Inclusivity starts with onboarding, understanding individual needs early

One expert has said that workplaces must focus on onboarding to embed workplace inclusivity – amid the nexus of a multigenerational workforce and varying employee skill sets and expectations.

In a recent HR Leader Podcast episode, Gabrielle Stevens (pictured), head of people and culture at Konica Minolta Australia, reflected on how workplaces can create an inclusive workplace from the get-go through a redesign of onboarding.

Inclusivity requires an individualistic approach

Stevens noted that the current state of the workforce is making inclusivity both easier and harder.

“We’ve got more tools in the toolbox, and we’ve learned a lot along the way, [over] the years. So there are different things that we can do to engage people because we know what has and hasn’t worked in the past,” Stevens said.

She added that HR departments must understand the differing needs of their employees by connecting with workers on an individual level, which will make it easier to engage with employees.

HR departments must be able to engage workers in different ways when they start at the workplace, with Stevens noting that “it is something you can’t skip”.

She stressed the importance of a constant refinement of the onboarding process to ensure that employees feel a sense of belonging and inclusion from the start.

A wonderful onboarding experience

Inclusion needs to begin early for psychological safety to be built, Stevens said.

“You reap the benefits, because when people feel supported, they do their best work,” she said.

To begin, Stevens said, HR departments must completely redesign the onboarding process to support and build positive relationships with their employees.

Stevens said HR departments must create an onboarding process that renders new employees “excited” and “happy” that they made the right decision, “from the minute they sign that contract”.

To achieve this, she suggested creating an onboarding process that welcomes each new employee individually with processes such as sending personalised welcome messages to all new staff, having a welcome pack waiting on the desks of employees and having their computers ready on their first day, and the little things, such as showing them where the bathroom is and how to take leave.

“It’s really making sure that they have that wonderful onboarding experience because it sets the tone for the whole organisation … It really does make an impact on how successful they’re going to be in their role, but also whether … I really did make that right call in joining that organisation,” Stevens said.