We currently face a tough market to attract employees, so retaining staff we acquire is crucial. It is important that you cast the net as widely as possible when recruiting.

To do so successfully means taking stock of what your current staffing looks like. Consider whether any changes might be needed to ensure your workplace is welcoming to all.

Most business owners and managers will be driven to create a workplace that is welcoming. To achieve this, reflect on how you would ensure this is the case for someone who is, in one way or

another, different to the majority of your employees.

This could include differences in gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity, family situation, neurodivergence, or disability, to mention a few. While, hopefully, no one would set out to make someone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, workplace norms that have developed over time may unintentionally have this effect.

For example, your workplace might have a majority of single, 20-somethings employees without family commitments. Then, you employ a 35–40-year-old single parent with young children.

Everyone is friendly and welcoming and might even be understanding that the new employee requires more flexibility in working hours or location. However, what if all the opportunities for staff to bond take place straight after work or staff functions are held in the evenings? The new employee might find it hard to participate in these events and end up feeling excluded and unable to bond with the rest of the team.

So, what to do? Certainly, not everything will suit everyone, but a simple first step is to be aware of staff differences. In this situation, you could let the person know that you are planning a staff function and would love this employee to be involved. Ask them how you can help facilitate that. It might be they have a friend who will help them out if there’s time to plan, or you could contribute to a babysitter, or even arrange a lunch function during work hours so that they are included.

Whatever the differences might be, the key is to be aware of diversity but not afraid of it. Our country is diverse and therefore a diverse staff is more likely to be productive and connect with the community and a wider customer base.

Take stock of your staff, aim to hire for diversity, but when you do be mindful to ensure you are being actively inclusive. If in doubt, ask them, there’s no need to shy away from it –most likely if they are the only person in the workplace that is a man, gay, from a different ethnicity, religious etc. they will be well aware of it.

By opening up the conversation you are showing that you want to make this workplace their place, too, and that you take inclusion seriously and are willing to walk the talk.

For more advice on how to actively encourage diversity and inclusion at your workplace, get in contact with the team at EASI NZ.