When you go down to the brass tacks, businesses are about people. So inculcating the values of inclusion in the interest of those driving your business – and to whom it caters to – is a no-brainer. But beyond the theory and good-to-dos, are you truly building an organization that is ready to operate in a global marketplace? There is often uncertainty around the right way to approach improving culture and Diversity & Inclusion. Even with the best of intensions, D&I becomes an isolated practice, the responsibility of a few individuals to implement or only visible during high octane days like hashtag#InternationalWomensDay.
D&I practices need to be woven into the fabric of a company’s culture by the right habits and reflection and taking clear actions to continuously improve. Employees throughout all levels of leadership should be mobilized and have varying levels of influence on your strategy and efforts.
But on this occasion of hashtag#InternationalWomensDay it is clear that you can only move the needle on D&I if you first embrace the E – Equity.
Are you focusing on the E?
In the ABCs of D&I, E stands for Equity – a relatively newer entrant in the acronym, but perhaps the most critical. In general, equity at work is said to exist when all employees have equal opportunities and access to resources to succeed. This includes aspects like compensation, language, cognizance of how certain programmes and policies might have different impacts on people with different gender identities, socio-economic statuses or cultural backgrounds. Equity makes us accountable to look at everyone with a unique lens and acknowledge that not everyone has the same kind of experiences and opportunities.
A simple starting point could be to look inwards on what you’re already doing in the interest of your organisation’s culture and raise questions such as –
o Is your compensation and promotion practices structured fairly and equally for men and women?
o Are your remote working policies helping those with additional responsibilities at home transition to the virtual workplace more effectively?
o While you have a generous maternity leave allowance, is it equally extended to new fathers? Or does it do enough for single or adoptive parents?
o While your open office floor plan and identical desks are meant to level the workplace experience for everyone, do team members with special needs have seating or space that allows them to work comfortably?
It is evident that equity can be complicated to demonstrate in the workplace. This is because what constitutes fair and equitable treatment is often subjective and unique to the experiences of every individual employee.
Why it’s important
DEI or the aspects under it are not just HR buzzwords. They are essential profitability and performance boosters. Several studies show diversity has a strong correlation with organizational performance. According to McKinsey, organizations with diversity of gender are 25% more likely to be more profitable than their peers. World Economic Forum suggests that companies with diverse employees have up to 20% higher rate of innovation and 19% higher innovation revenues. In other words, companies are not only more successful when they embrace diversity of thought, experience, and ideas, but they are also more innovative and attractive to job seekers.
And it’s never too late to begin. Take stock of your efforts and remember that there is always something new to learn and more to implement.
How we can help – From DE&I Framework Design to Unconscious Bias Workshops and Modules for Middle Management, we curate exclusive programmes to help organizations scale up their inclusion efforts. So, if you’re in the search of a partner to create bespoke, distinctive, and actionable human resource interventions to help achieve your diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes, look no further.
