Diversity and inclusion

While they’ve certainly been discussed profusely in recent years, diversity and inclusion are much more than just a hot topic: they are integral responsibilities of employers. In this article, we offer ways to better understand, approach and manage these elements in the work environment.

Diversity and inclusion:  a definition

Diversity refers to all the attributes of individuals that set them apart from others, for example age, sex, origin or belonging to a certain social class or religion. Within organizations, diversity therefore refers to the heterogeneity of these particular characteristics. As for inclusion, it describes a desire to welcome these differences. It evokes the ways in which people with different characteristics are integrated into the organization and are empowered to build harmonious relationships with their peers. In other words, diversity is inviting different types of people to the party. Inclusion is making sure that everyone is having fun.

The importance of diversity and inclusion

As the social landscape diversifies and the call for foreign talent becomes common practice, companies need to adapt to such changes by raising awareness about diversity and inclusion. While recognizing and promoting diversity and inclusion is a new challenge, it’s absolutely necessary to do so for many reasons. Among other things, these elements:

• Promote well-being at work: Every employee feels respected, less stressed and has a stronger sense of belonging to the company.
• Facilitate problem solving and boost creativity: The diversity of profiles contributes to finding and building innovative solutions.
• Increase overall business performance: For example, companies with more diverse management teams see 19% higher revenues.

How to facilitate diversity and inclusion within organizations?

BUILD AWARENESS WITHIN SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Diversity and inclusion is everyone’s business and should be promoted at all levels of the company. However, it’s absolutely critical for leaders and managers to set an example in order to encourage positive behaviour within the company, but also to structure processes in alignment with these aspects.

UNDERSTAND NEEDS

One way to raise awareness with managers and employees about diversity and inclusion issues is to do so through training, whether occasional or continuous. Seek information about consultants, organizations as well as universities offering such services. It’s also important not to underestimate the efforts that will be needed to implement measures that will have a real impact. Also, the measures implemented must meet real needs. It’s therefore essential to step back and take stock of the current situation and ask ourselves about what people belonging to a minority really need, beyond our personal beliefs. Anonymous surveys can help highlight areas where improvements are most needed.

To better understand your organization’s needs, you first must deepen your knowledge of the various challenges faced by people belonging to a minority group. Don’t hesitate to reach out to various community organizations that are familiar with the reality of these individuals.

Rethinking Approaches

To ensure diversity and inclusion, the first step is to have the courage to recognize your own biases and the limitations of your processes currently in place. Without realizing it, your business may be using processes that discourage diversity and inclusion. Here are three areas you can focus on now:

RECRUITMENT

Seeking new talent abroad is not the only way to ensure diversity. To make sure your recruiting is unbiased, consider asking yourself questions about your recruiting processes. Do you use inclusive vocabulary in your job postings? Are you, as a recruiter, aware of your biases and the stereotypes present in your environment?

INTEGRATION

Once you’ve hired a person belonging to a minority group, it is important to ensure their integration into the company. Have you provided diversity training to the people welcoming this new addition to your team? Is this new person familiar with the unwritten rules in your business? Do you have communication channels in place to ensure harmonious relationships? Do you have a mentoring program in place to facilitate the seamless integration of new hires into your business?

PROMOTION

Once new hires have been integrated into your business, it’s important to give everyone the same opportunity for success. Do your performance measurement criteria favour certain groups? Do you take differences in approaches and behaviours into account in your evaluations? Do all members of your organization have access to the same information about the opportunities for promotion? Following these few tips will help you make diversity and inclusion a reality in your company. However, it’s important to keep in mind that beyond the strategy and the processes put in place, it is the daily actions that create companies where everyone, whatever their difference, can thrive and make full use of their talents and skills.

• Culture