additional information and
clarify any areas of confusion, it’s important to ask the right questions—and to ask
those questions in the right way.
Below are some guidelines to help interviewers ask questions in a way that allows
them to gather the information they need while avoiding topics that are irrelevant to the
candidate’s ability to do the job and have the potential to trigger biases.
Information
Ask…
Not Recommended
Age
Confirm candidate is old enough to
work legally in BC.
Don’t ask for specific age of
applicants who are 18 years or
older, including retirement
information.
Clubs or
organizations
Inquire about a candidate’s
membership in professional
associations, clubs or
organizations, hobbies or interests,
as long as they are job-related.
Don’t ask about club and
organization memberships that
would indicate race, colour,
religious beliefs, ancestry or
place of origin.
Disability
Indicate the job offer is contingent
upon a satisfactory job-related
medical examination to determine
capability to perform the duties as
outlined.
Don’t ask about general
disabilities, limitations, present
or previous health problems,
workers’ compensation claims,
sick leave or absence due to
stress, mental or physical
illness.
Education
Inquire about educational
institutions attended; nature and
level of education achieved.
Don’t ask about religious or
racial affiliation of educational
institution.
Gender,
marital status,
family status
Inquire about availability for shift
work, travel, etc.
Don’t ask about plans for
marriage, family, childcare or
make any inquiries specific to
gender or marital status
(including common-law
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relationships) or family status.
Height and
weight
Describe job duties that require
heavy lifting or other physical job
requirements.
Don’t specify
minimum/maximum height and
weight
requirements/stipulations.
Languages
Confirm candidate’s ability to
communicate in any language
specifically required by a job.
Don’t ask about other
languages if they’re not
required in a specific job.
Name
Ask candidate for previous names,
only if the information is needed to
verify the applicant’s past
employment or education and to do
a reference check.
Don’t use the terms “maiden
name” or “Christian” name, ask
about the origin of the name,
or ask whether the candidate is
related to another person by
blood, marriage or adoption.
Photographs
Requesting a photograph is
appropriate in rare circumstances,
such as modeling and
entertainment-related job
opportunities.
Unless absolutely necessary to
the job, don’t request
photographs that could reveal
race, gender and other
irrelevant details.
Race, colour,
ancestry or
place or origin
Confirm that the candidate is
legally permitted to work in
Canada.
Don’t ask questions about the
candidate’s place of birth,
citizenship, racial origin, next
of kin.
Religious
beliefs
Ask whether the candidate is
available for shift work, travel, etc.
Don’t make inquiries about
specific religious holidays
observed by the applicant,
customs observed, religious
dress, etc. Don’t require
applicants to provide
recommendations from a
church or religious leader.
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Smoking
Indicate that the successful
applicant will be required to work in
a non-smoking environment.
Don’t ask about asthmatic or
permanent respiratory
conditions that may be affected
by smoke.
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Performance management
Managing performance effectively enables all employees to work their best. For
individuals whose background, experience or talents might be different from the
majority in your workplace, good feedback is essential.
Use the inclusive behaviours described below to ensure that your performance
management process is inclusive of all differences.
Give and receive feedback:
•
Communicate clearly, directly and honestly.
•
Give feedback to employees when the impact of their words or actions differ
from their intent.
•
Invite feedback about the impact of your words and/or actions.
•
Receive feedback without defensiveness.
•
Give direct feedback about behaviour and/or performance.
•
Thank people for providing direct feedback to you.
Listen with an open mind:
•
Use open-ended questions.
•
Ask about a situation before characterizing it.
•
Listen carefully to your colleague speaking until s/he feels understood.
Seek multiple points of view:
•
Solicit relevant points of view.
•
Invite employees from other parts of the organization to staff meetings.
•
Engage in collaborative learning.
•
Use cross-functional teams for project and other assignments.
Manage your biases:
•
Consider how your own cultural background and experiences shape your
expectations of performance and, as a result, your assessment of others’
performance.
