Diversity and inclusion are topics that are very important and have had a lot of focus lately… Lately, until we all started to be locked down. Every country, every company has been trying to fight for themselves and suddenly, we all start to be selfish again…
Even though falling back on hold ‘habits’ might be understandable in some cases, it never is the answer to retreat, stay and work only with people we know, people who are like us…
So, for companies who are (re) thinking about their organization and how to adapt to the new normal, the need for diversity in the workplace is being felt now more than ever. To keep up the pace, companies ought to have adequate clarity on the skills they expect their talent pools to possess, especially in such situations as we face now.
What does it mean to have a ‘diverse’ workforce?
When we talk about diversity, we often think first of women in the workplace. Research has shown that the increase of women in leadership is helping businesses to thrive in unprecedented ways. Women see things differently and have different strengths than men. Women have more prominently exhibited the intuitive abilities of persons who can reach out to others to resolve issues or reduce friction; in comparison to men. How do the traits of being multi-skilled, multi-tasking, problem solver, influencer or bringing people together, keeping energy levels up, maintaining a level-head, rank among the rest of the other professional traits? Can a company see value in these traits, that are more pronounced in women than in men?
Having a diverse workforce does not only mean having more women, especially in more senior roles. It means working with people that are different. Companies not only need people from different genders, but also with different backgrounds, different abilities, different status (married vs. single/divorced, with or without children), different ages, different personalities and if you have a global company, people from different nationalities (and languages), different cultures, different religions….
Having a diverse workforce means accepting differences, including people in discussions, in communications, in projects, etc. It means respecting others and their opinions. Of course, there will be disagreements once in a while, but who hasn’t got one? When two or more people disagree, they actually provide an opportunity to look for a workaround, another idea or solution. Inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market (Josh Bersin Research)
Why should you have employees as diverse as possible? What are the benefits?
According to the Boston Consulting Group, - companies that have more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenue. Advantages are not only seen from the employer’s point of view, but also from the employees’. According to Fast Company, organizations with above-average gender diversity and levels of employee engagement outperform companies with below-average diversity and engagement by 46% to 58%.
Furthermore, we are now in a unique situation. There has never been a time before where 4 generations can work with each other! Boomers, GenX, Millennials and GenZ are currently on the job market. This is an opportunity for many companies to ensure they gather all points of view and meet customers’ needs, no matter their age.
Global companies or companies that work in different countries need to ensure they have employees representing these countries or cultures. Something obvious for a person in one country may not be so obvious for another person in another country. People have different backgrounds, different histories, different habits and therefore a product or a service that is very successful in a country may need to be customized in another to meet the customers’ needs (or daily habits, legal requirements, etc.)
If you intend to serve ‘everybody’, you also need to make sure your product(s) and/or service(s) can also be used by people with different abilities. If your workforce are all mentally and physically able, how will you know for sure that someone in a wheelchair for instance will be able to use that product or service? If you already have employees in a wheelchair, they will tell you if there is any challenge before you start implementing or even creating your product or service.
Finally, when you have a diverse workforce, it also means you’ll have different personalities, with different opinions and ideas. This will give you an opportunity to create new or complementary things, things you may not have thought of at the beginning. Hiring and working with people from different backgrounds and life experiences give you diverse perspectives and understanding of people’s needs.
What can you do as a company?
Companies will have to adapt to this new world we are stepping into. This evolutionary process has to be inclusive of skillful people from all sorts of backgrounds, genders, races, demographics and physical abilities. Doing so, organizations may face challenges in accepting D&I. Resistance, fear, aversion to change, politics, insecurity etc. will appear here and there. Nonetheless, the inherent fullness and variety will naturally bring out the best possible path for the company to recover out of the crisis.
- Start with recruiting diverse people: if you are looking for a certain profile, keep an open mind. Maybe someone does not have the ‘perfect profile’ or comes from a different industry, but if that person is motivated and willing to learn, he/she will be doing the job you wanted him/her to do and will often exceed expectations
- Mentor and support men AND women so that they can get promoted and climb the corporate ladder. Encourage coaching, reverse mentoring so that people can get additional roles and responsibilities based on the value they can provide and not because they ‘fit the profile’ of the current organization.
- Empower people. Give them tools, training, opportunities so that they can demonstrate their potential.
- Educate people in the workplace about different cultures. Share the importance of celebrating/observing auspicious cultural festivals, food, dress, and meaning behind certain behavior. The more people know about each other, the more open they become. Fear then diminishes. A greater awareness paves the way to healthier socialization in the workplace and personal/workplace relationships are enhanced.
Final thoughts
Looking forward and once you decide to include and keep the diversity numbers high, think about the steps you would be taking to ensure these individuals are welcomed, engaged, included, and not given a shadow treatment. Diversity and inclusion cannot be one-time activity and neither can they be on a quota basis. QUOTAS cannot and should not be used to automate D&I. Diversity and inclusion should be CULTURE. They should be a conscious decision supported by senior management, business relevance, and benefit.
Being a leader puts one under constant scrutiny for the legacy he/she is creating. The actions and decisions of leaders during the difficult times are more prone to criticism and judgment in the future. Would they be able to pass the tests of race, class, nationality, and marginalized groups? To be or not to be diverse and inclusive, that is the question.
About the authors
Virginie Lemay-Vriesde
Virginie, the author of the book "My revenge on life" as well as coach and trainer specialized in the development of world leaders, is based in Luxembourg.
She has more than 20 years of worldwide experience in the management of international and virtual teams.
She turns managers into global leaders and helps them Succeed in the Adventures of Leadership and Self Assurance (SALSA 💃🏽)
Virginie is available to lead team workshops, give training, and speak at global leadership conferences.
Nagaraj N
www.linkedin.com/in/nagarajn4457621
Nagaraj N, a successful HR leader, an architect behind 5 successful Tech. start-ups, right from conceptualizing the HR blueprint, to scaling them up rapidly across 30+ countries & further leading them to successful mergers.
His strong business experience as a Board Director, as a Delivery Head & his inherent belief in culture & people, helps organizations maximize their returns on the talent.
As a mentor of senior leadership teams & as a member of several VC Board Advisory bodies, he constantly drives the organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly to hold the competitive advantage.
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