Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in the workplace: Dos and Don’ts
As more and more Finnish companies shift towards an international and diverse workforce, businesses from around the world already thrive on the benefits of a winning Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy. Although myths and misconceptions still linger, there are no questions as to how a long-term commitment to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is crucial to boosting innovation, productivity, and continuous growth in any company, let alone a business based in Finland where many educated foreigners reside and have the concrete potential to put an end to the issues of labour shortage and skill gap.
For many Finnish companies, building an international and diverse workforce sounds like the next logical step, not only for the growth of the business and its expansion well beyond the borders but at times also for its ultimate survival.
However, before launching onto this new path, companies should keep in mind that no international and multicultural business will ever prosper if they don’t make Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) part of their core and long-term goals. Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) happen when a company acknowledges all the underrepresented groups of employees (in terms of gender, race and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, physical conditions, age, and more) and designs new policies and strategies aimed at implementing inclusivity and awareness.
Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is a permanent mission the whole company must commit to, and changes won’t happen overnight. A lasting transition to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) will require a solid action plan, the contribution of the entire crew, and some trials and errors. We don’t say this to discourage you, quite the contrary, we believe there’s no worthier investment than Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). We only want you to be prepared before embarking on this journey and keep in mind that there’s no better way to improve and eventually succeed than taking consistent steps and learn along the way.
We speak of trials and errors because due to the very context-specific nature of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) there is no universal step by step guide that will lead to success. A company will have to make educated, data-informed decisions, and tailor its action plan en route.
This said, there are a few universal Dos and Dont’s you must consider before jumping on the D&I-train, and we have them summarized for you.
#1 DON’T: delegate Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) to Human Resources or other employees.
Other than dealing with recruiting firsthand, Human Resources specialists play a key role in making sure company values are implemented and maintained. Workforce engagement is also a pivotal part of their job, so all things considered, it’s only logical to believe Human Resources will be in charge of implementing Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), ensuring all employees are treated fairly, given equal opportunities, and won’t face discrimination in the workplace. This is partly true, and Human Resources specialists can be the ones supervising the Diversity & Inclusion strategy as well as monitoring its development step by step. However, the shift towards Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) isn’t something that management can simply delegate to Human Resources and forget about.
On the same note, leaders should never assume that underrepresented employees will be prone to take the reins and become active players in the mission of implementing Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) into the company culture. Of course, some of them might be thrilled by the idea of being keynote speakers in workshops and seminars, as well as taking part in campaigns of sensitisation, and any other activity aimed at promoting Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). Even so, not everybody will have the capacity to put extra time and labour into the project, and not everybody will feel comfortable sharing details of their personal life with their colleagues.
The ultimate success lies on everybody’s shoulders as “D&I needs to be something that every single employee at the company has a stake in.” (Bo Young Lee). Once you think about it, if you see Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) like a full house in a restaurant, you wouldn’t delegate everything to the servers, or the hosts, or the head chef. Success can only be achieved by the joint work of servers, hosts, bartenders, line cooks, executive chef, and dishwashers.
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? And yet, here comes another fundamental question: why would these people work hard towards a common goal if their leader doesn’t show any interest in the first place? This takes us to the next point.
#1 DO: lead by example by being an active Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) advocate.
As a leader, you set the example your team will follow. You decided to take an important step towards a more inclusive company culture so that nobody in your team would face discrimination, alienation, nor will be hindered or prevented from doing their job.
Start by asking yourself the following questions and be honest with your answers: is the language used in your job offers inclusive in a way that won’t scare away a good slice of applicants (for example, are there too many masculine-coded words)? Are your job offers centred around education and years of experience, or the skills that are effectively required to succeed at the job? And what about the internal language of the company, does it make everybody feel welcome and included? Who’s been promoted inside your company? The people who self-promote or are you giving everybody a fair shot (for instance, research shows that women are less likely to self-promote than men)? Are meetings dominated by more assertive voices or is everybody given a chance to voice their opinion without fear of being downplayed? And when it comes to voicing concerns, are the people who speak up penalized?
You’re all on the same boat, and chances are every single member of your team wants the business to succeed and thrive. It has been proved that performance and diversity go hand in hand and that Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) will take your business achievements to the next level. So aim at establishing a sense of belonging for everyone, welcome feedback, and make sure every individual feels free to speak without fear of retaliation.
“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” (Sundar Pichai)
#2 DON’T: believe Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) equals hiring a diverse workforce.
Imagine you’re baking a cake. Everything you need is flour, eggs, sugar, and milk, right? Sure, but doesn’t that sound a little flat? Now, try adding chocolate chips, cocoa powder, raspberries, strawberries, whipped cream, coconut flakes, and what about giving that soy milk a try? Diversity will surely allow you to bake a memorable cake. However, gathering a bunch of ingredients isn’t enough. A real pastry chef knows how to bring them all together enhancing every single unique flavour and making it count.
This is to say, that diversity and inclusion complement each other, and you should always keep in mind that diversity alone is worth little without inclusion. To keep the previous example of the cake, diversity can be seen as a vast array of ingredients with different flavours, textures, and properties. Inclusion is the skill of incorporate all of those ingredients (workforce) and baking a cake (company culture) where each one of them is highlighted to its full potential and can contribute to the final product (D&I).
“When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an organization.” (Pat Wadors)
#2 DO: promote Diversity & Inclusion (D&I).
After you’ve gathered a diverse workforce, you must listen to what your underrepresented employees have to say about their overall experience at the company, as their feedback is gold when it comes to promoting and maintaining Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). So, make sure to build a team as diverse as possible, but never forget to also take significant steps towards inclusion.