•
Identify your biases, assumptions and factors that can influence your judgment
of performance.
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•
Be mindful of unconscious factors that can influence decision making (cloning,9
unequal standards and expectations, halo10 or horn11 effects).
•
Focus on essential requirements of the position.
Help employees learn, grow and succeed:
•
Provide targeted training and development opportunities with the goal of
developing employee skills.
•
Provide opportunities (special assignments, broader roles, coaching or
mentoring, etc.) to diverse employees.
•
Be open to new forms of leadership and collaboration.
Address inappropriate workplace behaviour:
•
Set group processes and norms that foster trust and respect.
•
Proactively address and resolve conflict.
•
Take action when issues of disrespect happen.
•
Acknowledge inappropriate behaviour.
•
Communicate expectations and consequences for repeated inappropriate
behaviour.
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Human rights
The following excerpts from the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Guide for
Managing the Return to Work are particularly useful references about your legal
obligations for creating an inclusive workplace.
The duty to accommodate12
The “duty to accommodate” is a legal principle that requires employers to identify and
change any rules, practices, expectations, or procedures that have or may have a
discriminatory impact based on the Canadian Human Rights Act’s prohibited grounds.
An employer also has a duty to accommodate the specific needs of employees so that
they can perform to the best of their potential. However, the duty to accommodate is
not unlimited. An employee’s right to equality must be balanced with an employer’s
right to run a productive workplace. Generally, employers should look at situations
involving the duty to accommodate on a case-by-case basis, since each will have
unique circumstances. By incorporating good communication practices, employers can
make sure that staff members have what they need to do their work to the best of their
ability. There are, however, certain circumstances under which an employer is not
required to provide accommodation, as in cases of undue hardship.
What is undue hardship?13
The term “undue hardship” refers to the limit of an employer’s capacity to
accommodate without experiencing an unreasonable amount of difficulty. Employers
are obligated to provide accommodation “up to the point of undue hardship.” This
means an employer is not expected to provide accommodation if doing so would bring
about unreasonable difficulties based on health, safety, and/or financial
considerations. There is no precise legal definition of undue hardship, nor is there a
standard formula for determining undue hardship. Each situation is unique and should
be evaluated individually. Undue hardship usually occurs when an employer cannot
sustain the economic or efficiency costs of the accommodation. Generally, some
hardship can be expected in meeting the duty to accommodate. Employers are
required to carefully review all options before they decide that accommodation would
cause undue hardship. It is not enough to claim undue hardship based on an
assumption or an opinion. To prove undue hardship, employers have to provide
evidence.
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Employer’s responsibility to accommodate religious beliefs
Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, an employer should accommodate when an
employee’s religious beliefs or practices conflict with a workplace requirement,
qualification or practice. The accommodation may modify a rule or exempt an
employee from it. Dress codes, break policies, scheduling and recruitment procedures
may affect some employees because of their religious beliefs, unless these employees
are accommodated.
Dress codes
Workplaces frequently have rules about dress. Employees may have to wear
protective equipment or a uniform, or there may be rules about head coverings. These
rules may come into direct conflict with religious dress requirements, creating a duty to
accommodate the employee to the point of undue hardship. In most situations, the
uniform can be modified to accommodate the employee’s religious observances. If the
uniform is used for health or safety reasons, however, employers must look for ways to
alter the requirement or the protective clothing to maintain a reasonable level of safety
while meeting the employee’s religious requirements.
Break policies
Sometimes, an employee’s regular work hours or specific duties conflict with their
religious requirement to pray at particular times of the day. Employers have a duty to
accommodate the employees’ religious requirements. Possible accommodations
include a modified break policy, flexible hours, a private area for devotions or both.
