Diversity & Inclusion at workplace means employment of talent with distinctive variations in terms of age, gender classification, race, culture, religion, geographical region, birth, learning exposure, and education level. Diversity exhibits multiple benefits to the employer and employees ranging from greater creativity to innovation and enriched employee experience and engagement.
It reflects and show cases the distinctive aspects of differentiation between people and their characteristics. We are also showcasing other aspect of diversity, namely diversity of views, values, thoughts and opinion etc. For example, embracing equity as a Woman in a male dominated career fields, bridging the equity gap and feeling a sense of empowerment to meet your individual needs at work is a brilliant example of diversity and inclusion at work place. your version of embracing equity as a Woman in a Sales Career bridging the equity gap and feeling a sense of empowerment to meet your individual needs at work. Such examples in organizations are true example of driving Equity for women, taking the required actions to drive gender parity.
Diversity and inclusion also mean, walk the talk, walk the talk in terms of execution and ensure give same experience to the staff, it means elimination of personal preferences towards any specific individual or group or creed of people, ensuring building unbiased and scalable processed which will ensure fostering of talent based on the capability and performance only, eliminating all other biased or preferences. The concept has evolved into a focus area for most organizations worldwide and businesses across industries are stepping up to create an environment in which every individual’s needs are acknowledged and respected. With the test of time, we shall see and experience changes in the ecosystem with provisions to meet the demands of diversity and inclusion. From easily accessible pathways to inclusive washrooms and common areas, offices are taking myriad steps to bolster diversity in the workspace.
Alternatively, many workspaces today strive to create safe working conditions for women and individuals belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community. However, despite these progressive alterations, the actual abilities of the minority groups are largely ignored, leading to multiple hindrances on their way to the top of the corporate ladder. In simple terms, organizations and the workforce need to realize that diversity is not merely relegated to conducive infrastructure – rather, it is a drastic change in the underlying mindset and this pivot can only be affected through consistent reinforcement.
Appreciating and accepting the need to be inclusive
Organizations will be inclusive only if they accept diversity as seen in the outside world and, as a result, have adequate representation from each community. Empathy and acceptance of each individual in an organization is essential, but more importantly, they must be included as normal team members, respecting their diverse abilities and differences and making them comfortable. Efforts to handhold, mentor and train them so that they adjust to the work environment would be necessary. Creating ally ship and groups to share challenges and successes would also be extremely beneficial.
Fostering a cultural shift
Diversity necessitates a collective approach and contribution from all employees. It requires an environment where employees listen intently, acknowledge the other person’s feelings, own up to their misjudgments, and open up conversations respectfully. There is a tremendous need for education and sensitization programs aimed at fostering a cultural shift in the organizational DNA towards Diversity. This can only happen through a responsible approach and a focus on the end objective.
Bridging the systemic divide
Yes, facilities like gender-neutral and accessible washrooms, period leave, conducive organizational policies, biodegradable sanitary napkin dispensers, etc., are important for an inclusive and sustainable environment but, at the same time, it is also imperative that organizations take consistent steps towards bridging the systemic divide and bring employees on common ground. Not only will it help them accept each other’s abilities but it will also fuel collaboration and inclusion in decision-making and other organizational activities. A culturally diverse workplace is a powerhouse of new ideas, the employees are inclined to learn about other cultures on their own, which shows interest in and respect for their coworkers’ identities. This also boosts the morale and fosters collaboration by creating an environment of curiosity, learning, mutual respect and love.
Important question, why should we do it, how is it going to help us?
A varied & differentiated set of employees leads to higher productivity scores, cross functional learning, better solution designing and a competitive environment of learning and development.
Where do we start from?
The best step ahead on this is to make a hiring policy with demarcation of roles and KPI’s specifying the need and exploration of distinctive breed of talent, breaking the traditional though process, acceptance and more respect for diversity. Source and recruit candidates from distinctive and varied set of job seekers, with openness to further explore and be innovative in hiring the right talent and no compromise on hiring to meet deadline of onboarding from just available or referred talent. A diversified board of interviewers brings higher value proposition to the desk ensuring seamless connect and understanding the of the candidatures from diversified arena. Share examples of successful diversity programs done in other organizations or within same group entities and look for ways and means to adopt them and be open for the same. It is always top down, walk the talk and hence, very important that we leaders exhibit the same seriousness and respect to the diversity initiatives in an organization.
Promoting an inter-connected approach
Many organizations struggle with adopting an inclusive mindset because the employees do not feel connected to their specially-abled colleagues. They either consider them a source of inspiration, or an object of pity, thus removing the human element from the equation. Our specially-abled colleagues are neither super-heroes nor weaklings – they are just like us and they want to be viewed through the same lens that we use to view ourselves. Removing this barrier will help drive a diverse mindset and this can only be done through an inter-connected approach.
Being a true peer ally is all about authenticity and building a culture that appreciates an individual’s different background, ethnicity, and belief system. It requires policies that promote diversity, employee-led task forces, a variety of opportunities for connecting outside of the typical workday, recognizing achievements and structured feedback mechanisms. Yes, it is not an easy task, but then, nothing worth achieving has ever been truly easy.
By Sudeep Kumar Sen, Vice President at Gi Group Holding India
