Are you interested in increased productivity?

Are you interested in increased productivity?

4 reasons why should you invest in a Diversity & Inclusion Policy

Silke Rathbone, Principal Partner,Labourexcel

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 in the work environment - but is there a common understanding and appreciation of these terms?

Let’s break it down …

When referring to Diversity, onemust differentiate which type youare referring to first. There aregenerally 4 types:

1. Internal Diversity

With a further breakdown into:

• Gender

• Education

• Nationality

• Culture

• Language

• Age

• Physical Ability

• Mental Ability

• Sexual Orientation

• Cultural Identity

2. External Diversity

Related to those aspects which people are not typically born with but take on or have some control over, such as:

• Appearance

• Education

• Religious Beliefs

• Relationship Status

• Personal Interests

• Socioeconomic Status

• Life Experiences

• Family Status

• Location

3. Organisational Diversity

Relates to what makes someone different from another in an organisation such as:

• Place of work

• Employment Status

• Job Function

• Seniority

• Management Status

• Union Affiliation

• Pay Type and Benefits

4. Worldview Diversity

Which often merges the above three diversities, however, is opinion-based and can change over time. These may include:

• Outlook on life

• Moral Compass

• Political Beliefs

• Epistemology (generally the knowledge of belief, justification and truth)

Let’s move on to Inclusion.

The sum of Inclusion comes down to a feeling and is not as easy to describe as Diversity; however, just as important to understand.

A list of what Inclusion means to most is:

1. Feeling like one has an equal political power

2. Feeling like one is heard

3. Feeling like one is part of a team

4. Feeling like one is valued and respected

A highly diverse and inclusive workforce will lead to not only higher Productivity, but higher Employee Engagement. And, the only way that all happens is that your employees are happy. It may seem simple – make sure your employees are happy – but remember that there are many forces at play when it comes to self-happiness – home life, worklife – relationships – mental state – and many other factors. As the employer or manager, your role is to tackle and manage what you have control of, and that is your people. It starts with who you employ – and then the way they treat others, the way they communicate, and how you upskill them, not only in how you want work to be actioned and handled, but what they understand about Diversity and Inclusion.

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

In South Africa, it is clear we havea very diverse workforce andembracing it will lead to a morecreative and innovative workforce,giving companies a competitiveadvantage.

When a company learns theimportance of embracing Diversityand Inclusion, they will be able to:

1. Retain their best people and

talent pool

2. Drive innovation within that pool

3. Better understand their customers

4. And bring about better financial

Let’s break that down further …

1. 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.

2. 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

their mind’s opening up to more possibilities. They will feel they can be more creative, more daring with their ideas, thereby producing more effective work and results.

3. 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.

4. 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.