8 Steps to how businesses can manage diversity successfully in the workplace

As I was interviewing some prospective candidates for a job interview, one of the questions I asked most of the candidates was “What is your view on “Diversity & Inclusion” ? I was surprised that not many had an idea and a couple of them, who had some understanding related to this is either gender diversity or that India is a diverse country. Is diversity only limited to ‘gender’?   There is a need to understand the much wider scope of diversity and that diversity without Inclusion is meaningless. Many corporates over the years have been speaking about diversity and some of them even relate this to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  However, the fact is that this is not a  CSR, it is not hiring & promoting  more females into the organization, nor is it rolling out pleasant and small time benefits for the female employees.   It is not a   ’good to have’ but a ‘Must Have’ part of your business strategy, if today’s corporates wish to be globally competitive and become respected businesses. It needs to be looked at as one’s own responsibility towards the organization, towards the community of equals that you would like to build around you. Diversity and Inclusion truly is a MINDSET CHANGE. First and foremost, the corporate world needs to introspect whether they want to talk about Diversity only ‘to appear right’ or they truly believe in ‘being right’.  If it is the latter, then diversity alone is meaningless, we need to be inclusive in our approach.  For example, even if we hire a diverse workforce, what is more important is how ‘inclusive’ are we towards people with different gender, abilities, thoughts, beliefs, viewpoints, ethnicities and many more.  Without inclusion diversity has no relevance.  Therefore, before we even make diversity as an initiative in corporates, there is a need to have an inclusive mindset.  How many of us are willing to accept a person who is with ‘special abilities’ as a Manager , or for that matter from a ‘different gender’.    Do we welcome different viewpoints from our peers or our team members or do we stereotype them?  How true are our intentions towards taking initiatives around diversity?   The leadership needs to first and foremost have genuine and true intentions towards diversity and inclusion and win the trust of the entire organization by ‘walking the talk’.  To my mind, this is the STEP ONE and needless to say that STEP ONE is the most difficult one and is the biggest milestone.  Once this milestone has been achieved,  the rest of the journey  becomes a lot more seamless.  This journey can be instrumental in the organization turning from ‘Good’ to ‘Great’.   Some key points if kept in mind would lead to a totally effective and joyous experience for all.

1. Involve all the stakeholders
2. Effective Communication within the organization
3. Training on Emotional Intelligence and Respect at work for all
4. Walk the talk
5. Diversity and Inclusion to be a part of the KPIs at all levels
6. Diversity and Inclusion to be a non- negotiable value
7. Define a ‘measurement criteria’ of the organization moving in the right direction
8. Take course correction as and when required