Diversity And Inclusion: Beyond The Gender

It is easy to fall into the trap of surrounding oneself only with those like oneself, and do so in the name of meritocracy and cohesion. The illusory pursuit of superiority through exclusion somehow survives despite the knowledge that any homogeneity can be subdivided infinitely. Even the selected insiders find ways to discriminate among themselves based on gender, skin, beard, belief, education, accent, sexuality, physical and mental attributes etc.

The aversion to diversity comes at a cost. It blocks the much needed variety and vitality of ideas, experiences and innovations that are critical for the organization's health. Profits demand that organizations involve all kinds of people and tap into the ingenuity and energy of individuals of different attributes and from different backgrounds.

Increasingly, business leaders are acknowledging the business case for inclusion and diversity. Though companies have to comply with the laws to accommodate women and the people with physical challenges, many companies have gone further and linked such inclusion and diversity to their public image. 

A combination of legislative action and corporate initiative is changing mindsets and enabling a more inclusive and diverse workplace. The reservation of board seats for women has been a game changer for gender sensitivity in corporates. Many companies have tweaked hiring and promotion processes to populate their staff and leadership pipeline with more women. 

However, there is more to corporate inclusion and diversity than gender representation. As economy becomes more urban and global, the spectrum of inclusion and diversity is expanding. Now, there is growing sensitivity towards discrimination and exclusion based on socio-economic, physical, mental, sexual, generational and ideological differences.

Physically and mentally different people are another resource that companies tend to ignore despite the law requiring them to give such people a fair opportunity. Most companies would not hire Professor Stephen Hawking if they looked only at his mobility issues. Beethovan would be considered unfit for employment because of his loss of hearing. Mathematician John Nash, who was the subject of the movie 'A Beautiful Mind', would be considered too troublesome to hire because of his schizophrenia. 

Still, a change in attitude towards disability is taking place beyond mere adoption of more polite terms to refer to the people with disability. Some companies are hiring such people as they seek to tap their intellectual capabilities and their special perspective of innovation. Many such companies are attaching buddy workers to help the 'specially abled' employees to settle into their jobs and roles.

Acceptance of sexual diversity is a new frontier for inclusion. While companies tend to practice 'don't ask, don't tell' policies when it comes to sexual behaviour outside the workplace, there is growing sensitivity towards the LGBT employees. They are being accepted and not merely tolerated. The acceptance of divergent sexuality as normal is vital to ease the anxieties of such employees and get the best out of them.

While caste has been the historical focus of inclusion in the country, the private business has resisted political attempts to bring this considerations into corporate workforce. Companies position themselves as meritocracies and profess caste neutrality. Still, certain surnames are more common in corporate hierarchies than others. Companies need to find ways to avoid socially lopsided composition of workforce and the leadership.

Generational diversity is still just a speck the radar of most Indian companies, but the issue is beginning to gain attention as young adults flood the business landscape. New jobs are being created mostly in startups, which are preserve of the young, and the jobs in mature companies are shrinking. The older workers find themselves slipping down the in pecking order, if not pushed out altogether. Companies need to balance their need for the tech-savvy youth with the social need to gainfully employ the older generation, which offers maturity and experience. While generational diversity has a strong business case, companies need to formalize policies about age-linked prejudices and practices.

Generation diversity dovetails into the cognitive diversity. Companies need to accommodate diversity in thinking and problem solving approaches among its employees. Standardization of mindset may be convenient but it can be counterproductive. Moreover, companies need to bring in people with non-business expertise to improve business strategies and behaviour. For example, people with education in pure science and humanities are needed to enrich corporate perspective and improve long-term competitiveness. 

The notion of inclusion and diversity itself needs further inclusion and diversity. Being open to all sorts of influences is the key to having a larger playing field and a greater competitive advantage.

Rekha Sethi

Guest Author The author is Director General, AIMA