Inclusive intelligence is the deliberate teaching and implementing of inclusive behaviors in the workplace, with the goal of making the culture more accepting of diversity and keeping employees engaged. Inclusive intelligence is built on the habits of being fair, open, cooperative, supportive, and empowering.

The New IQ

Inclusive habits lead to increased teamwork, better retention, innovation, and productivity in diverse workplaces. Diverse workplaces have been correlated to higher profits for organizations, making it worth companies’ time to invest in diversity.

The idea behind inclusive intelligence is to help talent feel individually unique but also included in the workplace. Employees who feel this way show increased civility with other team members and are more satisfied with the organization as a whole.

Covering Is Not Inclusive 

When a workplace is not as inclusive as it could be, employees will “cover,” or try to de-emphasize differences between themselves and the majority group. Covering could include changing your appearance or not advocating for your own group so that you do not stand out as too different.

When employees cover, it costs the team and the company the benefits of having those differences, which contribute to the overall success of the team. Without true and honest diverse perspectives, innovation cannot reach its maximum potential; employees will not feel comfortable being honest if the culture is not genuinely inclusive.

Inclusive Intelligence and Talent Strategy

Inclusive talent strategies use a variety of techniques to individualize and personalize talent search and development by focusing on relationships and informal networks rather than mass development and standardization.

Inclusive intelligence focuses on developing the talent of all employees at all levels rather than focusing only on top talent or on challenges faced by the organization as a whole. Teams cannot work together when they feel that some members are more highly valued than others; developing talent across the board will reveal potential that cannot always be seen or assessed at the outset of employment.

Inclusive Hiring

The hiring process can encourage or discourage inclusiveness right from the very beginning. Expectations of conformity are often communicated subconsciously; inclusive habits do not come naturally to many workplaces and the hiring teams that staff them.

Hiring staff can look for covering behaviors during the application and interview process to ensure that employees are genuinely diverse in their attitudes and thinking. Hiring teams can also assess candidates for characteristics conducive to inclusive habits like openness and supportiveness so that talent will add to the inclusive culture for which the company is striving.

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Having a diverse hiring team can be an advantage when inclusivity is the goal as well. Inclusiveness is more than just diversity, or having different backgrounds/gender/ethnicity, etc. Rather, it is creating a culture where all employees feel empowered to contribute all they can to the team, company, and process.

Keeping track of the many facets of an inclusive hiring process can overwhelm the most competent hiring staff. ThriveTRM tracks candidates, contact, and all aspects of the hiring process, even after hiring is complete. Schedule a demo of ThriveTRM today to explore how this solution can streamline and simplify your entire hiring process.

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