The world has changed in the last two years. Companies have swiftly moved onto the digital bandwagon not to thrive — but to survive. When I began my career almost two-and-a-half decades ago, conversations regarding diversity and inclusion were reluctant and, at times, awkward. The needle has definitely moved since then. More and more organisations have come to know how critical these conversations are to their success. In the last two years, the accelerated technology adoption has also paved the way for organisations to integrate diversity, inclusion and equality in the heart of their corporate strategies.
Technology has become the means for tapping into the benefits of diversity, inclusion and equality in four main ways:
1. A wider pool of talent and richer and more diverse employee cultures
Increased technology adoption has transcended boundaries. With remote and hybrid work models becoming more accepted, organizations are looking for untapped talent irrespective of post codes, genders, ethnicities, nationalities and sexual orientations. Rural workforces are also finding larger employment opportunities and people with special needs or disabilities will be able to work for their dream companies without stepping out of their homes. Businesses too will benefit from this. The talent base will be bigger than before and employee culture would be richer with talent coming from all over the world bringing diverse views, creativity and innovative approaches to problem solving.
2. A leveled playing field through upskilling
More technology adoption and evolution will require more skills. Skills across application platforms, cloud, programming and system software will become more crucial. However, acquiring these skills has also become easier. Organisations have a unique opportunity to establish or improve their internal upskilling programs and levelling the playing field for its workforce. Many organizations are providing teams training and learning opportunities to develop their skillsets on an equal and non-discriminatory basis. But, this should not be limited to employees. Companies should strive to create an ecosystem of communities that have heterogeneous skillsets for the evolving landscape. One of the main initiatives in this area is the 5G Empower program that aims to train 100,000 women globally on 5G for free.
3. More collaboration through new ways of working
As technology paves the way for a more flexible workplace, companies are also adapting their policies to address new ways of working. The ubiquitous connectivity and high speeds will lead to smarter ways of working. There will be more emphasis on facilitating collaboration and employee engagement through sophisticated technology tools.
4. More impetus on well-being through work-life balance needs
The pandemic brought to the fore the need for work-life balance. Organizations are now leveraging technology complemented with flexible policies to ensure sound emotional and physical well-being of employees. Companies need to follow an inclusive approach to wellbeing through employee assistance programs that provide personalized wellbeing solutions.
Technology needs to be complemented with right approach
While increased technology adoption does render workplaces an opportunity to be more diverse, inclusive and equal, success depends on how leaders want to build such an environment.
Creating a diverse, inclusive and equal workplace is a top-down approach. Leaders can’t practice these aspects in isolation from the rest of their work. They must be incorporated throughout their operations. It must be a part of how they communicate, interact, organize meetings, allocate tasks and so on.
An organization’s culture should strive to be its competitive advantage, and diversity, inclusion and equality are important aspects of laying a solid basis for a positive workplace culture. It is imperative for companies to pay attention to how diversity and inclusion are presenting themselves at all levels of the employee experience. Use this information to come up with new approaches to combine people-centric initiatives and establish a trusting relationship with employees in order to improve overall performance.
There are no one-size-fits-all options for creating workplace diversity. To ensure your company is a ‘listening organization,’ leverage technology to run periodic pulse checks making sure you are driving meaningful programs. However, with the use of technology and the right intentions, it is of utmost importance that executives and team leaders take giant strides in creating a workplace that is diverse, equal and inclusive.
