What is conscious inclusion – and why does your business need it?

Conscious inclusion means having a purposeful and considered focus on creating an inclusive environment. Its aim is to make people – no matter who they are – feel welcome, respected and valued. Crucially, it mitigates unconscious bias, taking DE&I initiatives from the theoretical to the practical. It is in this space that success stories happen.

Incorporating conscious inclusion into leadership development discussions is essential as it not only helps leaders reflect on their own qualities but cultivates an appreciation for the diverse identities of others. In the workplace, diversity has a proven positive impact on organisational effectiveness, driving innovation, product development, customer relations, and the retention of top talent. While many organisations recognise this, they may fail to fully leverage the benefits of a diverse workforce in practice. For instance, efforts to build a more diverse workforce often focus on assembling teams with varied backgrounds, skills, and perspectives – but this can be undermined by unconscious bias.

When certain attributes are valued unequally, either positively or negatively, the true potential of diversity is diminished. For example, in organisations where extroversion is rewarded, the contributions of introverted individuals may be overlooked. This can result in highly qualified but quieter individuals being passed over for promotions in favour of their more vocal and visible counterparts. This is where conscious inclusivity practices can help.

“When you are being consciously inclusive, you start to develop an awareness of what your blind spots may be”, says Peter MacDonald Hall, of FAIRER Consulting. “You recognise the importance of listening to diverse voices from across the organisation, regardless of what level they are, because you never know where the next great idea will come from.”

What’s the difference between conscious inclusion and unconscious bias?

Unconscious bias is based on implicit attitudes, assumptions, and stereotypes that shape our perceptions and decision-making processes. Unconscious bias can significantly impact the workplace, particularly in areas such as recruitment, performance evaluation and promotion.

Leaders therefore need to mitigate their own biases, and unconscious bias training is a step in the right direction.

Conscious inclusion, as mentioned above, is a proactive stance on DE&I, where implicit biases and toxicity are kicked to the kerb, creating an environment that is open, supportive and founded on mutual respect – a formula for thriving, healthy teams and output.

Getting it right – and becoming consciously inclusive – is vital for organisations trying to attract and retain top talent. However, hiring managers tend to hire people who simply look and sound like them – due to unconscious bias. Clearly, a workplace that is negatively impacted by unconscious bias will find it difficult to attract and retain diverse talent. Senior leaders would be wise to consider where their blind spots are and work out how to mitigate bias within the employee lifecycle.

If you would like to know more about conscious inclusion at work, sign up for our bitesize webinar, Promoting Conscious Inclusion in the Workplace. We hope you can join us.

And if you would like to explore conscious inclusion and how to embed it into your organisation – or wish to discuss any other aspect of DE&I – please contact FAIRER Consulting – we look forward to connecting with you soon.