Diversity and inclusion: How leaders can help influence your EDIB strategy

Hello and welcome back to The Employee Voice, WorkBuzz's monthly newsletter for HR and people leaders who want the very latest from the frontline of employee engagement.

We all know employee engagement plays a very big role in the success of any organisation. But creating a work environment where employees are truly engaged involves a heavy focus on diversity and inclusion.

Historically, workplaces across the globe haven't always been the most fair and diverse places for everyone - in fact recently, Claudia Goldin was awarded the Nobel Prize for her research on the evolution of gender equality in the workplace (or lack thereof), from the last 200 years. And other recent research from the University of Oxford found applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds had to send 60% more applications to get a positive response from an employer compared to a white person of British origin.

The University of Oxford found that job applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds had to send 60% more applications compared to a white person

We've even seen campaigning and fights for equal rights from Stonewall and #MeToo, to Black Lives Matter, various LGBTQ+ movements, and the Stop Asian Hate movement. But while there is evidence that progress has been made over the last decade towards more diverse and more inclusive workplaces, such as all Fortune 100 companies publicly committing to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a growing consensus among the majority of employees in favour of working for organisations that prioritises ED&I, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done.

How much power does leadership have in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace?

There are many advantages of welcoming diverse talents and perspectives and making sure each employee feels valued and included. But a key question persists: How much influence does leadership really have in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace?

While equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) may have fallen two places to eighth in our ranking of HR priorities in our latest State of Employee Engagement research report , it was actually highlighted as a priority by a larger percentage of respondents than in 2022 (21% this year versus 17% last year), making it clear that EDIB is still an important and top area of focus for most HR professionals.

We then went on to ask whether the organisations they work for are getting more or less diverse, and what the barriers are to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce. Here are the results:

Within our research, we also asked about the biggest barriers to diversity initiatives, where respondents cited two challenges: attracting diverse people to the organisation in the first place (33%), and that senior leadership isn’t representative of a diverse workforce (28%). Worryingly, one in nine also said they didn’t feel senior leadership was committed to diversity and inclusion.

But the facts speak for themselves: diversity and inclusion in leadership is paramount to success:

• Top team diversity is strongly correlated with profitability
• Inclusive leaders can drive a 17% increase in team performance and a 29% increase in team collaboration
• 76% of jobseekers and employees say that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers

Steps to a more diverse leadership team

It starts with representation

In media, popular culture, and in business, representation is important. The more you can see someone who looks like, or who shares other similarities with you, the more you’re able to understand how you can fit into the business and make a pathway for yourself.

Leaders need to share their diversity traits and ensure they are visible and vocal about their support for marginalised groups. This is the only way we’ll start to disrupt decades of patriarchal, white-dominated business practice.

Consider your future talent

Leaders need to consider future talent and their organisation attracts it. EDIB is a driving principle for Gen Z , who have a greater interest in human rights, race and ethnicity issues, LGBTQ+ equality, and feminism than any of their predecessors. With this front of mind, we need to ensure that the future workforce – the talent now coming though – is met by organisations that are equally as passionate about rights as they are.

This brings both opportunity and challenge – the future workforce will expect diversity and inclusion as an essential from their employers, not the ‘nice to have’ approach that currently exists.

Get to the root of the issue

If your leadership team isn’t representative of the workforce, you could promote or add a leadership role for someone that gives the underrepresented a leader like them to look up to – but that’s just a sticking plaster.

Instead, you need to get in to the root of the issue:

• Why haven’t you already got a representative leadership team?
• Where are you hiring from?
• Is everyone able to progress and be themselves in your organisation?
• Are the same opportunities for development open to all?
• Can you take more chances on people that haven’t ‘been there and done that’ to make home-grown talent?

By understanding more about the roots and why the problem is happening, you can then address it through actions to improve those root causes to ensure a pipeline of talent succession for the future.

Learn more about diversity and inclusion here , and download out eBook, 'Four steps to create a more inclusive culture' here .

Adapting for future generations

Diversity and inclusion are not just vital components of today's workforce; they are absolutely indispensable. And as mentioned above, this importance is magnified when we consider the perspective of Generation Z.

As the newest entrants to the professional world, Gen Z has been raised in a world that's far more diverse than previous generations. Diversity and inclusion is not a 'nice to have' for this generation, it's a non-negotiable.

They recognise not only the economic and cultural advantages of EDIB, but also the contributions it makes to creativity, innovation, and decision-making. Consequently, Gen Z actively seeks out organisations that align with these core values, where according to a Monster survey, 83% of Gen-Z respondents said they consider an employer's commitment to diversity and inclusion when deciding where to work.

83% of Gen-Z respondents said they consider an employer's commitment to diversity and inclusion when deciding where to work - Monster

Driven by a passion for authenticity, amplified by the influence of social media and peer networks, Gen Z is at the forefront of shaping conversations and initiatives regarding diversity and inclusion in the workplace and society. This generation stands as a driving force in the quest to build inclusive, diverse, and equitable environments for the future.

Here are some steps leaders should take to actively establish more diverse and inclusive teams for future generations:

1. Education - Leaders should invest time in educating themselves about the specific values, expectations, and concerns of Gen Z regarding EDIB.
2. Assess current practices - Assess their teams current practices related to EDIB, identifying areas where improvements are needed, for example:- In recruitment - for example unbiased job descriptions and inclusive interview processes with structured questions- Organisational policies - this could look into cultural holidays and flexible work schedules- Training - this could be to do with more inclusive learning resources, for example training materials that are reviewed for cultural and linguistic sensitivity- Culture - for example inclusive benefits for diverse needs and opportunities for feedback
3. Encourage open dialogue - Encourage honest conversation from everyone across your organisation to share their stories and experiences. Ask questions in meetings, or perhaps in your regular pulse surveys to get a reflection of how people are feeling or suggestions they could put forward to positive change, to foster stronger communication around diversity and inclusion.
4. D&I training - Implement mandatory diversity and inclusion training for all employees, helping teams to understand their biases and assess where their attitudes and beliefs may need adjusting. Ensure that it is ongoing, interactive, and addresses things like unconscious bias and micro aggressions.
5. Stay accountable - Regularly assess progress towards diversity and inclusion goals. Establish clear accountability to ensure that objectives are met, and ensure these results are shared with their teams and the wider workforce.

Learn more about what younger generations, including Generation Alpha, are and will be looking for in their place of work in the below webinar snippet, taken from our recent webinar 'From Gen Z to Baby Boomers: Crafting effective employee engagement for all ages '.

A final message

Recognising the importance of initial steps to improve diversity and inclusion like those outlined above is essential, but it's even more crucial to emphasise that these steps, while necessary, merely set the wheels in motion. Real progress in diversity and inclusivity can only be achieved when there is an authentic commitment to fostering positive change.

A diverse and inclusive workforce is not a checkbox exercise, it requires continual creativity, innovation, and resilience to get right.

The world is constantly changing, and so is the workplace. Stay informed about the shifting dynamics of teams and the future of work with insights from industry experts by subscribing to The Employee Voice newsletter, powered by WorkBuzz.

Download our latest State of Employee Engagement 2023 research report which condenses research from over 450+ HR professionals across a diverse range of organisations and industries in both the UK and US about what their top priorities and biggest challenges as we move into 2024.