Inclusive Engagement: Building Bridges to Belonging

Through the lens of inclusion, it’s possible to unlock the full potential of our workplaces and communities, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute.

In my journey, both personal and professional, I have encountered various forms of exclusion and discrimination. As a child I faced bullying and was often made to feel like an outsider. This sense of alienation continued into adulthood, where I, a gay male in an interracial marriage, experienced both overt and passive discriminations, microaggressions, and exclusions.

Yet, despite the challenges I faced, these experiences taught me that a culture built on inclusion and belonging can have a positive impact in our workplaces, communities, and our lives.

A recent NCVO survey found that participation in social impact opportunities is directly impacted by barriers like time constraints, disabilities, or lack of cultural relevance – with the minority groups being 2x more likely to feel excluded.  Therefore, to meaningfully engage our teams, we must look beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and start viewing CSR through a more inclusive lens.

Recognising the Barriers

Whether conscious or unconscious in nature, outside of work or as part of our engagement programmes barriers to inclusion can take many forms—physical, psychological, social, and/or attitudinal.

An example highlighted in this real-world case study from YouTube. When the company launched its iOS app video upload feature, about 10% of initial videos were uploaded upside-down. The engineering team initially struggled to understand why so many users were recording videos incorrectly; but later realised the app had been unintentionally designed for right-handed users, while overlooking the needs of left-handed individuals. Although unintended, this example highlights how internal bias, and exclusionary practices can adversely affect clients, teams, and communities.

Just as YouTube’s oversight impacted the experience of left-handed users, factors such as limited accessibility, time constraints, fear of judgment, and lack of awareness can prevent employees from fully engaging in our volunteering and giving programmes.

Creating a Culture of Belonging

Building an inclusive workplace culture requires intentional effort, continuous improvement, visible commitment from senior leaders, team-wide policies and practices that promote psychological safety, equity, respect, and indiscrimination at all levels.

The same is true when we think about fostering a culture of inclusion within our employee volunteering, giving, and philanthropic programmes.

As social good leaders, we must focus on developing the core competencies of inclusive leadership, including emotional intelligence, awareness of bias, curiosity about others, confidence and humility, and effective collaboration. With these skills, we’re able to create an environment where employees feel valued and supported, leading to higher engagement, satisfaction, and overall well-being.

Addressing the Challenges

To overcome these barriers, we must evaluate our CSR programmes and address inadvertent exclusions that may have been missed during the design and implementation phases.

This includes ensuring we provide accessible volunteering options, offer flexible scheduling, encourage peer support, promote cultural sensitivity, and design inclusive giving and service activities that cater to the interests and needs of our employees and communities.

Here are some key action steps to help make your CSR programmes more inclusive:

1. Provide training as well as clear, comprehensive guidelines to help reduce ambiguity, uncertainty, and anxiety, while building employee confidence in participation.
2. Share detailed information about the impact of volunteering and giving programmes to give employees insight into the tangible value of their contributions.
3. Recognise and reward participation to further boost motivation and reduce feelings of trepidation.
4. Finally, offer personalised opportunities that align with individual interests and values to help enhance engagement.

The Journey, Not the Destination

In conclusion, the journey towards inclusive engagement is ongoing and requires dedication and perseverance. By addressing barriers, upholding a culture of belonging, and continuously evolving our practices, we can create engagement and philanthropic programmes where everyone feels empowered to contribute and thrive.

My personal experiences of exclusion have deeply shaped my commitment to this cause and reinforced the belief that true inclusion has the power to transform lives and build stronger, more resilient communities. So, as we continue to advocate for meaningful CSR, let’s embrace the challenge of inclusive engagement with empathy, passion, and a relentless pursuit of a more equitable and connected world. Together, we can build bridges to a culture of belonging and unlock the extraordinary potential within each one of us.

If you’d like to discuss how you can foster more inclusivity in your workplace through CSR, please feel free to get in touch! We’d love to work with you to boost engagement and ensure your employees feel valued and heard.