On June 28, 2021, Logos Fellow Yinnan Shen quoted in an InHerSight article on cultivating an inclusive and healthy office environment for all employees. The article offers insights and tips from experts on what it takes to create an inclusive, respectful culture in the workplace.
According to Shen, who teaches a course on Elevating Multicultural Competence at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering, employers need be intentional about hiring and prioritizing diversity and inclusion in upper management, as culture is created from the top down.
“Is the leadership heterogeneous? Are diverse voices and perspectives included in planning processes? If not, a good starting point is to make sure that you have diverse voices in the room where decisions are made,” she explains.
Shen further noted that to create a truly diverse and inclusive workplace culture, companies need to go beyond performative measures and prioritize inclusion rather than diversity.
“Yes, it’s good to have women and people of color sitting as part of your company,” says Shen. “But it’s more important to truly respect and value their input and understand why their presence is necessary. Diversity doesn’t drive innovation or performance; inclusion does.”
Comments