Diversity and Inclusion
Does a Maharashtrian get a day off for Ganesh Chaturthi in Gurgaon?
Does a Bihari get a day off for Chatt Puja in Mumbai?
Does a North Indian get a day off in Bengaluru for Holi?
Diversity and Inclusion within organizations are built up piecemeal. Force-fitting standard solutions do not work for every organization.
Gone are the days when diversity and inclusion were stereotyped to just gender or pay gap. There are lot of human differences beyond gender and pay gap that an organization needs to address. Diversity is accepting all aspects that distinguish one employee from the others this encompasses ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, physical ability, religious or ethical value system, and more. The latest Cadbury ad from the 90s recreated in 2021 is one of the biggest examples of efforts made by corporate giants to emphasize on diversity and inclusion.
Diversity in an organization means all the aspects that distinguish one employee from the others this encompasses gender, religion, race, and ethnicity. Inclusion means different employees in an organization are heard equally, they have a say and a role in decision making. They are provided with equal opportunities irrespective of the diversity among them.
Organizations today are moving beyond the obvious
Diversity and inclusion may not be the priority of a company initially however that is looking at some short-term goals. But the fact is, no organization wants to disappear after a few years, rather we only want to grow and get better with time. When we speak of sustainability, especially within an organization among coworkers, both diversity and inclusion play a crucial role. When the organization is diverse, people learn from each other. Individually as well as together, they put new ideas on the table. Since everyone has different experiences, the different perspectives and ideas make problem-solving way easier. Innovation gets boosted and creativity is always on the card in a diverse team.
When different minds work on a particular situation, they are able to make faster decisions. In an environment of cutthroat competition, the one who makes faster decisions always has an edge over the others.
Also read: Assessing the IT Skills Gap (Click here)
The reality is that a #greatplacetowork goes way beyond inclusivity. We believe the personal choice should be accounted for, and, on the other hand, equality, openness, and belonging serve as the significant factors for inclusion. They promote engagement, healthy relationships, a sense of belonging and, healthy competition in the workforce. An inclusive workplace brings about higher job satisfaction and increased trust among the employees.
Bringing in diverse talent is not enough the workplace experience is one of the major reasons why people remain and thrive. Lacking any of these two, on the contrary, can have rather negative effects. Organizations need to bring in a strong commitment to D&I through their strategies that champion gender equality, adapting to the New Gen workers, bringing forth a people-first attitude. There are multiple benefits for an organization as a result of being diverse and inclusive, let’s look at some of them:
- Building an employee value proposition
Everyone enjoys working for a company where there is no discrimination amount the employees based on attributes like age, sex, race, etc. An equal opportunity employer is who people seek. Job seekers are also inclined to work for employers who boast a genuine differentiator about their diverse workforce. Not just job seekers, this attracts new clients alike. Ultimately, this improves your brand image and reputation.
- Better employee performance
The ability to communicate and engage freely with coworkers has a direct impact on an employee’s performance. When everyone is treated alike and they get insights from people with different traits, it further adds to the performance of an employee.
- Higher employee satisfaction
It is obvious by now how a diverse and inclusive workplace directly impacts employee satisfaction. And that differentiates them from the organizations. They want to work with people of different strengths which helps them grow. When the employees trust the organization and feel belonged, there is a dramatic increase in job satisfaction, which in turn leads to higher revenue.
- Boost in skills, creativity, and innovation
We learn better when we learn from friends. This is true for the colleagues in a company too. Organizations are not necessarily needed to train the employees on every small bit, at times, employees learn hands-on from others when they work together. This is not limited to learning something which someone else already knows, it might lead to learning a new skill altogether as a group. Having people with different skills work together opens doors for creativity and innovation, both significant for a growing organization.
Given the so many benefits, most organizations take a number of steps to become diverse and inclusive. When you work towards making your company diverse and inclusive, at some point in time, it would be a good idea to train the employees on the same. With an intent to build awareness and cultivate equitable work culture, brands have already started to rely on training and workshops. The day-to-day experiences help people feel that they belong, their unique talent matters and that they are cared for.
Organizations aim for all approaches that will only boost a high trust workplace for everyone no matter what they do for the organization. A good idea is to complete a thorough analysis of work culture, bias, and similarity within the organization to identify what specific type of training or workshop would work the best for your company.
Vision Management Consultants specialize in providing steadfast strategies that help startups and mid-size organizations be more diverse and help them carve a better culture.