Are we still talking about Diversity and Inclusion in 2023?
Efforts towards getting Diversity and Inclusion right:
Over the years, many initiatives have concentrated on encouraging employers to have a diverse workforce. D&I was ascertained to enhance innovation, performance, and productivity. Therefore, hiring for diversity and inclusion has become one of the preferences for companies.
Looking at the efforts and time spent on achieving D&I in hiring, it seems that by now, companies must have reported success in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. On the contrary, in 2021, Harvard Business Review concluded that numerous companies with strong D&I ambitions and skilled HR professionals are showing less than stellar D&I results. We cannot help but feel that we are still discussing Diversity and Inclusion in 2022. (Source: https://lnkd.in/gqk759sh)
Why do Diversity and Inclusion fail?
It is not a surprise that most companies, even after ensuring diversity within their hiring strategies and within workplaces themselves, still fail to comprehend why they are not successful. The real struggle for companies is not solving the problem but figuring out what the problem is. A Survey of 106 C-suite executives found that 85% strongly agreed or agreed that their organizations were bad at problem diagnosis, and 87% strongly agreed or agreed that this flaw carried significant costs. (Source- 5 Reasons Diversity And Inclusion Fails (forbes.com))
The reason/problem here is companies are treating D&I as a tick-box exercise. It is about fostering a practice that welcomes and appreciates the difference in all aspects. D&I is not an action plan that transforms a company's way of thinking, but it is about the PEOPLE in it.
Identifying Talent: Unconscious bias
If companies want their workforce to be diverse and productive in all regards, then it is time they welcome new talent by learning how to recognize it. Employers/Recruiters perform a vital role in recognizing talent. They are the ones who decide who gets employed.
Unconscious bias makes it quicker and easier to recruit the ones who are the recruiter's image. (Frankly, this is more comfortable). Everyone is guilty of believing, though subconsciously at times, that if somebody is like us then they are the right fit for the job.
The Real Reason:
From our work with leading companies, we know that the real issue is that there is limited data or information about what competencies drive success and impact. The hiring decision is usually based on an opinion rather than data. That needs to change.
Then what about evaluating competencies; or natural, unadulterated talent?
Sadly, this is not always neatly represented in a list of prior qualifications, or 12 years of work experience in ‘an equivalent role.' Possibly an interest in companies' mission, readiness to learn, and a set of competencies that companies need to achieve post-hiring success. Competencies that are not visible on the resume and a school of thought that is distant from the company are worth adopting.
The Solution:
As they say, good intentions alone are not enough. We need to look for new methods that allow us not to look for obvious data - like education, age, gender, background, and resume - but for the unobvious.
We discovered that every person has a unique language fingerprint. A fingerprint indicates profound insights that can help us identify human potential and make better decisions.
The Results:
Hence assessing the competencies that have been proven to drive impact, the by-product is that diversity increases automatically. Promote long-term growth and happiness by unlocking human potential.
If you are not sure where to start, then we can help. Through our work with leading companies, we help to translate good intentions into effective action. We help our clients to solve the challenge rooted in social inequalities to form a better diverse workforce.
