by Jill Sejd
May 15th 2024
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If you work at Campus Rec, you are likely no stranger to the idea of inclusion. Many of us are familiar with practices that help make our patrons feel more included: greeting people when they enter our facility, using inclusive language, and being friendly and approachable for anyone who needs help. These strides are important, and we receive a great deal of positive feedback about how our staff help make so many individuals feel more comfortable and welcomed in our space!
With that being said…. What about our fellow staff members?
Campus Rec is a big place. In fact, did you know that we employ over 150 students throughout all departments? It is unrealistic to expect that you’ll be able to thoroughly meet every person you work with. However, when the opportunity arises, we’d like you to consider the following ideas for inclusion among our staff. The actions you take can contribute to a more connected and inclusive workplace for everyone!
Here at Campus Rec, we believe that every employee should…
- Feel a sense of belonging and community
- Feel like their opinions and experiences are valued
- Feel welcomed to talk freely with their ProStaff, Student Coordinators, and coworkers
- Have access to learning and development opportunities
What is your role in making this a reality for your coworkers?
- Start a conversation that takes you out of your comfort zone. Next time you have downtime at work, try to push yourself out of the bubble of folks you feel most comfortable with and talk with someone you don’t know as well, or include them in your conversation. You don’t need to be best friends with everyone, but it is always nice to know that someone is interested in getting to know you (Thompson).
- Highlight the accomplishments of your coworkers. If you notice your coworker doing something great, bring attention to it! “Not only will this make coworkers feel more included in the conversation, they’ll be much more likely to contribute again in the future,” says Thompson.
- Ask questions, be curious! Campus Rec strives to employ a wide variety of people from diverse backgrounds. If a coworker tells you about something you don’t know much about, ask! (Ali). Most people appreciate when others take interest in hearing about their experiences, background or culture. This can also help grow a much stronger connection between you and your coworkers.
- Be inclusive of folks from other work areas. When you are in the facility, you likely encounter folks who work in different areas than you. You can be a welcoming person to them by remembering their name or other things about them. If you come across someone you don’t know in the staff area, introduce yourself and see where it takes you— there are so many awesome people here you have yet to meet!
- When expressing opinions, consider your language. When contributing to a conversation, use lines like “in my opinion,” “from my experience,” “personally…” These ways of qualifying your experiences allow for others to share alternative or conflicting experiences without judgment. “Don’t dismiss or dispel contributions from other people. Regardless of whether you agree, it helps keep the conversation open to all” (Ali).
- Embrace what makes us unique. Every individual has perspectives and lived experiences
that are unique from others. Don’t shy away from these differences, welcome them! (Ali).
Strengthening the community culture at Campus Rec is not only about employee-to-patron or pro staff-to-employee relationships. By building stronger relationships with our fellow coworkers, we strengthen not only our own experiences at work, but those of every individual who uses the Rec Center. Making these small changes is a simple task, but can yield widespread results for us all to feel as included as possible at our workplace.
Works Cited
Ali, Zeinab. “7 Top Tips to Become an Inclusive Co-Worker.” Inclusive Employers, Inclusive Employers, 29 Feb. 2024, www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/blog/7-ways-to-be-an-inclusive-co-worker/.
Thompson, E. (2022, November 21). 8 tips on how to be an inclusive coworker. Uptimize. https://uptimize.com/inclusive-coworker/