Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity in Support Teams

75% of professionals prefer working in diverse teams. They want to interact with people of different cultural backgrounds and world views and communicate with team members all around the world. 

Diverse teams are more interesting and engaging to work with. They can also be beneficial for global businesses, as they can generate more different ideas and creative solutions. So what are their perks, and what are the proper steps to set them up and benefit from them? 

What Are Team Diversity and Inclusivity? 

The 2018 Gallup Report defines diverse teams as teams that include people of different genders, age, geographical locations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, ethnicities, cultures, physical abilities, and so on. 

Inclusive teams are the teams that welcome members with diverse and different backgrounds. 

There are 4 different levels of team diversity: 

• Internal diversity
  • Race
  • Age
  • Ethnicity and nationality
  • Cultural backgrounds
• External diversity
  • Education and skills 
  • Geographical location
  • Religious views
  • Marital status and personal relationships
  • Citizenship
• Organizational diversity
  • Work location
  • Role and functions at work
  • Seniority level
• World views 
  • Political beliefs
  • Cultural events

Benefits of Diversity and Inclusivity in the Workplace

It Opens the Team Up to New Experiences

Being an international company, SupportYourApp knows the importance of diversity and inclusivity. Every new member, no matter where they are from, becomes an inseparable part of the team thanks to: 

• Meticulous process of team expansion
• Universal onboarding
• Streamlined communication
• Universal policies and SOP documents

With everyone on the same page, teammates are free to communicate, exchange experiences, and open up to new cultures and diverse communication. 

It Increases Productivity 

50% of modern professionals want their workplace to be more diverse. Research also shows 30% of specialists perform better in highly diverse teams. 

The possibility to interact with people from other cultures gives teammates the possibility to share different ideas. By ensuring openness and honesty are a part of the corporate communication, businesses can help every teammate communicate freely. This can enhance decision-making and lay the ground for effective collaboration. 

Look at it as if it were a picture — the more colors and shapes are on the canvas, the more interesting it is to the eye. 

It Opens Business to More Development Opportunities

Working with candidates from different countries helps businesses understand how to interact with different cultures, which results in deeper understanding of the business environment within these countries. This makes expanding to new markets and building not only an inclusive team, but a diverse client portfolio easier. 

Promoting Inclusivity the SupportYourApp Way

Onboarding 

Everyone on our team is going through a universal onboarding process. During it, the new members of our team learn: 

• The SupportYourApp policies
• Our team values
• Our company history and top management
• Basic information that will help them provide top-notch customer support from the very beginning

A unified onboarding process makes sure everyone can cooperate and communicate with each other and learn more about their new team members freely. 

Development

At SupportYourApp, we know that sound minds come from sound bodies. In addition to our corporate book club and educational seminars, we also promote a healthy lifestyle. Everyone on our team is welcome to join our regular sports sessions — we conduct them online so that everyone is comfortable and can get their exercise without having to leave their homes. 

Online workouts help us connect with the members of our team, no matter where they live. 

Communication

The official language of SupportYourApp is English. It helps us make sure our diverse team can communicate and understand each other. 

We also always put an extra emphasis on openness, inclusivity, and honesty. Every member of our team is free to speak their mind and express their opinion. Every Team Lead, manager, or supervisor is connected with their teammates. Regular syncs are a part of our corporate culture. They help us stay in touch with teammates all around the world and remain on track with our professional and personal plans and development. 

Inclusivity and Diversity in the Workplace: What Do the Experts Say?

Kenny Kline, President & Financial Lead at BarBend

Commit yourself to enhancing your cultural competence

I believe intercultural communication is an indispensable talent for the job. Today, you are more likely than ever to deal with people from many cultural backgrounds. Whether it’s a team member, your manager, or a customer, gaining a deeper knowledge of diverse cultures and points of view helps improve communication and prevent misunderstandings. 

Invest in your education; learn about other cultural customs and work styles, and stay current on global events and international politics. Take the time to get to know your coworkers from other countries and cultures. Be receptive to travel opportunities, particularly if you have the option to visit an international office or team. Not only will you increase your cultural appreciation and sensitivity, but you are also likely to meet new acquaintances by discovering many touchpoints.

Martin Lassen, Founder & CEO of GrammarHow

Don’t Guess-Measure 

You cannot simply enter a room full of people and determine whether it is diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. These are not merely qualitative metrics; you need quantitative facts. Learn how your team feels about diversity, inclusion, and corporate culture through anonymous company surveys. Repeat the survey on a monthly basis to determine your development and make public goals for where you’d like to be in 12 months or further in the future. 

Conduct client research to determine your hiring requirements. If your consumers represent specific demographics, it would be advantageous to have team members with relevant experience. Make it public, and accept responsibility for achieving your goals. Make diversity and inclusion an enterprise-wide priority. Executives, team leads, recruiting managers, recruiters, and front-line professionals should all be involved in the process.

Andrew Priobrazhenskyi, CEO at DiscountReactor

Treat others as you would like to be treated

Always observe the boundaries and expectations of others with consideration and sensitivity. A request or behavior you are comfortable with may collide with the values of another teammate. Even routine conversations may contain cultural nuances that should be considered. 

Understanding how other cultures view a handshake, keep eye contact, and protect their personal space boundaries, might prevent misunderstandings. When in doubt, inquire. If you accidentally offend someone, offer an apology. Both instances are excellent opportunities to increase your cultural sensitivity, and your coworkers will appreciate your sensitivity and effort. Your workplace will be more friendly and productive for everyone if you respect personal and cultural boundaries and will encourage others to do the same by setting a good example.

David Janssen, CEO and Director at VPNoverview 

Celebrate all cultures

Regular culture days can encourage inclusiveness or cultural diversity in the workplace. On this day, let individuals of various communities speak about their culture. Allow them to offer culturally-inspired activities and urge others to participate. Make the cultural day fun and interactive through your creativity. Ensure that everyone remains courteous and receptive to what they will learn today. This will encourage cultural diversity, and individuals will also feel more welcome. This will pave the way for a workplace that is contemporary, culturally vibrant, and more tolerant.

Adam Garcia, Owner of the Stock Dork

Recognize your unconscious bias

What exactly is unconscious bias? It is frequently defined as any prejudice or preconception made for or against an individual or a group. Inclusion can be caused by subtle biases. Leaders must ensure all team members have access to required training, personal growth, professional networks, and so on in order to incorporate all persons or groups.

Isla Sibanda, Cybersecurity Specialist at privacyaustralia.net

Empathetic leadership is key

Diversity and inclusion are frequently viewed as a single project that belongs only to HR. However, each leader must embrace the value of belonging, both academically and emotionally, for meaningful change to occur. A company’s D&I processes won’t succeed unless the whole C-suite takes responsibility for them. Leaders must experience it firsthand before they can recognize the connection between their exclusion and that of others. That’s an important place to start. 

I’m James Crawford, Co-Founder of Deal Drop

Listen with an open mind

To gain a deeper understanding of the company’s strengths, concerns, challenges, hurdles, and company culture, I suggest you consider conducting surveys and focus groups. Starting points for change and places where things could go wrong can be identified using this method.

Conclusion

Promoting inclusivity and diversity in the workplace takes time, dedication, and most importantly, a hand-picked team that shares the same values. But, when the process is set up and the team is all formed, it is well worth the effort. 

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