Investing in a Diversity & Inclusion Policy = Productivity

Investing in a Diversity & Inclusion Policy = Productivity

“Diversity is having a seat at the table, and Inclusion is having a voice and taking part in the conversation” – Satrix.

The words, Diversity and Inclusion have become commonplace - but do we really understand and appreciate the seriousness and necessity of these practices? Let’s break it down …

How to bring the importance of DIVERSITY and INCLUSION into the workplace

In South Africa we have a diverse workforce and embracing it will lead to increased creativity and innovation, giving companies a competitive advantage.

When a company learns the importance of embracing Diversity and Inclusion, they will be able to:

• Retain their best people and talent pool

• Drive innovation within that pool

• Better understand their customers

• And bring about better financial performance

Let’s break that down further …

Retaining your best people

When your staff feel they are heard and valued, you stand a higher chance of staff retention – thereby not only keeping the cream of the crop, but also reaping the benefits of their training and upskilling. Should they leave, your competitors will profit from your investment.

Driving innovation

When you have people around you who are secure in themselves, in their colleagues, and you, as the business owner, you will find they open up to greater possibilities. They will feel they can be more creative, more daring with their ideas, thereby producing more effective work and results.

Better understanding your customers

Through your employees’ eyes, you will see how they welcome your customers better, taking time to understand their needs, their problems that need solving, and how they can be the best for your customers.

Bringing about better financial performance

This will, in turn, lead to higher productivity and better financial performance all around. They are all interlinked. And, at the end of the day, you want your business to grow and prosper.

And, what is at the heart of your business’s success? Your people.

Diversity is represented at these levels:

• Board members and directors

• Hiring roles

• Leadership positions

Get them thinking open-mindedly and with a thought for the greater good, and it will filter down into all the rest of your people, even your customers and suppliers.

The place to start is actually measuring your Diversity and Inclusion by using a Score Card.

The Diversity and Inclusion Score Card

Having a Diversity and Inclusion Score Card will show you:

• Where you are currently

• Where you want to go

• And, how you will get there

The Diversity and Inclusion Score Card can help your business achieve equality across all spheres. Your Diversity and Inclusion culture can be significantly adjusted with a more positive outlook. The Score Card will be a go-to tool to ensure you are keeping everyone on the right path to a cohesive, diverse and inclusive environment. It will help you see whether everyone is being recognised, heard and valued.

A typical Diversity and Inclusion Score Card will measure areas such as:

• How transparent and dedicated your organisation is towards this way of working and living

• How aware your organisation and people are about Diversity and Inclusion and how much is understood

• How much you involve everyone to get stuck in and shine through their differences and similarities

• How clear your Diversity and Inclusion plan is and whether it takes into account changes environments and situations into the future

• How agile your plan is so that no matter who steps into a leadership role or other role, knows precisely what this plan is about and how to implement/carry on with it

The idea around keeping a scorecard is not to call anyone out. Instead, it is about agreeing to a plan of action, formulating the plan, implementing the plan, and checking in regularly to ensure the plan is still on track. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes everyone at an organisation to keep a strong Diversity and Inclusive policy going.

Yes, this will be tough. Yes, this will be trying and stressful.

But, at the end of the day, you will have moulded your team with one vision in mind – a 100% diverse and inclusive organisation. •

Get in touch with Silke

Email: atlantic@labourexcel.co.za Cell: +27 72 018 5827 Work: +27 086 1000801 Web: labourexcel.co.za