Authentic care for employees lays also within the interest of the company concerning diversity and inclusion at work. It is not about business policies or marketing. It is about building trust and commitment which can prove far more valuable in the long run.
Everyone, regardless of who they are and how they are, must be present in the business without favoring one category over another. This is diversity and it is meant to bring everyone to the table.
An inclusive work environment goes even further by involving everyone's contributions and perspectives and integrating them into a safe environment.
At a deeper level, diversity and inclusion treat some concepts that may shift the way of workplace interaction. Here are some concepts worth thinking about:
Tokenism
This concept explains the way in which a company only pretends to be diverse and inclusive by employing just one member of a minority group. This action is taken just to silence the critics without any true intention of treating people fairly.
However, some companies might be at the beginning of their process of developing diversity and inclusion in their business. That's why there are more elements to observe. Tokenism is also felt and is seen in the workplace environment. A company may hire just a few people from different groups, but their opinions may not be equally valued. They might not be taken into consideration as much as the others and eventually, they may leave.
Diversity and inclusion should not be a matter of image. Its true impact is inside the company, and if it lacks authenticity in its action, this will eventually backfire.
Reverse discrimination
Paying attention to how we are treating people is amazing and it is fortunate we talk about this today in a very serious manner. However, there may be cases where the balance is tipped. Reverse discrimination manifests when someone from a majority group is discriminated against on the basis of a protected factor, such as race or gender in favor of a member of a racial minority.
For example, hiring a 50+ person only based on this characteristic despite that his/her competitors who are younger and proved to have more experience in the field and be more suited for the job.
There is a thin line between bringing the groups to the same level and favoring minorities over majorities.
Intersectionality
In theory, race, gender, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc. may be simpler to understand as discrimination factors by taking them separately. In practice, things are more complicated and this can deepen the inequality. Intersectionality is showing that the above categorizations are interconnected and can affect everyone in a different way and a proper solution can be given only when these are taken together.
For example, an LGBTQIA+ woman will suffer different discrimination compared to a majority sexual orientation belonging woman. Only focusing on gender discrimination will favor minority sexual orientation discrimination.
Intersectionality ensures that every problem of discrimination is treated properly in its complexity. This determines a better solution to fighting discrimination within the middle of it.
These are only three concepts out of much more from diversity and inclusion literature. Diversity and inclusion are much more than checking a minority in a list of employees. It is about truly understanding people and doing efforts in treating them equally. This, in turn, will reflect in employee loyalty, and a productive environment for the growth of the company.
At Talent Collection we believe that now more than ever, there is a great need for businesses to increase representation, build greater inclusion, drive positive change, and ensure accountability. We developed a program called Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Wellbeing & Performance which can be delivered in personalized forms suited for each company. Feel free to say hi at contact@talentcollection.ro to find out more.
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