Back in the 1960s when affirmative action was first legislated in the U.S., few probably imagined where it would lead. Ushered in by the Kennedy administration to help end workplace discrimination, this precursor to today’s diversity and inclusion initiatives was openly opposed by many, including businesses.
While much has changed since then, discrimination and its counterpart, bias, have by no means disappeared. They’re just less overt now. In the U.S., bias is typically more prevalent than outright discrimination, and can therefore be harder to identify, even for the perpetrators. But regardless of how difficult identification may be, companies are increasingly recognizing the need to purge it from their organizations.
One reason is because they have to. Demographics have changed, and communities have become far less homogenous than in the past, so unless companies hire people who they once might have overlooked, there will be few workers to hire.
Even if this wasn’t the case, though, it’s clear that a diverse workforce has significant benefits. We have certainly seen this within our own organization and with our clients, to whom we provide talent consulting and advisory services.
The business case for diversity is “now overwhelming,” according to a recent examination of the research on World Economic Forum. Not only do employees with different perspectives and experiences help create more resilient and effective organizations; they also “foster innovation, creativity and empathy in ways that homogeneous environments seldom do,” says author Vijay Eswaran. Also, he notes that diverse organizations outperform those that aren’t.
A diverse and inclusive workplace has other advantages, too. In addition to boosting employee morale and engagement, it also promotes cultural fluency, which helps to negate bias. This, in turn, helps reduce stratification and creates more open communities. In this respect, potentially, businesses have the ability to help bring about truly meaningful change.
However, talking the talk isn’t like walking the walk. Although many companies may recognize the benefits of diversity, not all do what it takes to make it happen. Consider the tech industry and its well-publicized issues with women and minorities. Though the desire for change is often articulated, the needle here has barely budged.
To remediate this, companies should establish diversity targets for HR and hiring managers. To meet these targets, or simply to minimize the potential for bias, some of us use intelligent tools like Blendoor or TalVista at different points in the hiring process, from recruiting and screening to interviewing and assessing.
Beyond this, organizations can take part in initiatives that help those who experience bias due to factors like race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, LGBT and socioeconomic status, and educational level. With regard to the latter, for example, a growing number of companies have done away with degree requirements if a position doesn’t really require it. What many of us now consider more important are soft skills, like emotional intelligence and problem-solving abilities, as well as the ability to learn.
Leaders should also consider joining initiatives designed to help neurodiverse individuals, such as the Autism @ Work Employer Roundtable. This consortium promotes employment for those on the autism spectrum by leading field-specific recruitment efforts.
Another initiative comes from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and partners to help those with criminal histories (that is, one out of three adults in America) become employed. Organizations can take the Getting Talent Back to Work pledge, which arrives on the heels of the First Step Act. Enacted in December 2018 with strong bipartisan support, its goal is to improve rehabilitation and re-entry opportunities for those who’ve been incarcerated. “With unemployment below 4 percent, and the GDP losing an estimated $78 billion to $87 billion annually as this group remains unemployed, maintaining outdated employment practices that present significant barriers to the hiring of individuals with criminal records is no longer a viable strategy for organizations,” SHRM notes. Helping those in this group become employed also decreases their chances of returning to prison, as joblessness is the single most important factor in recidivism.
Clearly these are all steps in the right direction, regardless of the reasons companies decide to take them. While much more action is needed in this area, any efforts made can ultimately benefit us all — individuals, communities, businesses and our nation.
