[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/10\/inclusion-and-diversity-innovation-growth\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/10\/inclusion-and-diversity-innovation-growth\/","headline":"Reaching equal: Inclusion and diversity now, or innovation loss later","name":"Reaching equal: Inclusion and diversity now, or innovation loss later","description":"Diversity enhances team innovation by 20 percent, and ethnically and racially diverse organizations report 43 percent higher profits. So why hasn't equality arrived?","datePublished":"2022-01-10","dateModified":"2023-01-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/#Person","name":"Jenn Vande Zande","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/","identifier":229,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/inclusion-and-diversity-strategy-ftr.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/inclusion-and-diversity-strategy-ftr.png","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/10\/inclusion-and-diversity-innovation-growth\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/diversity\/","name":"Diversity and Inclusion","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion"]},"Employee Experience & Engagement",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/gender-equality\/","name":"Gender Equality","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gender_equality","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q113453"]},"Inclusion & Diversity",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/","name":"Purpose","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purpose"]}],"wordCount":994,"articleBody":"If the buzzwords are true, strategies like inclusion and diversity are leading priorities for companies in 2022 \u2013 and with good reason. A recent Glassdoor study found that 67 percent of job seekers look for diversity when considering employment. And even before this mainstream push for more diverse and inclusive work policies, studies show that ethnically and racially diverse organizations reported 43 percent higher profits than the national average.Diversity encompasses a range of demographics, including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and physical disabilities. Adding inclusive policies that provide equal opportunities for employees ensures that employees from all backgrounds can be confident that they’re supported within their workplace.\u00a0It\u2019s a win-win situation.\u00a0There’s been an increased pressure for businesses to improve their bottom line, and the data doesn’t lie, so why hasn’t inclusion and diversity taken off within organizations?How can companies place serious efforts on inclusion in the workplace while also keeping pace with target goals?\u00a0\u00a0Finding a balance between expanding diversity and inclusion comes down to three things: Establishing an unwavering value systemReinforcing clear business goals and the team\u2019s role in meeting those goalsDeveloping a deeper understanding of inclusionLet\u2019s discuss each point and how it pertains to blending diversity and inclusion with the company\u2019s focus.\u00a0\u00a0      Women’s Equality Day: No glass ceiling in sight from the edge                It's Women's Equality Day, but it'll be 135.6 years before women and men reach parity on a range of factors, versus the 99.5 years cited in 2020.      Think equal: Inclusion is a choice, and must become a requirementInternational business leader Dr. Anita Sands nailed\u00a0the impact of belonging versus inclusion when she said, \u201cPut another way, diversity is a fact (the numbers are what they are), inclusion is a choice (you decide whether to include someone or not), but belonging is a feeling that can be enforced by a culture that you can purposefully create.\u201dFor example, successful onboarding isn\u2019t limited to HR. Instead, every team member must take part to ensure a coworker feels like everything they hoped this job \u2014 this company \u2014 would be is how it is.\u00a0\u201cIf there is a misalignment between your organization\u2019s values and the behaviors your employees exhibit, then your accountability structure is likely misaligned and needs to be rethought,\u201d added Harvard Business Review contributors Paige Cohen and Gretchen Gavett.\u00a0\u201cWhen your staff feels a sense of belonging \u2013 which means they feel comfortable speaking up, asking for help, sharing new ideas, and respectfully disagreeing and examining differing opinions without penalty \u2013 it shows in their job performance, company loyalty, staff morale, engagement, productivity, and professional growth within the organization.\u00a0As a leader, if you polled your organization, would people feel included? If you have some doubts, then it\u2019s time to re-examine your work culture and discuss how your employees see their role in facilitating it.\u00a0      How to manage millennials and Gen Z at work                Do you know how to manage Millennials and Gen Z at work? You should - they already make up almost half the full-time workforce.      Leadership means leading: Maintaining a well-defined, unifying value system starts at the topMost employees would agree that there are boundaries we just shouldn\u2019t cross \u2013 and we have no tolerance policies for those things. But as a member of your organization, you can take more action. Ask yourself: are you living your values? Specifically, if you say you care about gender balance or working parent balance, do your current work schedules and meeting times reflect the alignment to that, or are you leaving people out unintentionally?Finding a balance between incorporating inclusion while reinforcing clear boundaries takes some thought and preparation, but supporting an authentic, employee-centric value system isn\u2019t complicated. For instance, enacting a no-tolerance policy against hostile, discriminatory behavior that targets coworkers based on gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, etc., is something employees can all agree is a good thing.\u00a0As business leaders, we’re responsible for integrating policies that strengthen and move the company forward. And that change begins with the behaviors of C-suite right on down the managerial line.\u00a0      Difficult women: Exhausted by bias, a revolution rises                Tired of being written out of their own narrative, difficult women get comfortable holding the reins of power.      Establishing clear goals to drive a more equitable \u2013 and profitable \u2013 tomorrowFrom onboarding to day-to-day operations, your company\u2019s purpose and strategy should be integral to your work culture. \u201cTo obtain meaningful results that matter without causing more problems than it solves, inclusion must be strategic, rooted in your existing organizational identity, values, and business goals,\u201d explains Susana Rinderle. As industries across the board witness a drastic change in how their company must adapt to survive, the need for innovation is evident \u2013 and the data makes clear that by creating a culture of inclusion, innovation skyrockets.A Deloitte study found that cognitive diversity can enhance team innovation by up to 20 percent. Finding innovative ways to uphold core corporate goals rests mainly on the shoulders of leadership \u2013 and if the core of your organization doesn’t believe equity is crucial, then as a leader, it’s time to tear down the systems that don’t support what’s right.\u201cOrganizations need to take every opportunity to communicate what is expected of their leaders,\u201d explains Dr. Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Airbnb\u2019s head of global diversity and belonging.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not the organization\u2019s job to change attitudes. But it is their job to weave their values into the processes and practices that reinforce company culture, making sure that everyone \u2014 from individual contributors to those in leadership roles \u2014 is demonstrating behaviors that align with them.\u201dTransforming work environments to harbor diverse thought, differing life experiences, demographics, and professional backgrounds reinforces a company\u2019s united commitment to growth. And that paves the way for a positive, supportive, and profitable future.  Equality for ALL:Go from messaging about inclusion to making it a reality."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2022","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/01\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Reaching equal: Inclusion and diversity now, or innovation loss later","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/10\/inclusion-and-diversity-innovation-growth\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]