Diversity and inclusion aren’t the same, and both need your attention

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Opinion

Diversity and inclusion aren’t the same, and both need your attention

By Scarlett McDermott

Recognition and understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) in Australian workplaces is increasing, which is an encouraging shift in the right direction.

However, something I frequently observe is that the two terms—diversity and inclusion—are used interchangeably. In reality, they are two distinct concepts that are certainly interconnected, but not exchangeable.

Companies that prioritise both diversity and inclusion are more likely to be leaders in their industries and have greater employee loyalty.

Companies that prioritise both diversity and inclusion are more likely to be leaders in their industries and have greater employee loyalty.Credit:iStock

Many workplaces have diverse workforces, but are not inclusive. Employees may come from culturally diverse backgrounds, be neurodivergent, or LGBTQI+, but this does not necessarily mean these people feel comfortable to be their true selves at work. They may not feel their opinion counts for the same as someone else’s, or that they are socially accepted. In other words, a sense of inclusion is lacking.

On the other hand, an organisation may lack diversity but feel inclusive to those within it because employees are from similar backgrounds — not the sort of inclusiveness organisations should aspire to. When an organisation is inclusive to only a select group of individuals — they may look alike, have studied at similar schools, or come from a certain geographical area — it is often unwelcoming (whether explicitly or unintentionally) to a huge swathe of society that looks, thinks, and lives differently.

Organisations like this not only don’t represent the communities they operate in, they also greatly limit their potential for creativity, innovation and ultimately performance, which diverse teams are shown to bring in spades.

While many organisations believe they are diverse, by the very nature of how they hire, they often fall short.

So how do you untangle D&I and ensure you’re getting both parts right? To start, employers need to step back and assess their recruitment and HR processes in their entirety to identify where biases (including unconscious ones) may be creeping in, and where opportunities exist to increase support.

The hiring process is often where a lack of diversity stems from. While many organisations believe they are diverse, by the very nature of how they hire, they often fall short. Traditional recruitment methods that rely on resumes, interviews and reference checks often result in certain candidates being favoured over others, regardless of their merit, as social biases tend to creep in and play a role in decision-making.

To avoid this, organisations should consider incorporating blind hiring and aptitude testing into the hiring process. Blind hiring ensures candidates can’t be evaluated based on details such as age, gender, or where they’ve worked previously, while aptitude testing reveals a candidate’s true potential.

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Aptitude testing is important because the best candidate for a role may not present well in interviews for any number of reasons — they could be shy, English might be their second language, or they could have difficulty with hearing, etc. — however none of these factors may impact their ability to perform their job at a very high level.

While overhauling hiring processes to be more equitable is an effective way to encourage greater diversity in a workforce, if individuals don’t feel supported in their role, or if they feel like they’ve been hired to meet a diversity target, they are unlikely to reach their full potential or stay with the organisation long-term. This is where inclusion comes in.

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Fostering inclusion in the workplace can (and should) be done in a number of ways. Beyond the bare minimum of having a zero-tolerance rule for discriminatory behaviour and language, policies should include things like promoting the use of inclusive language, the practice of allyship, support of social causes, cultural awareness training, employee resource groups, and the amplification of marginalised voices, among other things.

It’s been proven time and again that organisations that prioritise both diversity and inclusion are more likely to be leaders in their industries and foster greater employee loyalty.

These organisations do not treat diversity and inclusion as a catch-all term. Instead, they understand them as independent, yet interconnected, concepts that require individualised nurturing.

Scarlett McDermott is chief technology officer at tech start-up WithYouWithMe.

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