As a Diversity and Inclusion Practioner, I am often
asked what ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ means and what my work entails. I usually
have a standard answer, “We look at hiring people from various backgrounds –
gender / ethnicity / physical ability / sexual orientation / age et al –
experiences and perspectives. We also work towards building an environment
where everyone feels included and empowered to contribute towards the overall
success of the business.”
After my little “gyan”, I then get asked isn’t
workplace diversity a virtuous business effort like CSR or employee wellbeing –
the right thing to do! By this point my patience is usually wearing thin. The
problem is this “right thing to do” is never at the top of the agenda in the
boardroom. There are too many other pressing matters that need to be taken care
of, rather than moving the focus to issues that are beyond hard-core
operations.
However, it is only now that organisations feel the
need to look at workplace diversity as an imperative to improve the bottom
line. Having clearly defined strategic goals and targets around diversity will
have a direct link to quantifiable business results.
One would think in the Indian workplace, Diversity
and Inclusion would be looked at from a different lens and not just another
initiative that we have to implement because of a mandate from our western
parents. India is arguably one of the most diverse countries in the world, with
as many as 22 official languages, 29 states – each with its distinct traditions
and cultures, from a population rich with diverse religious faiths, customs to
attire. India has long embraced this diversity and the principles of ‘equal
opportunity’ and ‘inclusion’ are 2 pillars of the Indian Constitution.
Diversity and Inclusion is an issue that India as a
society has struggled with for a long time. Many feel there is a large gap
between the aspirations of the Constitution makers and reality. The legacy of
the caste system and a growing divide between urban and rural areas mean gross
inequalities exist in terms of access to opportunities – education, employment,
health and wealth. At the same time, deeply entrenched cultural beliefs – like
the role of women in the society or the inclusion of People with Disabilities –
have prevented huge sections of the population from contributing towards the
nation’s holistic social and economic development.
Over the last decade, the topic of diversity has
attracted increasing attention of the Indian corporate sector. Recognising the
business case for diversity, large multinational companies, with expanding
operations in India, have been keen to explore how to apply and adapt their
global diversity principles to their local businesses in India. Indian companies
too are taking interest in this topic. Keen to compete on the global stage,
leading local organisations are looking to up their game when it comes to
embracing different perspectives and harnessing the contribution of all to
drive business success. In addition to this, changing dynamics in India – rural
to urban migration, growth and influence of the younger generation etc. – are
providing impetus for Indian companies to put diversity and inclusion on their
corporate agenda.
The directive of the new Companies Bill of 2013 has
further put light on the role companies have to play towards supporting the
communities in which they operate and ensuring greater inclusion of the most
disadvantaged in the society. Having at least one woman director on board or
developing skills of people in marginalised communities are two aspects of the
Bill. Although forecasts estimate the gender gap won’t close until 2133, many
companies are taking significant steps towards building a workplace that is
devoid of unconscious bias prejudice in hiring and promotion.
So, why are companies finally starting to realise
diversity is no longer a “programme” to be managed but a business imperative?
What’s making companies move from looking at diversity as compliance to a
business strategy? Let’s examine some reasons:
- Access
to top talent and clients: By looking at a diverse slate when hiring,
companies will have the opportunity to recruit top talent from a globally
diverse marketplace. In order to become an employer of choice, thus being
able to attract the best people, a company has to ensure it showcases
diversity across all levels. In today’s increasingly transparent world,
when prospective employees and clients do their research, they want to get
feeling of “fitting” in to the work environment.
- Employee
Engagement: Employees will feel valued when their contributions will have
an equal opportunity to develop. An environment where employees can thrive
as individuals or as members of a team can be a big boost to motivation
and productivity.
- Talent
Retention: An environment where employees feel accepted, valued and
challenged is somewhere they would likely stay longer at. Retaining and
developing its talent is an opportunity for a business to grow and also
reducing staff turnover.
- Diversity
of thinking and collaboration: When organisations broaden their
understanding of diversity to focus on, in addition to, gender, race, age
and physical ability, diversity of thinking. This means getting value out
of people’s different perspectives and different ways of reaching
solutions. In this increasingly complex global world, looking at diversity
from this angle will help an organisation see value and take cognizance of
risks associated with homogeneity. Diverse teams are more innovative and will
perform at higher levels.
- Company
Reputation: A company that promotes workplace diversity and inclusion will
be more favourable for businesses as well as customers. A company’s
reputation plays an important role in its success – a company with a
strong programme for hiring diverse talent, recognition and acceptance can
improve internal and external stakeholder relations. A diverse workforce
will ensure opportunities to create a diverse customer base.
Although diversity at the workplace is a wonderful
thing, it also challenges many of today’s business leaders. For managers and
team members, it can be difficult to navigate in a truly diverse workplace made
up of people of different cultures, races, creeds, body types, hobbies,
genders, religions, styles and sexual orientation. But understanding cultural
and social differences is a major key to a high-performing, merit based work
environment. In the global marketplace, it is important than ever that we
understand and are conscious of our differences to work together effectively.
We all bring our conscious beliefs and personal narratives about who we are and
who others are with us to work and, with diversity in place, we can no longer
ignore them. Truly effective leaders cannot pretend that we are all the same or
that our preferences and preconceptions don’t exist.
Legislation can lead to a surface
oriented diversity, wherein the numbers look good on paper, but the culture
remains unchanged – what matters is results! In such an environment, the only
change takes place within the minority individuals, who may likely “adopt the
behaviour and attitudes of the existing organizational culture”. Improving
diversity “in a statistically objective sense” matters, but leaders must also
elevate an organization’s internal “perception of diversity”.
Diversity is not a recruitment
campaign, but a strategy where high performing organisations recognize that
having a diverse workforce doesn't only meet compliance targets, but allows
them to tap into diverse perspectives and approaches employees bring into the
workplace, which eventually leads to solving complex and challenging business
issues. While many organisations are taking note of the importance of having a
diverse workforce, many others are still at early stages of the journey in
understanding that diversity is a business strategy.
