26 Jul Diversity and inclusion: what is it and why is it important?

Diversity and inclusion: what is it and why is it important?

Diversity and inclusion became recently one of the priorities for international companies, and it’s becoming a popular strategy to improve their business performances, while promoting a multicultural and inclusive environment. But what is it exactly and why is it so important?

“Diversity” and “Inclusion” – the words

If we talk about diversity, we are usually referring to the individual differences that feature all of us, such as age, gender, culture, religion and disabilities. The combination of these features is what define a person.

Inclusion is the action to include someone in a group of people, considering and accepting the differences that make this person unique. Inclusion doesn’t mean only being in a group, but participating actively at the group’s life, contributing with the resources that the individual may have.

In a company, diversity and inclusion is the sum of the strategies applied to support the inclusion of the team members with their diversities, promoting equality and respect in the workplace. By equality, we are talking also about equal pay, equal opportunities, equal and fair treatment.

Why is it so important?

Multinational companies have usually multicultural teams, and that’s even more common in the U.A.E., where over 200 nationalities live and work. It’s easy to understand why the diversity and inclusion strategies became a hot topic in such a reality. Diversity is a priceless richness, and in a supportive and understanding environment can lead to new ideas, new solutions, and more in general, to more creativity.

But, as shown in this research Deloitte, it’s not only about creating a positive and supportive environment for the well-being of the employees, but a real business plan: when an employee feels accepted with his diversities and included as part of the team, the performances of the company grow as well. That’s why it’s in everyone interest to pursue such a goal.

As underlined in Inclusion and the benefits of diversity in the workplace,  diversity in the workplace is constantly increasing, but while it seems to create a difficult environment to manage, it’s actually creating new opportunities of growth and development.

Different people with different perspectives challenge each other more. That means not only an individual enrichment but, way more interesting in companies perspective,  new and unexpected combinations of ideas and thoughts. And what can lead a change better then a challenge?

A diverse and inclusive environment stimulate creativity and an open minded person is more likely to see opportunities where others can’t. And if this person can see the opportunity but not a way to use it, another team member may do it, and little by little that’s how we get innovation.

How to improve diversity and inclusion

Well, as we said before, diversity and inclusion is a strategy. Therefore, it needs to be planned, with metrics to control the results and goals to achieve. Josh Bersin’s research Why diversity and inclusion will be a top priority for 2016 give us some of the keys factors for a successfull diversity and inclusion strategy: assignation of the resposability of the program to a top executive (who will be in charge also for the promotion of the program), training for people at all level about diversities and similarities, creation of an employee network, competition in external awards.

Another factor to consider is the hiring process: while it seems that the top companies are looking for young, brilliant employees with impressive university degrees, Josh Bersin encourage to look for new team members with experience in different fields and with different age. If we can have great performances with young professionals, what would we be able to achieve if we mix their fresh knowledge and enthusiasm with some veterans’ years of experience? What great results we may have, putting a mathematician and an artist working side by side?

What does it mean?

Let’s summarize quickly what we said.

Companies are facing a fast-changing world, the diversity in the workplace is higher then ever and will keep increasing. Diversity it doesn’t mean only different backgrounds, but different thoughts and points of view. Different experience. Different consciusness of needs and wishes of the market, and, therefore, different solutions. It’s in the best interest of the companies to use this reachness, to allow all the elements of such a multicultural team to mix, form, change, and to create something  new. And this can happen only when the employee feels free to express himself. When he knows that the company value and respect him, and he can really consider himself part of something bigger, part of the team. And who doesn’t want his team to win?  This feeling will encourage the individual to give the best, and to achieve the best.

That’s why diversity and inclusion strategies are becoming more popular, and that’s why a company who is investing in such a strategy, is more likely to win long term.

The diversity and inclusion strategies will allow the company not only to have a better, positive workplace, with happy employees and equal opportunities,  but to use all the advantages of such an environment to increase its income.

Companies who didn’t start a diversity and inclusion program should really consider the need of it, or the risk they have is to waste the resources they already have in their team.

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