Diversity

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Diversity
It is virtually impossible to write
an article on workplace diversity
without referencing equality and
inclusion. If diversity is the current
hot topic in the workplace, then
equality was its predecessor and
inclusion will be its successor.
In a workplace context, equality
is often associated with compliance.
It suggests that as a society, we
must legislate for our differences
and sanction transgressions. The
term “equality” is synonymous
with the nine grounds on which
discrimination is outlawed.
Diversity is a different concept. It
is about valuing our differences, and
it has a broader frame of reference
than equality, including matters
such as personality, cognitive style,
education and socio-economic status.
Inclusion, while closely related, is
still a different concept. The Society
for Human Resources Management
defines inclusion as “the achievement
of a work environment in which all
individuals are treated fairly and
respectfully, have equal access to
opportunities and resources, and can
contribute fully to the organisation’s
success”. It is the deliberate act of
welcoming diversity and creating
an environment where all different
kinds of people can thrive and
succeed.
But diversity is the buzzword
of the moment. Employers have
progressed from complying with
equality legislation to recognising
that a diverse workforce brings
many benefits: innovation; balanced
decision-making; reduced groupthink;
retention of key staff; and
improved risk management among
others.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the
technology sector is leading the
way in creating workplaces that
are genuinely diverse. While
Apple contends that “the most
innovative company must also be
the most diverse”, Intel declares that
“innovation begins with inclusion”.
It’s easy to see how the technology
sector readily benefits from diversity
but other areas, including the
professions, are also embracing
the fact that diversity is good for
business.
Nonetheless success rates for
diversity initiatives are still low.
A report published in January by
the ESRI highlights the fact that
the unemployment rate for the
Travelling community is 82%. None
of the community is employed in a
profession and just 3% are employed
in managerial or technical roles
compared to 28% of the general
population.
In March, the Central Bank of
Ireland published a report which
analysed the gender breakdown of
applications for pre-approval as part
of the fitness and probity regime.
Of the pre-approval applications
received by the Central Bank since
2012, over 80% have been from male
applicants.
Why is it that so many diversity
initiatives fail to deliver the desired
outcomes? One reason is that many
organisations take a ‘top down’
approach to diversity initiatives.
While tone at the top is crucial to
ensuring success, the top down
approach can often manifest as
policies and procedures that attempt
to redress balance rather than
encouraging a change in attitude.
A recent Harvard Business Review
article outlined the negative impact
of such policies, claiming that they
are often counter-productive. The
article suggests that the reason most
diversity programs aren’t increasing
diversity is because organisations are
still utilising the same approaches
that they have always used and
relying on diversity training, hiring
tests, performance ratings and
grievance systems to support the
diversity agenda.
Creating a diverse and inclusive
workplace can mean changing the
culture of an organisation. The
best results are achieved when the
focus is less on control and more
on challenging existing attitudes,
providing supports and encouraging
accountability to ensure that good
practice becomes embedded in the
organisation. The following outlines
specific initiatives that are delivering
results.
Accountability
This is the most fundamental
change an organisation can make.
Without it, the other initiatives
can fail to have any impact. It’s the
old maxim – what gets measured
gets done. For many organisations,
publicly committing to diversity and
publishing results – whether positive
or negative – is driving change. Apple
is among a number of organisations
that publishes its hiring trends,
highlighting areas such as
representation among ethnicities
and pay equity. While Intel also
publishes its hiring rates, exit rates,
promotion rates and pay equity, it
goes a step further and ties a portion
of its executives’ pay to achieving the
organisation’s diversity goals.
Education versus
diversity training
Organisations continue to provide
diversity training, although it has
been proved that such training
doesn’t make people discard their
biases – at best, it ensures that
they are compliant. No-one is
immune to unconscious bias; it is a
manifestation of our life experiences.
However, it often leads the best
and brightest to feel unwelcome
and not part of the success of the
organisation. Rather than diversity
training, progressive organisations
such as Adobe are delivering
enhanced awareness programmes to
help eliminate hidden biases. These
programmes cover topics such as
how to identify bias, strategies and
tactics for better decision-making,
and how to speak up.
Individualised development
Most women say a clear path to
career progression is important at
work and, in response, organisations
are now developing personalised,
modular development plans to foster
future leaders and improve gender
diversity in leadership roles.
ACCOUNTANCY IRELAND
APRIL 2017