HOW TO FIND A TRULY INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER
Posted on 28th February 2024 at 16:22
The average person spends 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. That’s 3,750 solid days or ten whole years.
Therefore, you want to spend that time with an employer whose values match your own; an employer who makes you and your colleagues feel included, equal and appreciated; an employer who is inclusive.
But, when looking for an inclusive employer, how do you know that what’s promoted on their careers website and job advertisements is the same as what happens in practice? How do you know if you’ve found a genuinely inclusive employer?
WHAT IS AN INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER?
An inclusive employer enables and powers everyone to be their best. This means they:
Provide equal opportunities for all to gain employment and develop their skills.
Recognise and embrace diversity throughout the organisation.
Provide the means and opportunity for all employees to reach their full potential.
In practice, an inclusive employer recruits people based on their skills and abilities, rather than their background or ethnicity. They develop employees based on their role and need, rather than their age or gender. And they make everyone feel physically and emotionally welcome, rather than just the non-disabled or those with a history of excellent mental health.
WHY IS FINDING AN INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER IMPORTANT?
Finding a genuinely inclusive employer is important for everyone – regardless of your background, gender, ethnicity, age or physical abilities. Why?
Inclusive workplaces are six times more likely to be innovative and twice as likely to surpass financial goals: they’re more likely to be successful.
Inclusive workplaces have happier employees who are more engaged and less likely to leave: they have better cultures, making work more enjoyable.
HOW TO FIND AN INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER
Fortunately, there are many inclusive employers out there, especially in Milton Keynes and across Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. All you need to know is how to ensure what a potential employer advertises on the tin, is the same as what’s inside it.
Our top tips for finding an inclusive employer when looking for a new job are:
1. Delve into their employer branding
Employer branding covers everything a potential employer advertises about themselves to attract candidates like you to its vacancies. It’s what’s on the outside of the tin and includes:
Job advertisements.
Careers website, or webpages.
Social media posts.
Company values.
These materials give you a direct or indirect feel for whether an employer is inclusive.
For example, they might talk openly about diversity and attracting candidates from all backgrounds, or they might be visibly diverse and reference inclusivity-led practices. Importantly, nothing they say should make you feel uncomfortable.
2. Ask inclusivity-focused questions at the interview
Interviews are a two-way street, allowing you to ask questions and answer them.
Use this as an opportunity to get a better feel about a potential employer’s inclusiveness by covering topics such as:
Diversity initiatives.
Board representation.
Employee focus groups.
Engagement surveys.
Employee benefits.
Your interviewer should not only be able to answer your questions, but should do so in a way that’s proud, open, and passionate.
3. Do your research
You can get a real feel for a company’s culture and inclusivity by using a few internet resources. For example, you can use:
Glassdoor’s new diversity and inclusion ratings to get employee insights into a company’s culture and inclusiveness.
Google’s news search to see if the company has won many local awards or taken part in any local initiatives.
LinkedIn to see the type of people working for the company and whether they’re posting content that shows they’re happy and engaged.
4. Read their company policies
A company’s policies tell you a lot about inclusivity in practice, and we’re not talking equal opportunities policies here.
Policies such as flexible working, parental leave, promotions, learning and development and volunteering all give you an insight into how open, fair and supportive a potential employer is.
5. Work with a diversity-led recruitment consultancy
No matter how much a company says it’s inclusive, it always holds more truth when that information comes from a third party.
A diversity-driven recruitment consultancy does the hard work for you, vetting and ensuring every employer they work with and recruit for is an inclusive employer.
At Profile Resourcing, we’re not just proud to partner with inclusive employers; we’re proud to work with them in attracting a more diverse range of talent to their opportunities.
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