As a Diversity and Inclusion proponent, I am very
clear in my mind what this means to me. And to add to it, that happens to be my
professional endeavour as well. However, I often meet people who struggle to
understand what exactly I do. When I go on to explain what I do, I get varied
responses, depending on the age group I am talking to.
For ease of understanding, let’s first look at the age
groups I usually interact with:
Baby
Boomers
Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby
Boomers are predominately in their 40s and 50s. They are well-established in
their careers and hold positions of power and authority. The majority of this
demographic is preparing to retire.
Generation
X
Members of Generation X are defined
as being born between 1965 and the late 1970s. Bounded by two large
generational groups, Generation X is one of the smallest. The oldest members of
this generation have entered into management roles in the workforce and more
will do so in the coming years, as increasing numbers of Baby Boomers retire.
Generation
Y
Generation Y, also known as
Millennials, were born between the late 1970s and the late 1990s. This is the
newest group to enter the workforce, with many of its members holding
entry-level positions.
For Baby Boomers or Generation Xers, diversity
is a representation of equity, fairness and protection to all, regardless of
gender, race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Inclusion for
them is the business environment that integrates individuals of all these
demographics into one workplace. They look at it as a moral and legal imperative
for their employers.
While I understand this point of view, as a millennial,
I feel and know that I am wired differently. The above explanations of
diversity and inclusion still hold true, however, in today’s world, I feel they
are a little inadequate. I view diversity as the blending of different
backgrounds, experiences and perspectives within a team or an organisation as a
whole. Inclusion for me is an opportunity to work in a collaborative
environment that values my participation and respects my ideas and
perspectives.
Why a post on this topic one might wonder. Over the
past few months I have been grappling with this thought, wondering whether
there was something erroneous in my thinking. Given that most organisations
view diversity through the lens of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation
etc., I was often left pondering over whether my understanding of the topic was
wrong – a classic example being, I have never had any significant awkwardness in
being a lady in a man’s world, therefore discussions around gender diversity
don’t always resonate with me with the intensity they do with those from older
generations.
However, then came a breather in the form of a study by
Deloitte and the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in early 2015. The
study, "The
Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion: The Millennial Influence", looked
at how different generations view diversity and inclusion at work. It
surveyed 3726 individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, asking them 62
questions about diversity and inclusion. The results of the survey show a wide
gap between the Baby Boomer and Generation X respondents and those from millennials.
According to the study, “Millennials are unique in
viewing cognitive diversity as essential for an inclusive culture that supports
engagement, empowerment and authenticity and they are rejecting current
programmes and frameworks organisations are using today to foster
inclusiveness. Instead, millennials value inclusion as a critical tool that
enables business competitiveness and growth, and as millennials flood
leadership ranks, their perspectives will demand a shift in traditional
diversity and inclusion models”. The study further states, millennials who will
comprise as much as 75% of the workforce by 2025, believe inclusion is “the
support for a collaborative environment that values open participation from
individuals with different ideas and perspectives and the unique factors that
contribute to their personalities and behaviours, which is in stark contrast to
prior generations who traditionally consider it from the perspectives of
representation and assimilation”.
This study has highlighted some interesting facts:
- 83% of millennials say they are actively engaged when they believe their organization fosters an inclusive culture, while only 60% of millennials say they are actively engaged when their organization does not.
- When defining diversity, millennials are 35 percent more likely to focus on unique experiences, whereas 21 percent of non-millennials are more likely to focus on representation.
- When asked about the business impact of diversity, millennials are 71 percent more likely to focus on teamwork compared with 28 percent of non-millennials who are focused on fairness of opportunity.
- Millennials are 33 percent more likely to disagree with the statement that their "work has an impact on the organization."
- 74% percent of millennials believe that when a corporate culture appreciates diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives, their organization fosters innovation. Without that inclusive climate, only 10% thought so.
In today’s corporate scene when many organisations are
talking about innovation, the above point becomes very important. A diversity
of thought, ideas and perspectives leads to higher levels of engagement, thus
fostering a culture of innovation. It won’t be wrong to say collaboration and a
culture that fosters teamwork drive innovation.
At my workplace I have the opportunity to interact
with new joiners during their training. More than 50% of these are millennials
– either fresh graduates or in early stages of their careers. Through these interactions
I try to understand their thoughts on this topic. Most of the times, people come up with words like ‘differences’, ‘gender
diversity’, ‘different cultures’ etc. My theory behind this is that people
often come up with something just to get over with it or reiterate some of the
ready made thoughts they may have picked-up through their earlier interactions
with relevant folks, however, there are sometimes a few participants who come
up with something like ‘experiences’, ‘backgrounds’, ‘engagement’ etc. This is
what gives me an indication that my thinking isn’t entirely off beam and there
are others like me who are looking to work in an environment that gives
emphasis to collaboration, opinion sharing a la freedom of expression,
respecting identities and engagement.
Teamwork, collaboration and innovation are important
elements of success – both individually and organisationally. As the study
points out, “Millennials believe that programs aimed at diversity and inclusion
should focus on improved business opportunities and outcomes as a result of the
acceptance of this diversity – individuality, collaboration, teamwork and
innovation. Millennials see inclusion as vital to business success and believe
a variety (and diversity) of viewpoints are critical to engagement,
empowerment, business growth and competitiveness”.
In conclusion I would say I am able to work to my
highest potential in a diverse culture that is defined by thoughts, ideas and
perspectives – an ideal environment for me to flourish and I know I’m fairly
representing the millennials here!
Source:
- The Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion: The Millennial Influence – Deloitte University, The Leadership Center for Inclusion and Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative
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