Let’s talk about one of the Hot Topics for 2019: Diversity and Inclusion.

Why is it important? Well, we need to first agree on what it is. Diversity in the workplace means that the organization as a whole (we’ll come to that) is made up out of people with varying characteristics. These go beyond gender and race, and include religion, cultural background, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language background, education, abilities, socio-economic background, political orientation, and many more.

All these different characteristics result in different views on work, life, economics, management and problem solving, and they mean different skills and perspectives. Diversity is more than just different characteristics; true diversity is diversity of thought.

Coming back to the question as to why: if you ask Josh Bersin, he will state that companies that embrace diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their business statistically outperform their peers.

Let’s say that in different words. Studies show that companies that embrace diversity in the workplace, show higher creativity which helps increase innovation, achieve higher engagement, and improve decision making. Overall, it will strengthen the company’s reputation and brand, and increase profitability.

If you want to implement a sound and sustainable approach, the below top 5 will help you create a framework for success.

1. Understand the status quo. First, you need to understand the diversity build-up of your company to identify focus areas. It will also help you provide a benchmark for comparison with the rest of the labor market.
   This actually is less easy than you would think. If you look at the list I noted earlier, many of the items on there are subjects you can’t easily discuss. The employees may not be comfortable providing the information, especially when it’s this sensitive. In those cases, you could consider using a third-party company that specializes in collecting and processing information. You only need aggregated data for this purpose.
2. Find what needs to be done. Based on the data you have collected, you identify the areas here you want to improve. In addition, you should examine your policies and procedures, and assess how they address a diverse workplace, and whether they truly include each and everybody. For example, look at the company’s recruitment efforts. Do you recruit from a select number of schools? That may make it difficult to attract people from different regions, walks of life, and backgrounds.
   A second item is to look at how the company deals with parental leave benefits. Implementing gender-neutral parental leave benefits allows for a more inclusive approach towards taking leave for not just mothers, but fathers as well. Adding adoption to the policy creates an even broader benefit, beyond ‘traditional’ ways of having and raising children.
   Thirdly, successful diversity initiatives at the top. Take a look at the composition of your management team and board of directors. How diverse are those? Having a team that consists of similar types of people make it more difficult to think outside of the box. In short: set goals and define where the company aspires to be.
3. Implement a complete and all-encompassing approach. Here’s the “organization as a whole” bit from the second paragraph. The only way the approach is going to work is when this is seen as a complete, top-down, leader-led business strategy. It is not an HR policy and it is not a marketing trick. For this to be successful, credible and sustainable, the focus and strategy starts at the level of the complete company leadership. Appoint one leader who will be the champion for this initiative, and make sure that leader organizes and attends meetings and focus groups around this topic.
   I once attended an initiative in the form of a company panel discussion about diversity. Not only was it a very good and lively discussion, but because of the buy-in of the leadership of the company, the suggestions that came out of the meeting were seriously assessed and many were implemented. That did a lot for the credibility of the program. So, look at your training initiatives and processes, recruitment and leave policies to ensure they properly allow for diversity and inclusion.
4. Measure. Once the programs have been implemented, regularly check whether the company is still on the right track. Look at the larger picture: have your figures changed? Is there a different or better distribution across the various items you have identified? In addition, analyze at the individual effects. Are all leaders walking the talk? Are managers and supervisors deeper in the organization aligned with the processes and policies? Is extra training or awareness necessary? If the tone at the top is not in line with the diversity mindset, it will be practically impossible to sustain a change in culture. There should be no pockets in the organization where the policies are not embraced. If there are, leadership needs to step in and correct this as soon as it is discovered.
5. Review and Adjust. Times change, opinions change, and what people need, changes too. Make sure you keep an open mind towards what is needed or desired, and make sure you adapt your policies and processes to accommodate the applicable best practices.

Obviously, this cannot be done without proper communication. Celebrate the successes and create a culture of pride in the company’s diversity. If this is done well, it will start to carry itself.

Soaring + Company supports organizations to perform better through the performance of their employees and internal processes. We can help you build your company’s culture and retain key talent in a sustainable way. Reach out to us if you want to learn more about how we can help recognize, reward and retain your employees. Find this, and more, on www.soaringandcompany.com/.