by: Nancy Joyce
We hear chief executives of asset managers speak out about the need to create inclusive workplaces that encourage diversity and empower everyone to perform at their best. They feel like the business case for diversity has been made – but what about inclusion? Their commitment is clear. But one of the things that is missing is an approach to how these commitments can be implemented.
There is a strong business case for inclusion
The business case for inclusion isn’t new. There’s tons of research highlighting the tangible business benefits of diversity. There are case studies showing that diversity increases employee satisfaction, helps to retain existing and attracts new staff, reduces recruitment costs and increases productivity. It shows that it helps companies to understand how their customers think and what drives their spending habits, and how to access markets that they had not previously been able to tap into so effectively. It also shows that it helps firms to find workers to fill skills gaps in areas with tight labour markets, where there are not enough ‘obvious candidates’ for the vacancies they have
and it’s the right thing to do
Business and society do not operate in isolation. Each relies on the other to be successful. Businesses of all sizes and in all parts of the world are the drivers of prosperity. Where this works well it creates a positive cycle in which society supports business success, and businesses create the jobs and deliver the pay rises that lift living standards. The problem at the moment is that this cycle isn’t always working well. Business can make a real difference by taking actions that make their workplace more inclusive.
Sharing ideas and experiences between businesses is crucial to progress this agenda.
Our experience shows that middle management is definitely an area to focus on. The tone from the top is set. The grassroots work pretty well. But it is a gap in the middle. There is a huge amount of work yet to be done.
Invest in your employees true selves and you will reap the rewards in performance.
At PDT Global we believe that there can be benefits from your inclusion strategy for all employees. We design our programs so to grow the feeling of inclusion in your company’s environment and make everyone feel like they can show up as their true selves and excel.
A typical engagement involves:
- Inclusion as a Strategic Driver for Executives- face to face. Inclusion as a Strategic Driver works with your Senior Execs to build the link between inclusion and the business strategies they are on the hook to deliver. It explores their personal biases and asks them to build action plans to address biases they uncover in the program.
- Inclusion for All via Webex or face to face. Inclusion for All emphasizes this broad definition of diversity discussed above and differentiates diversity from inclusion. It unpacks unconscious bias but also builds a business case for inclusion specific to your organization and yields action plans and personal insights. This program can also be tailored to your manager population.
- Unlimited license for our Manager’s Conversation Guide. Our manager’s conversation guide is made up of 9 modules. Each module has a different topic e.g. Inclusive Meetings, Inclusive Performance Management, Building Inclusive Teams etc. Each topic has its own video, presentation, discussion guide and suggested action steps to support a discussion between a manager and her team. Critical for building those micro-inclusions into your culture.
- Access to our 8-minute Inclusion and You whiteboard animation video to share with the whole organization as a tool to keep the D&I conversation going
What are your thoughts? Share your comments below!
