The importance of recognising inclusion and opportunity in the workplace

Whatever stage of life you’re at, whether you’re still at school, starting at a new college, entering a training course, or in the world of work, you’re going to meet people with backgrounds and points of view that can be very different from your own. This article looks at inclusion and opportunity and how these differences are what make us unique, and it’s important to know how to respect and celebrate them, whether that’s at work or in our day-to-day lives.

What is ‘inclusion and opportunity’?

Inclusion and opportunity is an organisations commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected, within a culture of belonging and equal opportunity.  This helps employees to have a fair chance to participate and succeed, regardless of their background or characteristics.

When applying for jobs, what should we consider?

Finding an organisation that holds good inclusion and opportunity policies can be tricky, but you could try searching the web to research potential places to work, and look on company websites or social media. When searching, ask yourself, do they:

• Regularly blog or use social media to post about their values, and/or support campaigns that promote inclusion and opportunity, e.g., through retweets and shares?
• Follow and celebrate a wide range of people and organisations on their social media? Do their staff post positive comments about working there?
• Have an accessibility statement or mission statement about inclusion and opportunity on their website?
• Have any partnerships with organisations that champion equal rights?
• What's the background and characteristics of their management team, board of directors, trustees?

If a company you’re interested in doesn’t tick lots of the above list, that doesn’t mean they won’t prove to be a good, inclusive employer. Asking the right questions and using the right language can help you dig further and find out more about their values. Here are a few that you might want to consider using when interviewing for a role:

• What do you think makes your organisation a great place to work?
• What are your company’s most important values?
• What does your company currently do to promote inclusion and opportunity?
• Do you have any programmes or groups that support inclusion and opportunity?
• Do you offer mentoring for underrepresented groups?
• Do you run a reverse mentoring scheme? (This is when younger employees are paired with more senior team members to mentor them on culture and other relevant topics.)
• (If the company answers no to the above) Are you planning on introducing training on inclusion and opportunity or similar?

This is why it is important to have a good understanding of inclusion and opportunity, as it's relevant to almost every area of your life. Having the right information to hand helps you to feel more confident and empowered when having conversations with potential employers and making decisions about the places you’d like to work. It’s also really a useful tool for working well with others, recognising non-inclusive behaviour, and knowing when to challenge it.