Capita’s Top Tips on how to Practise Everyday Inclusion

Creating a more inclusive environment at work often starts from the top down, with changes to policies and the way we work. At Capita, we’re creating an environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work. We’re taking steps to report on and reduce our gender pay gap, and we’re supporting our managers, leaders and teams so that they can create more inclusive environments. We’ve also been updating our values and behaviours to underpin everything we do.

It’s not all about business change though. Individually, we make a conscious effort every day to help people feel involved, valued, respected and included. That’s why we thought we’d share our top tips on how to integrate everyday inclusion into your working life.

1. Embrace different ways of working

This is all about being aware of the varying needs of and differences between the people you work with. Ask yourself whether they might need to be more flexible? Do they have children or caring responsibilities which mean they can’t work late? If they work from home, how could you help them to still feel included? In team meetings, try to notice if it’s always the same people speaking and encourage alternative ways of giving feedback to include people with less confidence. Also, think about who is represented in the room and explore how you might persuade others to speak up or join in.

2. Create inclusive social activities

Socialising can be a great way to get to know your team mates, but it can also alienate people if you’re not careful. Keep in mind when choosing activities that people might have family or caring responsibilities to consider, likewise there may be religious or cultural restrictions on certain activities for some. Have you considered how physically able they are to take part in an activity or if they have dietary needs or allergies? When you’re planning social events try to take all these things into consideration and balance fun with flexibility.

3. Focus on what you say and do

Take a look at your own actions and reactions. If you find you made a mistake, look at how you could do things differently to produce a different result. What about how you speak? Could you use more inclusive language or have you heard someone else say something you think isn’t being inclusive? Try to gently challenge them about what makes them think this way or why they’ve used certain words. You can also watch out for stereotypes and generalisations. Ask questions to get to know your team better so that you understand their differences and how best to speak and act with everyone. Be open to listening and encourage feedback from others so you can continue to improve.

Overall, learning to weave everyday inclusion into your life is really about being open to learning about others and yourself. Challenging your own and others’ thinking, perceptions, actions and language every day can benefit everyone. The more you understand about the people around you, the more you’ll be able to embrace their differences and encourage others to do the same.