Miranda Collard is the Global Chief Client Officer for Teleperformance.
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To many, “diversity” may seem like a buzzword—something leaders pay lip service to without producing tangible results. And since we’ve got a long way to go toward creating an equal workplace, diversity is still more important than ever. In 2023, diversity, equity and inclusion are table stakes for attracting top talent and running a successful business. I believe companies that choose to prioritize DEI will reap the rewards.
Business leaders cannot simply say they want to create diversity and expect a wide range of candidates to magically line up at their door. Without intention, employers could end up with the one-dimensional workplaces of the past. Businesses should be proactive about going out and finding diverse candidates.
This process begins with job descriptions. One of the first ways candidates interact with your company is through listings. To attract diversity, be sure that your descriptions are inclusive, encouraging a diverse pool of candidates to apply.
Most women apply only to jobs they’re 100% qualified for, while men apply even if they’re only 60% qualified for the job. To combat this, prioritize the experience that is non-negotiable for the role and avoid the “everything but the kitchen sink” mentality that can overtake job listings, potentially intimidating applicants. Avoid coded language that might alienate women or other marginalized groups. It’s worth taking the time to thoughtfully rewrite job descriptions to ensure you are encouraging all people, regardless of their sex, race or background, to apply.
Hold yourself accountable.
Achieving workplace diversity also requires setting clear and measurable targets to track your progress and keep you accountable. If you don’t know who is underrepresented at your company, how can you fix it? Employers can say they want to use inclusive hiring practices, but unconscious bias often draws people toward what they are familiar with, leading them to hire the candidate who “fits in.” If you don’t set clear targets and actively prioritize diversity in hiring, you might unintentionally end up with a workplace filled with clones—people who look like you, think like you or are from a similar background as you. Setting intentional diversity targets allows you to break out of the echo chambers that unconscious bias creates, holding yourself accountable.
Lead with an open mind.
One of the most important elements of inclusive hiring is acknowledging that old stereotypes are still present. It is important to work to untangle these old patterns individually and communally and open your mind to those from different backgrounds.
The Mad Men-era work style no longer applies, and the demands of today's jobs can be met in various ways. A working mom might need to leave at 3:30 p.m. every day to pick up her kids, but she can easily log back on at 5 p.m. to finish the day from home. I’ve been a single mom for periods of my career—traveling all over the world for work and making it home to volunteer with my children in the community—and I am so grateful that my supervisors didn’t limit my opportunities due to my circumstances.
In many ways, the Covid pandemic opened people's minds to more flexible and diverse work environments. However, employers can’t just rely on the next big global pandemic to get the ball rolling on diversity and inclusion—opening people’s minds might take a bit more leg work.
As my role elevated at Teleperformance, there were no formal employee resource groups. So as one of my first objectives, I established TP Women to serve and elevate the women at the company. Since then, the number of promotions for women has increased significantly. TP Women has also inspired more employee resource groups; we now have global DEI initiatives for different races, veterans, those with disabilities and more.
Don’t be afraid to be the first to suggest an initiative toward diversity at your company. Most people’s minds won’t change without a little prodding, but with a nudge, you might be surprised at how many people will begin to question what they accept as the norm.
Diversity is good for business.
At the end of the day, implementing inclusive hiring practices is just the right thing to do. But if morality alone won’t persuade you, consider this: Diversity is also good for business.
A study of venture capital firms found that those lacking diversity among their investment partners also saw lackluster performance from their investments, and other studies have shown this to be true in other industries.
Diversity in hiring can bring with it diversity of thought. Before DEI was even on our radar, diversity of thought was an old-school leadership principle we tried to hold ourselves to. I remember being taught to hire those with different strengths than myself: If everyone on a team thinks and behaves in the same way, they will probably have the same weaknesses, too. That can make them vulnerable to competition and unlikely to challenge each other to grow and think outside the box. Think of it like a baseball team: If everyone on the team is a super-strong pitcher, how will they ever hit a home run, and who will catch the baseballs the other team sends into the outfield?
Everyone has a strength to bring to the table, and with more perspectives in the room, your organization can be better equipped to roll with the many punches life in business throws at you.
It’s worth the effort.
Inclusive hiring is as much an ethos as it is a practice. Businesses should commit to putting practices into place while untangling unconscious biases. And while this requires a lot of hard work, I believe the payoff is 100% worth it. Diversity in the workplace can bring out the best in everyone, allowing teams to leverage each unique individual's strengths—no matter their background—to breed innovation, creativity and growth. As a leader, I can’t think of anything more worthy of my time.
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