DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MARETHA SMIT
Workplace inclusion: the COVID-19 impact There is no denying that 2020 has been a year of uncertainty for our workplaces – and it’s not over yet. Maretha Smit, Chief Executive of Diversity Works New Zealand, takes a closer look at how we can make our workplaces more inclusive, despite the chaos all around us.
A
McKinsey global survey of more than 800 business executives, released in September this year, showed that most leaders expect large-scale change stemming from COVID-19 in areas as broad as core processes, use of technology, meeting structure, leadership styles, decision making, approach to innovation and skills needed. Diversity and inclusion are essential when it comes to navigating those changes – research shows they’re important for building teams that can work together effectively, especially through times of disruption. But are those inclusive cultures we’ve worked so hard to build also at risk from the COVID-19 fallout? As part of the Diversity Works New Zealand work programme this year, we’ve talked to diversity and inclusion practitioners and business and 12
HUMAN RESOURCES
SUMMER 2020
academic thought leaders about issues that will be crucial for the economy and communities in the months and years ahead.
Protect your progress
Lessons from previous crises show a possible risk that diversity and inclusion may recede as a strategic priority for organisations. This is not as a result of an intentional shift in the mindsets of our companies and leaders to be less diverse and less inclusive, but a priorities shift as the fight for survival focuses attention on the most pressing basic needs, such as dealing with loss of revenue, implementing measures to adapt to new ways of working, and maintaining productivity in ambiguous times. Yet I would argue a retained focus on diversity and inclusion, from the Board and executive leadership down, is essential to safeguard the advances our organisations have made in creating inclusive cultures. Executive coach, Hélène Deschamp, says to do this, business leaders need to avoid making important decisions in a state of stress. When faced with disruption, humans enter a state of stress, because our brains are wired for survival, meaning we will detect danger before we detect opportunity.
The part of the brain responsible for logical thinking and deliberation goes on the ‘back-burner’, which is appropriate in dangerous shortterm situations but in the business context is likely to lead to suboptimal decisions, strongly affected by unconscious bias, she says. Leaders need to be aware of their natural tendency to trust more the people who are like them, whether that’s in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, education, way of thinking or previous experiences. Deschamp says leaders can adopt strategies to lessen the impact biases have on decision making, even in a time of crisis. Examine principles and practices that may be detrimental to diversity and inclusion. ‘Last in, first out’ is one that can affect diverse employees disproportionately because they are often the ones with the shortest tenure. If resizing is necessary, look at the roles being restructured. The tendency is to keep essential line roles that protect revenue in the short term and consider support roles as less crucial. “Staff in support roles tend to have more diversity. It’s not always the case, but it tends to be,” says Deschamp.” An organisation