To give you a few examples: offer language courses, allow more flexible working hours, promote remote working, arrange mentoring programs supervised by D&I services providers (like BusinessWiz), come up with new team activities, consider organizing Diversity & Inclusion workshops that reflect your own company goals and needs, and encourage all of your employees to take a D&I survey that will allow you not only to have a better overview of your current status of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) but also figure out the next logical steps your company will have to take.
Most importantly, be transparent. Share the results of the D&I survey, and let your employees know what are the next action steps of your Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy. As we said, Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is an ongoing journey where you may encounter a couple of setbacks, but never be scared of sharing those shortcomings with your team, and let them know their voices are heard and they matter.
#3 DON’T: expect the benefits of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) to show overnight.
You did what you were expected to. Your employees took a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) survey, after which you sought the assistance of a D&I supporter in order to tailor a successful action plan. You organized a pertinent workshop aimed at your company-specific needs, and you ticked every single entry in your personal “D&I to-do list”. Your business must be all set for success now! Well, yes and no.
Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is like a seed, and it will take some time and consistent watering for it to blossom. Moreover, a diverse workforce won’t go a long way if your team doesn’t feel a sense of belonging that will ultimately benefit your business. Imagine investing time and resources in hiring a qualified and diverse team only to have most of it leave within the first year. Doesn’t sound really ideal, does it? This leads us to the next point.
#3 DO: retain your diverse workforce and the perks will show.
When you make Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) a core value of your company culture, there are no limits to the benefits this will bring to the business. Just imagine a company where all employees feel a deep sense of belonging and give 100% every day. Imagine a company where innovative thinking reigns and new partnerships are acquired. Imagine a company flourishing with fresh and diverse perspectives that allow not only optimal understanding of the target groups but also lead the way to new markets. Imagine a company being a magnet for both qualified personnel as well as a wide range of clients. Sounds like the dream business, doesn’t it? This is a taste of what Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) can bring to the table.
However, and this cannot be stressed enough, hiring a diverse workforce isn’t enough when a company can’t retain it. Focus on inclusion, make sure your employees feel engaged, valued, and most importantly safe to be themselves. The results will show.
“Inclusion and fairness in the workplace… is not simply the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.” (Alexis Herman)
#4 DON’T: believe in one-size-fits-all.
Internet is your friend and any web search can give you a good smattering of what Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is all about. With one click you can find hundreds of reasons why you should invest in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), and you’ll get tips and to-do lists aplenty.
This said, there is no secret recipe for building a successful Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy as the action steps will ultimately have to resonate with your employees’ demographics, needs, and values.
Do you need to focus on gender equality? Should you put more emphasis on disability awareness? Or perhaps it’s time to promote cultural differences and build a more efficient communication system? It’s up to you to find out, and our advice is to start by taking a D&I survey in order to better assess the situation. Don’t assume, base your decisions on concrete data and you’ll be one step closer to success.
#4 DO: set goals tailored around the D&I survey.
As we’ve already covered, Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) isn’t a pie chart nor a to-do list, D&I is the individuals’ everyday experiences at work, and their sense of belonging. D&I is the celebration of diversity, integration, and all in all an environment where underrepresented people feel safe, respected, and are given equals opportunities. There is no secret recipe for success when it comes to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), but you can always start by taking the D&I survey which will allow a better overview of the current status of D&I in your company. Once you’ve gathered the data, you’ll be able to execute a tailored action plan which will resonate with your employees’ feedback, and don’t shy away from seeking the help of a D&I supporter.
Above all, remember that Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is up to everybody and the management must always be fully transparent. So collect the results of the D&I survey, discuss them openly with your team, listen to what they have to say, create an action plan with the aid of a D&I supporter, and never forget to follow up as words require action, and action leads to results.
Key Takeways:
There is no end to the benefits Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) can bring to a business, and even though you won’t find a universal step-by-step guide on how to boost your own D&I strategy, there are some crucial Dos and Don’ts you must always keep in mind:
- Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) can’t be solely delegated to HR (which can however manage the D&I strategy as well as monitor its development) nor to a specific group of employees (even though some of them might be thrilled to become active D&I promoters). The leaders set the standards the whole team will follow and should be the first D&I advocate by taking personal ownership and leading by example.
- Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) doesn’t equal building a diverse team. Diversity and inclusion complement each other, and diversity alone means nothing if the underrepresented employees aren’t integrated and don’t feel a sense of belonging. That’s why a company should take active steps towards building a culture of inclusivity, and most importantly, always be transparent about the current D&I status. Employee’s feedback plays a crucial role when it comes to planning a successful D&I strategy, and should be always taken into consideration.
- The numerous perks and benefits of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) have already been proved, but they won’t show up overnight. Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is an ongoing process and that’s why, after hiring a diverse crew, the main focus should be on retaining it. The results will show in due time.
- Finally, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), and the strategy must be adjusted along the way. For this, there is no better tool than a D&I survey. Other than offering a general overview of the D&I status in the company, the survey will allow the management to make educated decisions tailored to their workforce.
About the author:
Giulia Pernisi is a content writer with solid expertise in educating and assisting people of all backgrounds and nationalities.
In the past 8 years, she has been working for different international and multicultural Finnish businesses where she has experienced first-hand the importance of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). She has now made it her mission to be an active D&I advocate. Diversity & Inclusion are also at the core of her creative writing, as Giulia is a fantasy author with a book series in the making.
Contact Giulia on her LinkedIn profile.