Diversity: Why it is not a numbers game
Diversity is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. There is an increased appetite to have more women in boardrooms, a push for the implementation of quotas and increasing debate around the causes of unequal pay and the gender imbalances caused by current hiring practices.
Despite the fact that a lot of interesting ideas and change have resulted from this debate, I cannot help but feel that it is somewhat missing the point. Diversity is not about numbers it is about thought. Consequently, any debate that only considers gender, race, financial background is ignoring the strongest benefits of a diverse workforce.
What is truly beneficial and the only thing that can bring about change, is diversity in opinion. By switching the focus towards how people think as opposed to their skin colour or gender you ensure that you accomplish diversity without the need to resort to positive discrimination.
By focusing on numbers you inevitably end up with a requirement for women only shortlists, or preferential treatment for candidates from minority backgrounds which causes two main problems: resentment and a failure to directly observe the genuine benefits diversity can bring.
This is because even if someone from a minority background was placed on merit, they will always start their job with a presumption of “guilt” and people questioning their success. Similarly, if the focus is on numbers as opposed to ways of thinking, whoever is hiring will hire the person who meets the diversity criteria but without rocking the boat too much. The result of this, will inevitably be more of the same which will lead to people arguing that diversity has no real long term benefits on business performance.
The ultimate aim should be to have people in boardrooms that can have an input in the conversation that is original and unique, what is often termed "a fresh approach." This is what diversity is truly about, a change and a broadening of intellectual horizons.
But how do you get this kind of diversity? How do you ensure you get diversity in thought without looking at the numbers? Are you not ostensibly just asking people to stop recruiting the way they have been recruiting up until now?
The answer to that is a big resounding YES. The true debate around diversity should centre around how to best achieve open-mindedness and how to be receptive towards people who do not want to do things the way they have always been done.
The real discussion and the real change will come about when people stop thinking about policies and numbers and start thinking about their own perception of people and how they make hiring decisions. In my view, the discussion on diversity should first and foremost start from introspection and internal reflection before it transitions into political debate and legislation.
Then again, I am open to other opinions and I am open to accepting that my view could be wrong because that is what true openness to diversity is.
CMO at Coople
8 年This is a great article. If we want diversity of thought I would almost argue that hiring people who already stick out because of gender, race, etc may NOT be the best thing to do, because these people will try harder to fit in. If you are the only woman in a meeting it's hard enough to open your mouth at all. You definitely think twice about throwing in a controversial idea. And the environment has to be extremely inclusive and welcoming for you to continue doing it over time. I assume it's similar if you are the only 'diverse person' for some other reason. From what I've seen the most difficult thing is to be patient enough to listen to people who have a different point of view and actually make an effort to understand them. People who really think in different ways will inevitably say things that initially don't make much sense to you. However, if you invest the time to get to the bottom of it they can also lead you to the best results. The challenge is that it's very hard to judge when someone is talking BS and wasting your time versus when it's worth investing the time to get to the bottom of it. You'll never be successful if you always listen to everything anyone says and the easiest way to avoid wasting time is to stick to things you understand. That eliminates diversity of thought though. There are 3 things that I found can help: 1. Structuring conversations differently: If you clearly differentiate between conversations where you want to explore ideas and conversations where you want to get to results fast you can allow diversity of thought without losing focus. 2. Trust helps: You need to give those 'diverse people' time and the benefit of the doubt. After a while you know which ones tend to make the very valid points that YOU just can't immediately understand. I've definitely had the most interesting, fruitful and enlightening conversations with people that were unbelievably different. It adds so much to both your work and your life!
Integrated Transformational & Growth Facilitator | Organizational Change, Talent, & Leadership Management Expert | Amplifying Business Results & Investor Engagement
8 年I am writing an article similar to this one. I am looking at the impact of organisational culture, diversity and leadership. When the organisation has a clear understanding of their culture, norms and values, diversity takes a different dimension and it is accepted throughout the organisation. What is important is that the top management is 100% involved and act as catalyst and role models.
Chair, Advisor, NED
8 年A very interesting take on diversity which focuses on diversity of thought rather than traditional diversity considerations. Halma is actively looking to improve the diversity levels in our 50 odd operating companies but we struggle to identify sufficient candidates. Maybe you can help?