Religious holidays
The employer has a duty to grant requests for religious leave, unless doing so would
cause undue hardship for the employer. Employees can do this by switching shifts,
banking time, taking holiday leave or making other scheduling changes. The law is not
clear as to whether an employer must give paid leave for religious holidays. In one
case involving teachers, the Supreme Court required that a school board give paid
leave to Jewish teachers who required leave for their High Holidays, but this may not
apply in all employment situations. Some employers provide non-Christian employees
with at least the same number of paid religious days as are provided for Christians.
The Canada Labour Code, Part III requires employers to provide a paid day off to all
employees for the Christian holidays of Christmas Day and Good Friday. Many
collective agreements require employers to provide Easter Monday as a paid holiday.
Requests for paid leave days for other religious holidays may be accommodated by
providing floating leave days or unpaid leave.
Flexible scheduling
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An employer can accommodate employees whose religious beliefs do not permit them
to work certain hours or days of the week. For example, Seventh Day Adventists and
Jews observe a Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Flexible
scheduling may include alternative arrival and departure times on the days when the
person cannot work the entire period, or the employee can trade lunch times for early
departure or staggered work hours. If the employee has no time off left, the employer
should consider letting the employee make up time lost or use floating days off.
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Sources:
1. The Path from Exclusive Club to Inclusive Organization: A Developmental
Process. The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc.
2. Adapted from CDO Insights, Proven Strategies for Addressing Unconscious
Bias in the Workplace, v2, 5, August 2008 and from Making Diversity Work:
Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace by Sonia Thiederman, PhD.
3. http://www.csun.edu/faculty/sheena.malhotra/GRCSFiles/Final%20Projects/The%20Sneetches.htm
4. The information provided has been adapted from Respectives Human rights &
Equity Services Newsletter published MAY 2009.
5. Awareness activity as presented by John H. Berry IV, Nortel Networks at
Federated Press Conference December 2003.
6. Jamison, C.L and Miller, F.A. (2005). The 7 Actions for Leading or Creating an
Inclusive Organization, Linkage Leader, p.4.
7. Adapted from Buchanan, A. (2001). Towards an Inclusive Organizational
Culture: Applying a ‘Diversity Lens’ prepared by Anne Buchanan for Canadian
Council for International Co-operation, Organizational Development Team. 8. Adapted from Alberta Human Rights Commission Information Sheet, A
recommended guide for pre-employment inquiries, (February 2012)
9. Appointing an employee just like you, not only in appearance and background,
but values and thinking styles as well.
10. The “halo” effect refers to an interviewer’s tendency to rate a candidate highly
in all areas because of one thing they do really well.
11. The “horn” effect refers to an interviewer’s tendency to rate a candidate poorly
in all areas because of one thing they don’t do well.
12. Source: Canadian Human Rights Commission (2007) Guide For Managing The
Return To Work
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13. Source: Canadian Human Rights Commission (2007) Guide For Managing The
Return To Work
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About StepUp BC
The non-profit sector contributes as much to this province as traditional sectors such as construction,
mining and agriculture—and its greatest resource is its people.
StepUp BC supports British Columbia’s non-profit sector in finding creative solutions for attracting,
retaining and developing the talent it needs to thrive.
We focus on six key areas:
Developing existing talent. We provide a range of strategies to help non-profit organizations maximize
their existing talent.
Recruiting new talent. We help potential candidates see the exciting opportunities a career in the
non-profit sector offers.
Preparing for leadership succession. We provide guidance on formal succession planning and
long-term sustainability.
Increasing workforce diversity. We support improved representation through greater gender, age, ethnic
and cultural diversity.
Ensuring employee satisfaction. We promote the appreciation, recognition and development of varied
skill sets.
Telling a new story. We’re changing perceptions by spotlighting the non-profit sector as a catalyst
for revitalization and growth.
Whether you are leading a non-profit organization, working for one or considering the non-profit sector
as a career choice, StepUp BC can connect you to the tools and information you need to succeed.
Learn more at StepUpBC.ca
Funding provided through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement
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