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Inclusivity isn’t just a HR buzzword. Study after study shows that diversity in the workplace promotes creativity and effective problem solving. Diverse talent is out there, especially in major cities like San Francisco and New York, but in order to attract and retain a diverse team, you have to have inclusive appeal. You have to create a workplace where people from all sorts of different backgrounds can feel comfortable, respected, and happy. Here’s how.

Be thoughtful, even in internal communications.

Jokes aren’t always politically correct. We get it. It’s fun to laugh and many teams have a humor Slack channel or other avenue for casual, friendly banter among employees. That said, jokes that poke fun at an individual or a group of people should never be tolerated. Body shaming jabs, stereotypes of people by ethnicity or socio-economic class, or disparaging comments about those who hold certain political beliefs, have no place in the workplace. 

You may think no one on your team identifies with the group that is being picked on, but especially with a diverse team it can be very difficult to be sure of that. Be respectful of everyone, even in informal communications, so everyone feels safe at work. 

Don’t make assumptions. 

There is the old adage that if something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. That’s just not true.

Especially with a millennial, and soon to be Gen Z, workforce, how people self-identify can differ from what you might assume based off of visual and behavioral cues alone. Give your employees the respect they want by letting them tell you how they like to be referred to, rather than telling them how you think they ought to be addressed. 

Asking for each employee’s preferred pronouns is a small thing, and it costs you nothing, but it can have a huge impact on how comfortable an employee is at work. 

Cater to everyone’s needs.

Whether for religion, health, taste preference, or any other reason, people follow a lot of different diets. Letting each individual employee decide for themselves how and what they’d like to eat during team lunches ensures that everyone feels seen, respected, and appreciated at work. 
With AI-supported lunch delivery services like Forkable, which provides office lunch catering in San Francisco among other major metropolitan hubs, being inclusive of everyone’s diets and food needs is effortless and automated. Click here to learn more about how Forkable can optimize your office lunch.