Organisational policies can be overlooked and a diversity policy is no exception. Often times it is viewed as if it were simply a few notes written on a piece of paper.
Very often employees do not recognise the significance of a diversity and inclusion policy.
Organisational policies can be overlooked and a diversity policy is no exception. Often times, they are viewed as if diversity were simply a few notes written on a piece of paper.
Very often employees do not recognise the significance of a diversity and inclusion policy, and do not see diversity and inclusion as an actionable business requirement.
Often this is a result of the organisational failure to support the policy with concrete procedures, processes and whole organisation learning and development around inclusion.
Diversity is important to the success of business, and as such, should be more than a statement which seeks to show that an organisation is compliant with the laws.
Diversity As An Organisational Theme
Diversity and inclusion policy should be embedded into business practice, at all levels, from the Boardroom to the storeroom.
Diversity must be incorporated into your business and should be a theme across all of the following areas:
Policies
Business strategy
Talent and recruitment
Training and development
Product and service design
Staff recognition
Having a diversity policy is not enough
There are several other areas of a business where diversity can be incorporated into your business practice.
To ensure that your business is seen to be serious about diversity and inclusion, a mere statement will not suffice. In today's technologically forward society, the lens on organisational diversity practices is a wide one.
Are you confident in your answers to the following questions or could you be doing much more?
Does your staff celebrate your business on social media in relation to diversity?
Are your order books made up a diverse range of clients, both locally and on an international level?
How often do your leadership and management teams embark on diversity updates and training seminars?
Is diversity a core theme of staff development at an appropriate level?
Do you engage with a wide range of communities in relation to your corporate and social responsibility efforts?
Is diversity a key theme within your marketing strategy?
Is your recruitment strategy tailored towards accessing diverse talent pools?
Diversity Connects all Parts of Business Growth Activity
Business should seek to integrate diversity, as a core theme, which runs through the policies, functions and operations of their brand.
There is continual evolution within the employment market, with global mobility proving a key force to be reckoned with for the past 20 years or so.
This trend shows no signs of slowing down and brings with it all the business benefits of a richly diverse marketplace.
In order to keep up with rapid globalisation, business must ensure that diversity is at the forefront of marketing, planning, product and service development.
This is a must for any business which seeks to have relevance in a rapidly changing world.
Failure to embrace diversity as a thematic function of business, will inevitably lead to decreased profit, reduced market visibility, high staff turnover and low customer engagement with your products and services.
If your business seeks to be well placed for the future and operate within a globally focused and increasingly diverse work space, then diversity is a key theme to fully acknowledge.... starting now.
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Kenroi Consulting is a bespoke diversity consultancy providing tailor made solutions for businesses across the UK.
W: www.kenroi.com T: 0203 633 1185 E: info@kenroi.com