Diversity in the workplace has been a heated subject in recent years, and many businesses have made inclusion a high priority. Many companies think there is a conflict between growth and enhanced diversity, noting the fact that serious emphasis can only be devoted to one area at a time. That isn’t always the case. When companies hire with diversity in mind, the quality of their workforce does not decrease. According to a McKinsey report, corporations that are more diverse and inclusive are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Finding talent from under-represented groups may improve a company’s bottom line and create a diverse community of employees, which can generate a sense of community and engagement, eventually enhancing morale and preserving the workforce.
For organisations to grow, it is critical to establish environments in which employees can be their true selves, and this begins with the hiring process. A diverse workplace is essential for companies looking to attract and retain talent. Millennials are more inclined to stay with organisations that understand the need for a diverse staff, according to Deloitte. In comparison to previous generations, these individuals grew up understanding the value of multiculturalism and inclusiveness. As a consequence, before making an employment decision, candidates take these aspects into account. Creating a diverse and inclusive staff will make your brand more appealing to both job seekers and current employees. Organisations that employ this method are thought to be more socially responsible and enjoy a better reputation.
Rethink Hiring Practice
Diversity recruiting is a way of hiring that considers and strives to correct existing workplace prejudices. There is no such thing as recruiting for the sake of diversity when it has been proved to regularly have a beneficial impact on organisations. If a company can eliminate bias, it will be able to identify the best-qualified candidates. It is extremely important to establish Key Performance Indicators and standards for diversity and inclusion. Bias is the workplace’s big bad wolf, especially when it is implicit and unspoken, making it difficult to detect.
Recruitment automation solutions are a great way to reduce bias throughout the recruitment, job advertising, and onboarding process. When an institution’s hiring strategies become more automated, it frees up staff time to invest elsewhere. Perhaps in recruitment training, to improve their capacity to make diverse hires. Pre-employment screening provides vital information to companies and involves a variety of screening methods, such as personality evaluations, proficiency exercises, and verbal and technical reasoning examinations. Screening tests allow applicants to be evaluated fairly and unbiasedly by removing everything except cold, hard data from the equation.
A well-written job advertisement is a guaranteed approach to attracting top prospects. Brands must avoid any discriminatory or gendered rhetoric that can turn off diverse applicants. While Companies that employ an equal number of men and women generate up to 41% more revenue, gender prejudice in employment advertisements remains widespread. It may be as simple a mistake as employing masculine-coded terms such as ‘energetic’ and ‘command,’ or too few feminine-coded phrases such as ‘kindness’ and ‘support.’
Inclusion should go beyond a job description and an application form. When a brand is committed to diversity, it should be able to demonstrate it during the interview process. Ensure that interviewers represent the company’s desire for diversity. This provides candidates with a clearer idea of how they will be represented in an organisation and improves the employment experience by offering insight into individuals with varied opinions.
What Is Not Measured Cannot Be Managed
After organisations have determined their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) targets, the next step is to record benchmarks on a scorecard. It may be as easy as creating a spreadsheet with a line for each metric. Tracking these activities promotes accountability within organisations and ensures that objectives are met. When it comes to assessing DE&I, there are several factors to examine, ranging from the number of diverse employees in management to the number of hours spent on mentorship. Companies may believe they are doing everything correctly, but according to a Harvard Business Review, 78% of employees believe organisations that they are employed by fall short when it comes to diversity.
If all of a company’s employees from underrepresented groups are in entry-level jobs, it is not fulfilling its objective. Organisations should make an effort to promote diversity at all levels, including senior leadership. Mentoring is a tried-and-true technique for creating more inclusive workplaces, assisting firms in fulfilling their DE&I goals, and increasing diverse representation in leadership. Leading corporations provide mentorship programmes designed specifically for minority employees.
While DE&I in the workplace is not all about money, it does require funding to establish a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. According to VentureBeat, 79% of companies are aiming to raise their DE&I investment in 2023. One method of measuring improvement is through consistent financing combined with demonstrable success. Furthermore, businesses frequently concentrate on pipeline programs, which try to boost the number of candidates from underrepresented groups. However, this measure is insufficient. More substantially, businesses should track the percentage of minority candidates that are hired.
Culture Can Support Well-Being and Engagement
Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, created the phrase psychological safety. It’s “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking,” she explains. Creating a psychologically comfortable environment helps people to speak out and express their views. An effective team places as much emphasis on psychological safety as it does on physical safety and performance requirements. Psychological safety in the workplace is vital as it boosts employee engagement, develops an inclusive workplace culture, enhances employee well-being, and lowers employee turnover.
It is easier for team members to participate when they feel protected at work. This might be at a team meeting, issue solving, project collaboration, or connecting with customers and colleagues. Making all team members feel involved is more important than ever. Diverse teams are welcomed in safe workplaces. They enable all team members to thrive, regardless of gender, race, background, or political affiliation. As a consequence, everyone feels linked and part of a united front, developing a rich give-and-take environment. Mental health has a significant impact on overall well-being. Employees who are psychologically well, find it simpler to operate at their best and avoid stresses that prevent them from doing so.
Employee turnover is reduced by improving physiological safety. According to a recent study, team members who feel psychologically comfortable at work are less likely to resign. When it comes to procedures like interviewing, onboarding, and training — recruitment is an expensive endeavour. High employee turnover is unsustainable in a successful corporation. Teams function when they have highly engaged personnel who do not want to go. Teams perform when there is an inclusive workplace atmosphere and inspired ideas. When organisations combine all of the above with psychological health, they have a winning formula for enhancing team performance.
What Divides Us Pales In Comparison To What Unites Us
Creating a diverse workforce is about acknowledging that outstanding talent knows no boundaries of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or socio-economic status. With HR at the vanguard of the diversity and inclusion transformation, companies may kickstart diversity campaigns by redefining their recruiting process, encouraging inclusive workplace behaviours, and creating safe communication spaces.
At Ecoserv Group we are still in the infancy of our DE&I journey. We submit a Gender Pay Gap report every year. Furthermore, Group Sustainability Director, Sally‑Ann Van Blerk, chairs the DE&I committee which meets quarterly and aims to build a culture of inclusion in our business and celebrate our diversity. She has gone on to set out our commitment to recruiting fairly on our Indeed platform, as well as our commitment to diversity and equality.
Dees Maharaj – Group CSO
