Have you ever experienced or witnessed a lack of inclusion in the workplace? If so, how did you address the situation?
Inclusion is different from diversity, and it's essential to be prepared to make the distinction. Diversity refers to 'what' the company is doing to create a diverse workplace, and inclusion is 'how' the company is developing a culture that is safe for all. The interviewer wants you to recount a time when you experienced first hand or witnessed a lack of inclusion in the workplace. This question is not the opportunity to speak poorly of an employer or co-worker but instead spotlight how you address a workplace imbalance.
When responding to a question like this, it's best to give a specific story-based example rather than responding with a generalization. You can form your response using the STAR framework, an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. This framework will allow you to keep your reply well-organized so that the interviewer can follow along with your story.
If you have not experienced this situation in the past, you can speak hypothetically, being sure to address how you would handle the issue and how you plan to support your co-workers in achieving equality in the workplace.
"(Situation) I worked for a company many years ago that did not have proper inclusion efforts for employees with physical disabilities. There was very little assistive technology, and accessibility was not a priority. (Task) As the HR Manager, it was up to me to put a spotlight on these shortcomings. (Action) I brought my concerns to the General Manager in the form of a few critical points, and I provided helpful resources. I explained that many companies are relatively aware that diversity is important, but this does not mean much without inclusion efforts as a follow-through. I spent time explaining the differences between diversity and inclusion. Together, we came up with a plan that would further support inclusion. (Result) In the end, our inclusion program expanded, and we made more effort toward creating a comfortable workplace for employees with physical disabilities. The company's head office was impressed with our plan, and they ended up deploying our ideas across all other locations."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I have experienced a lack of inclusion. Working at the University from different departments every Department Coordinator has access to different programs. Technology is very powerful and can be helpful to all Department Coordinators because we need to be experts in so many areas. I brought the concern to our staff organization and asked if there was any way we can all get access to similar programs. Even if we need to share the expense we can network and share our processes and manage our departments with more tools. Our staff organization went to our technology department and asked what we needed to do to get more seats in programs. We were able to across the board get similar programs and have professional development training in different programs to utilize what will be best for each department.
Marcie's Feedback
You have provided a thorough example that shows you were proactive and successful in initiating change to make sure all the department coordinators were treated equally. Nice job!
Anonymous Answer
S "“ I worked for a company previously whose infrastructure did not fully support employees with physical disabilities.
T "“ There were only two toilets "male' and "female' making it incredibly troublesome for disabled co-workers. As I was manager of stock, and very approachable and sensitive I was the go-to person for many co-workers' issues. One worker, who had a colostomy bag explained that they felt uncomfortable using a shared toilet and enquired for a disabled toilet.
A "“ I brought my concerns to my general manager, providing him with helpful resources and explaining that inclusion must be made our main priority, no worker should feel uncomfortable at work and should have the facilities necessary to help them with their daily needs. Furthermore, I stated that diversity is important but is immobilized without an effective inclusion plan and infrastructure. Together we instigated a plan that would support inclusion further.
R "“ The disabled toilet was created amongst other changes. Every part of the building's design was reviewed, and the necessary steps were taken to make it fully inclusive and a comfortable place to work for everyone. Although the cost was high it did not matter as valuing each and every employers' needs is more important. The Head office was impressed by the changes and the positive feedback from employers.
Amanda's Feedback
Terrific example! You have done a great job sharing an example where you became aware of a lack of inclusion, spoke up, helped create an action plan, and saw the changes through. You could improve your answer by sharing what other building changes you facilitated besides the addition of the new restroom.
Anonymous Answer
I worked for a company in which our website did not have enough accessibility features. So it was emphasized to our designer that we should put more importance on this. Not only would this help our legal and business value but most importantly disabled people will be able to use our app. One important detail that I otherwise would've overlooked was making the buttons bigger on icons so people with lesser dexterity can click on them.
My other developer coworkers did not want to deal with this extra work but I emphasized to them it was important and that you need to empathize with disabled people like imagining if it was their family. They agreed to properly follow all accessibility guidelines after my conversation with them.
Amanda's Feedback
Remember, this question is focused on inclusion in the actual workplace rather than in a project for the outside world. It's also important to make sure to delineate between inclusion and diversity. Inclusion focuses on HOW the company is creating a culture in which everyone can reach their full potential while diversity refers to WHAT the organization is doing to develop a more diverse workplace. In essence, the interviewer is asking you to talk about a time when you saw a lack of inclusion in your own workplace and what you did to address it.
When responding to a situational question like this, it's best to use a specific example try using the STAR method, an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. This framework helps you to keep your answer well-organized. Start by talking about the scenario you witnessed, the problem it created, what action you took, and what the positive result was.
If you have not experienced this situation in the past, you can speak hypothetically, being sure to address how you would handle the issue and how you plan to support your co-workers in achieving equality in the workplace.
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