Creating a workplace culture where employees feel recognized and heard should be a top core value for all organizations. Recent studies from Kinsey have shown that the business case for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion is strong and growing even stronger by the day.

It's more important now than ever to create a culture of diversity and inclusion. As a Certified Minority Business Enterprise, Health Hero is committed to supporting diversity in the workplace and in our communities. We aim to continue hiring POC, women, and individuals from marginalized communities in order to create a world where everyone has a standing chance at reaching their full potential.

We’ve compiled a few tips that employers, leaders, and managers can use to help create a more inclusive and positive environment where employees feel inspired and welcomed.

1. Creating diversity and inclusion starts from the top

Your organization’s top leaders and managers will be instrumental to your diversity and inclusion efforts. It's important to train and educate your leaders to ensure they understand what inclusion is and why it is important to the company, as well as to society as a whole.

2. Make employees feel recognized and heard
There are many impactful ways companies can foster diversity and inclusivity within their organizations. Take time to listen to employees needs and to ensure they feel heard when they voice their opinions and concerns. Acknowledge diversity and take action to make everyone feel welcome - i.e. acknowledging cultural and religious holidays celebrated by employees, gender-neutral bathrooms, nursing rooms for new moms, etc.

3. Open communication
Establish and clearly communicate goals and processes to promote inclusiveness. A simple first step is valuing differences and creating an environment where people can feel comfortable being their true selves at work every day. Another small but impactful step is soliciting employee feedback. This is is important in understanding how you can improve your Diversity and Inclusion throughout the organization, while fulfilling employees needs.

Our goal with this blog post is to get organizations and individuals to evaluate their diversity and inclusion within their organization and consider if there are steps they can take to move in the right direction. If businesses want to thrive now and in the future, it’s important to elevate the voices of all people of color and gender, and eliminate these long-standing systemic barriers to success.