There are few organisations nowadays that have not invested in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. The trend is understandable; in a globalised world, workplaces are becoming increasingly multicultural. However, whether they are becoming more inclusive is an issue up for debate. In fact, most D&I programmes have had little success in achieving a culture of inclusivity. In some cases, they’ve had the opposite effect, that of increasing backlash against the very ideas they intend to promote.
The reasons are multifaceted but worthy of investigation. It is also worth naming some strategies that have worked when it comes to enhancing cultural inclusion. After all, workplace inclusion is a win-win situation: it impacts employee satisfaction, which in turn, benefits the company by increasing productivity and profitability, innovation at work, and retention.
“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Vernā MyersIt is important to understand the difference between a diverse and inclusive environment, especially because the terms have often been used interchangeably in business settings. But there is a distinction. Put simply, diversity is about the equitable representation of people (in this case, of different cultures) at all levels in the organisation. Inclusion, on the other hand, is the perception of all staff that they belong in their organisation, and are heard and recognised for their contributions. They do not come hand in hand; increasing diversity will not necessarily increase inclusion.
However, businesses still rely on diversity training as their main driver for inclusion. The main content for such training revolves around recognising and correcting biases regarding a particular group. The first reason they are often met with resistance from training participants has to do with a fundamental human characteristic: nobody likes being told what to think or believe. The second reason is that this training is often deployed top-down, with a particular focus on leadership and management.
These are the people-facing employees, whose commitment to an inclusive organisational culture is vital to its success. However, they will not shift this culture on their own and in a vacuum; they need to be implementing change alongside other employees across different levels of the organisational structure.
The main principles behind successful inclusion then strategies rest on two pillars: equipping employees with the tools to act and fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace. For one, focusing on bystander intervention rather than bias reduction training has been shown to be more successful. The main difference is that rather than pointing out the number of ways in which people can be biased, we can empower staff to step in and intervene when they do notice discrimination happening. It is important to note here that people who attend on their own accord and in sessions where the group is diverse and from all layers and parts of the organisation will reap the most benefits. Fostering a sense of belonging at work is more complex, but important. This will take several initiatives aimed at increasing formal and informal contact between employees of different cultures. The goal is a shift in mindset to understand and value each individual and their specific culture for the unique characteristics they bring to the table.
For example, at PwC Malta, we organise an annual food festival, an internal celebration where staff cook and eat traditional foods from their home countries. Other, more informal events we organise are hikes which give people a chance to meet and socialise with people from different backgrounds and whom they might not have a chance to get to know otherwise.
Lastly, building structures that will allow people from diverse backgrounds to integrate into the company culture and navigate its internal practices will increase their feeling of belonging. Think of mentoring, coaching or sponsorship relationships – these practices have succeeded in ensuring that people of all cultural backgrounds excel in their roles by bringing their full selves to work.
Truly effective inclusivity-building strategies are no easy task: they require full stakeholder and leadership commitment, and a willingness to let employees take ownership of both the issues they face and also of how to solve them. Most of all, enhancing a multicultural environment requires acknowledging the power that comes from embracing each other’s differences and asking them to dance.
This article was written by Marcela Fratescu and Deidre Botes.
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