BY C. Lee Smith
You’ve heard of microaggressions and how they can harm an employee’s loyalty. But what about micro-inclusions? This new trend is generating buzz in the workplace and is one way to reduce employee turnover.
Tested Tactics Reduce Employee Turnover
If you haven’t heard of microaggressions, here’s a reminder of the forms they can take. Someone in your office might consistently mispronounce people’s names that are not Western in origin. Saying you are having a dyslexic or autistic moment when you don’t have these conditions is also a problem.
These types of slights don’t outwardly seem aggressive, but they also do not make the targeted employee(s) feel welcome. When employees don’t feel welcome, their engagement falls. Eventually, you’ll be at risk of losing them.
To counteract the negative impact of microaggressions, researchers recommend that managers start using micro-inclusions. These intentional actions, usually taken by managers, strengthen team bonds.
Gregg Muragishi and fellow researchers recently studied the way women at tech companies have been treated. In this sector, women have long faced harassment, ranging from incidents of “mansplaining” to being deliberately omitted from important communications.
In their studies, researchers tested whether employees sensed the difference between friendly behavior and intentionally inclusive actions. For example “publicly thanking an employee” or asking for their opinion in a team setting serve as micro-inclusions. These actions are quite different from stopping by an employee’s desk to see how they are doing.
Not surprisingly, the subjects in the researchers’ study experienced positive outcome. The acts of micro-inclusion increased women’s sense of belonging.
Managerial Responsibility
To reduce employee turnover, managers have the primary responsibility for practicing micro-inclusions. Gallup researchers note that up to 70% of workplace engagement variation can be linked to a manager. This data point makes perfect sense.
In addition, new employees are especially likely to rely on their managers as they find their footing. When managers make the effort to welcome new employees, they are taking a positive first step. And while these employees want managerial approval, they also need to feel part of the team.
Your newest team members appreciate welcoming gestures such as being assigned a mentor and being taken out to lunch. But their real feelings of belonging come when the manager shows respect for their abilities. Signs of respect can include acknowledging their work on a project in a team meeting.
This inclusive action shows the rest of the team that you value the contributions from the new employee. You are also setting an example when you publicly acknowledge an individual’s strengths. Public praise as part of the work experience builds a healthy and cohesive culture.
Co-worker Support
When a manager acknowledges an employee’s expertise enough times, the rest of the team notices. Over time, they will learn who to consult when they have a question.
Some team members will know exactly how to solve a recurring problem with an app. Other team members excel at wording customer service emails in just the right way. When co-workers reach out for help, everyone’s sense of loyalty and belonging builds.
Managers who encourage this kind of teamwork will also reduce employee turnover.
Personalized Micro-inclusion
All employees appreciate a friendly and supportive work culture. But not every employee wants their contributions to the team recognized in the same way. Your micro-inclusion efforts can be more meaningful when you personalize them.
The best way to do that is to review your team members’ psychometric assessment results. Some employees love being the center of attention and enjoy public praise. Those are the employees you should applaud in a team meeting.
For other employees, a little attention goes a long way. You can acknowledge the role they played in a critical project during a team meeting.
But they might appreciate a little more. Receiving a gift card and a handwritten note from their manager or a senior leader affirms their contributions. This recognition is another form of micro-inclusion.
The actions also serve as positive reinforcement that they are doing a great job, and they reduce employee turnover.
Photo by Alexander Suhorucov on Pexels.