The business benefits of diversity and inclusion (D&I) are well established and becoming more important for manufacturing firms as our societies are becoming super diverse. Creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation is seen as an enabler to deliver better business results. Research by Deloitte identifies an 80 percent improvement in business performance when levels of diversity and inclusion were high and these findings are supported by research from companies such as Mercer, McKinsey and EY.
An increasingly multi-cultural population, ageing workforce and skills shortages are creating new challenges to recruiting, retaining and developing talent. Millennial views and expectations surrounding diversity and inclusion are greater. Shareholders, customers and suppliers are scrutinising the authenticity of organisations in respect of their D&I stance.
For these reasons, many businesses recognise that their corporate strategies must hinge on diversity and that they have to be intentional about reflecting stakeholder values in order to attract and retain the best talent and market new products and services.
So how does your organisation shape up? A thorough introspection of the following areas will generate a deeper understanding of what’s required.
- Leadership buy in is essential. How much do leaders actually know about what constitutes a diverse and inclusive organisation? Change starts at the top.
- Decisions to be based on data not perception. Businesses need to use an evidenced-based approach to design structural, behavioural and knowledge interventions.
- Talent processes must be designed and operated in ways that are free of unintended bias, and barriers identified to the progress of under-represented groups.
- Rebrand modern manufacturing so men are not negatively impacted for talking about work injuries and pain in a ‘macho’ culture, and women are not discouraged from accessing the industry due to perceptions of a ‘dirty’, ‘dangerous’ and male-dominated environment.
- ‘Shop floor’ banter to be tackled. Do staff members recognise inappropriate banter and how do they provide effective challenge when behaviour is not aligned to your values?
- Sufficient attention to be paid to employee insight as you do for customer insight. Prospective employees visit sites like GlassDoor.com or Indeed.com to obtain insights into the culture of an organisation.
- Government imperatives such as the Gender Pay Gap, Apprenticeship Levy and the Social Value Act are bringing greater accountability to businesses. With a growing groundswell of demand for equality, businesses are having to demonstrate how they champion and promote diversity for the greater good.
As stakeholders call into question the D&I credentials of businesses, a deliberate and conscious approach to diversity and inclusion efforts is needed.