Remote work is like the proverbial genie in the bottle. The pandemic helped unleash it into our modern workplaces. And now, hybrid work is here to stay for the long haul. Although it has many benefits, maintaining a hybrid workforce can also worsen existing challenges within your organisation. Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) is a case in point. In this article, we will look at the why’s and how’s of promoting inclusion and belonging in hybrid workplaces in India.

Diversity And Inclusion Meaning In The Indian Context

Although the broad principles of DIB have universal application across the world, the actual objectives can vary significantly. They are driven by the unique social, cultural and historic contexts in each region.

For instance, race, gender, and sexuality are priority for organisations seeking DIB affirmation in the United States. The Indian context is slightly different, according to a 2022 survey of Indian workplaces by Indeed.

According to the employees surveyed by Indeed, the top three factors that drive bias and discrimination in Indian workplaces are an individual’s disability status (47 percent), gender/sexual orientation (44 percent), and age/marital status (36 percent). The more obvious factors like religion, caste, and ethnicity rank much lower on the list.

Employers and employees share largely similar ideas regarding the meaning of DEI in the workplace. Acceptance, togetherness/oneness, mutual respect, a sense of belonging, equal opportunity, and heterogeneity in the workforce are the common themes.

Dissecting The Demand For Hybrid Work Among Employees

The demand for hybrid work is not uniform among all employees. According to a highly illuminating study by McKinsey on the topic, cohorts of employees who face higher risk of discrimination in the workplace are more likely to give preference for hybrid work/remote work.

Non-binary employees were 14 percent more likely to prefer working remotely, while for people with disabilities, the figure was around 11 percent. And LGBTQ employees preferred it 13 percent more than their heterosexual colleagues.

A possible reason for this trend may be the additional pressure individuals from such groups face in the workplace, especially if they are forced to hide their identities to avoid stigma. Microaggressions and outright harassment from co-workers and managers are also major reasons. 

Women are another key demographic who face such issues and show a greater preference to work from home. Given the burden society places on women in duties like child care, they are more likely to enjoy the greatest gain in work-life balance improvements from hybrid arrangements.

Steps To Ensure Inclusion And Belonging In A Hybrid Workplace

In a recent report released by CBRE South Asia, over 69 percent of workers in India preferred hybrid work with just three days a week at the office. According to the McKinsey study, employees from traditionally underrepresented groups have a greater preference for remote work than their peers.

Hasty or ill-informed decisions regarding allocation of remote workdays by managers can quickly lead to discontent and feeling of injustice among employees. Fears of proximity bias can also cause considerable stress among people who get more time away from the office.

Leaders at hybrid workplaces should include the following steps in their decision-making process to make it more transparent and inclusive:

Respect employee preferences

Managers need to take employee preferences and motives into consideration while handling allocation of fully remote roles, or the duration of work-from-home for hybrid roles. Instead of looking purely at the professional content, due importance must be given to the personal context. Creating a supportive environment where women/LGBTQ/disabled employees can put forward their preferences and the reasons for it would be a great first step. 

Understand the fallacy of proximity bias

A massive pitfall of hybrid working arrangements is proximity bias. According to the Harvard Business Review, managers have a tendency of giving preferential treatment to employees who work from the office. This is usually based on the outdated assumption that remote workers are less productive. On the contrary, Gartner surveys indicate that productivity increased by 36 per cent among employees when they worked remotely. To eliminate this assumption, it is important for you to establish a culture of trust and transparency. So, try avoiding proximity bias at your workplace as it may adversely affect your business.

Promote informal communications

Remote workers often lose out on the chance to engage in casual interactions with their colleagues and managers. The audio-visual cues during these interactions often let others know if the employee is in any kind of distress. Managers should prioritise frequent direct communications with remote employees, either through video chat, or during their allocated office days.

Try to decentralise hybrid work

Strict top-down models of decision-making can undermine DIB efforts in hybrid workplaces. Instead of managers unilaterally taking decisions regarding remote work allocations, deploy a more team-led approach to decide who gets to work remotely and when. Rely on inputs from each employee in the process. Employee empowerment is critical these days, and not just from a DIB perspective.

Final Thoughts

Promoting inclusion and belonging in hybrid workplaces is essential for employee retention, productivity gains, and a host of other reasons. However, hybrid work is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can promote better work-life balance and make certain employees feel happier at work.

At the same time, it can also exacerbate existing inequalities in the workplace. A proactive approach involving leadership at all levels of the organisation is essential to prevent this from happening. Failure is not an option, since it can tarnish your employer brand and make talent acquisition harder than ever.