Building a Diverse & Inclusive Workplace at Scale

Rightfully, more organizations are putting a focus on D&I (or, I&D if you prefer), as we battle through 2020. Is it long overdue that ALL organizations are focusing on this? Probably. But--better late than never.

Here at Pega, a place that I am proud to say has been named one of the best places for women to advance their career, we are fortunate to be led by people from all walks of life. As someone in the Talent space, it is evident that it takes an Ecosystem Change, to fully embrace diversity at scale. SO, how to you make D&I not only a priority, but an integral piece to your business fabric? GET. EVERYONE. BOUGHT. IN.

In the article you will find the "Why", "Who", and "How" to embrace D&I at Scale.

WHY?

As of 2018, only 20% of entry-level technical jobs have been filled by female candidates. YES, the questions is raised that "Well, most technical candidates in schools are male candidates"--which would be correct. But, how do we combat that? It is proven that companies with a diverse slate of employees (race, gender, sex, etc.) tend to outperform their competitors within similar industries. Again--not saying this is a "one-size-fits-all", but it is a factor nonetheless.

By actively promoting D&I, pulling those concepts into branding as an employer of choice for diverse growth, and practicing what you preach--it is possible to swing these numbers in a favorable direction. Delivering through Diversity, a 2018 study by McKinsey and Company, made a solid business case for having more women on your team: “Companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.” However, this is more than just profitability, this is about creating an equitable employment environment for everyone. Which gets me to my next point.

WHO?

E.V.E.R.Y.B.O.DY.: Let's just be perfectly clear, D&I is not something that can be spoken into existence. It is a cultural shift, a mindset change. As someone in the Human Resources space, this concept can not be handled by our business unit alone. It requires recognition by our leadership, board, and every employee under our roof at a global scale. It is no secret that when hiring, people tend to connect with others that are much like themselves--and this leads to portions of business lacking in diverse thought that is integral to business growth.

Something the Pega has been driving to the business in "Unconscious Bias" interview training, a commitment to slates robust with diverse candidates, and creation of a Talent Partner role that drives Business Unit Diversity strategies at all levels. To achieve these numbers and initiatives, it takes a village. From Recruiters, to hiring managers, to individual contributors spreading the word--this is possible.

HOW?

Here is where scale comes in to play, and as growth continues, sometimes D&I might become a second thought to speed.

• Total Commitment at all levels: From the CEO to the most recent hire, D&I has to be "effectively" communicated and reiterated.
• Build an Ecosystem: Here at Pega we have some great partners like YearUp, Apprenti, Women In Tech, and others that fuel our pipelines for Diverse hiring. This is not something that can be done at scale alone, so finding partners is key.
• Be Proactive: While working to build D&I, it is important to grow a community. As an HR pro, someone who is not a fit for a job today--could be great for a role tomorrow. To build at scale, skipping steps today will come back to hurt in the end.
• Repetition: How do you let D&I not be a "Flavor of the Month"? REPETITION. Mentioning D&I to your partners and business units once is not going to cut it. It is something that needs to be backed by data and driven continuously.

The word "Scale" to some is overused, but here at Pega it is what we do. From our Software, our clients, and internal processes we are all about building for the future and for change. So, we are taking the same approach to building a culture that embraces diverse thoughts & leadership so we can provide our services at the highest-level.

In short, D&I is not something that can be done once and you are done forever. This is a concept that HAS to be driven to every part of the organization to make a lasting change.

Here at Pega we are committed to supporting Diverse talent (and ALL talent) on their journey in the SaaS world.