When it comes to fostering diversity and inclusion in your company, either go hard or go home. Seriously. You can’t do light touch diversity and inclusion. It’s not a box to tick, a “nice to have”, or something you can dip in and out of. It requires long-term commitment and a significant investment of your resources. After all, what thing worth having comes easy in this world?
I won’t bore you with the overwhelming data on diversity’s positive impact on profitability, McKinsey among a number of other reputable firms have already done that quite well. I write this in response to a question I hear time and time again at tech events across London, often posed by founders and recruiters, “We want to be more diverse, what do you suggest we can do better?”
The problem with that question is that it oversimplifies a complex issue and assumes there’s a silver bullet that can save the day. Getting diversity and inclusion right for your organization takes examination and expertise which can’t be accomplished in a single conversation. If you really want to make your company more inclusive and representative of the world in which you operate, you need to start by understanding why all companies aren’t inclusive and representative by default in the first place.
This research on privilege, inequality, and oppression takes time and will bring up lots of difficult emotions regardless of your identity. You will feel guilt, shame, and defensiveness. I know because I do. But investing time in this is the key to getting your mind in the right space to begin developing effective strategies that will work for your organization. You need to really understand the roots of the problem before you begin designing a solution.
How can you expect to empathize with the underrepresented people you hope to attract, hire and include if you haven’t walked a mile in their shoes? Read their accounts of life and work? Listened to their stories? I write this as a person with a number of privileges. For example, I’m able-bodied. I’m heterosexual. I’m cisgender. This means I must work harder to empathize with those with less privilege in our society e.g. disabled, LGBTQI and trans people. Privilege is invisible to those who have it, to quote American sociologist, Michael Kimmel. It’s why so many men were genuinely shocked and surprised over the deluge of #MeToo revelations…
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