What are young workers looking for in an employer? Workplace culture is a high priority, behind only work-life balance and pay, according to a 2018 Confederation of British Industry survey of 1,000 17-23 year olds.
Both millennials and generation Z say diversity is also key to workplace loyalty, with 69% agreeing they are more likely to want to stay five or more years if working for employers perceived to have a diverse workforce, according to Deloitte’s 2018 Millennial Survey Report.
But what is a diverse and inclusive culture? Jill Miller, diversity and inclusion policy adviser at the CIPD (The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a professional organisation that has helped to shape pay gap regulations), describes an inclusive culture as “supporting people to perform at their best as they will be able to be themselves and know their contribution is valued”.
And at the heart of inclusion is tolerance. A tolerant workplace is built on a diverse workforce, suggests Miller. “People with a diversity of identities, backgrounds and circumstances bring with them different perspectives which can challenge ‘group-think’ and lead to more innovative ideas.”