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The importance of an inclusive culture

An organisation that is respectful towards all of its people and individual qualities fosters an environment in which everyone can thrive.

Sport and recreation organisations with a positive and inclusive culture are conducive to greater gender diversity.

Recruitment, on-boarding and induction

This begins with creating an organisational culture that is welcoming and inclusive for women and new starters.

Providing a simple on-boarding process in addition to a welcoming and informative induction session will help new starters to feel confident and supported in their new role and ensure that they are aware of the values, aims and processes of your organisation.

Consider your current on-boarding process and induction:

• Identify and address any barriers that new starter may face when joining your organisation.
• Once a new starter has commenced within your organisation, ensure that they are given all the information that they will need to perform their role. This involved taking new starters through induction as soon as possible upon starting in their role and providing an informative induction pack. This allows them to be equipped with the right information to succeed in their role.
• Inform new starters about support mechanisms that are available to them? For example, their assigned buddy should be introduced to them prior to their first day and should act as their go-to person for any questions they might have.

If your organisation provides a supportive, inclusive and enabling environment, this will help retain women in leadership roles longer.

Strategies to get new-starters on board

• Assign a buddy to the new-starter
• Provide a welcome/induction pack prior to getting the new-starter on board
• Conduct induction as soon as possible

What you should do

• Challenge the organisational culture and status quo, empowering everyone to call out unacceptable behaviour and language through role modelling this behaviour.
• Review your role requirements and job descriptions –consider the content included and whether it is inclusive of everyone.
• Review the induction and on-boarding process to ensure that all new starters feel welcome and included.
• Update language used within your organisation’s materials and marketing, eliminating gender bias to make it more inclusive