A few basic concepts
Equity, diversity and inclusion are fundamental principles for ensuring a positive corporate culture. Equity refers to the idea that all employees should be treated equally and fairly, without discrimination. Diversity refers to the presence of people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences within the company. Inclusion refers to the ability of all employees to contribute fully to the company, feeling valued and respected.
Diversity: a growth gas pedal
A company may practice diversity in its recruitment, but not have a clear and precise policy for the inclusion of its employees. Recruitment and management teams must therefore work in symbiosis around common objectives to ensure that newly recruited staff are well integrated into the group through inclusive and equitable management practices.
Diversity is a real gas pedal of growth and economic performance for companies. According to a study conducted by Deloitte in 2017, an employee who evolves within a structure practicing the principles of diversity and equal opportunity generates revenues that are up to 30% higher. Diverse companies are therefore more profitable and stand out from their competitors.
Promoting equity to stand out from the crowd
Fairness in the workplace is important to foster a fair and egalitarian working environment. This can improve employee satisfaction and motivation, strengthen their commitment to the company, reduce tensions and conflicts between employees, encourage the hiring and promotion of people from all backgrounds, and enhance the company's reputation. To achieve this, companies can carry out fair recruitment, have a genuine internal diversity and inclusion policy, or offer fair wages and a fair environment.
Cognitive diversity: a key to innovation
To encourage cognitive diversity within the company, employers can broaden recruitment criteria to include candidates from different backgrounds with varied skills and experience, and by creating an inclusive work environment. But they can also encourage divergent opinions and risk-taking without fear of judgment, offer training to break down prejudice, build diverse, multidisciplinary teams to foster creativity and innovation, and avoid stereotyping in their internal and external communications.
Reducing barriers for marginalized groups
Designated and marginalized groups, such as women, aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities and visible minorities, face numerous challenges in terms of employment, mental and physical health, education and social integration. Companies can help mitigate these challenges by implementing inclusion and diversity policies that promote their recruitment and integration, as well as their professional development.
The obstacles they face can be exacerbated by intersectionality, i.e. when several of these factors overlap. Examples of challenges include minority stress, stigma, prejudice, harassment and discrimination, non-recognition of foreign-acquired skills, lack of accommodation for people with disabilities, gender stereotyping and barriers to hiring and promotion processes.
Unconscious bias: how to overcome it?
Unconscious biases can affect the recruitment process by influencing the decision-making of selection committee members. These biases can be based on physical or social characteristics such as ethnic origin or gender, and can hinder the assessment of candidates' skills. There are different types of unconscious bias which can be avoided by using good practices such as increasing the diversity of the applicant pool, training selection committee members in the different unconscious biases, using a structured interview, and appropriately managing the appearance of bias.
Implementing practices within teams
Inclusion is crucial to the smooth running of a team and to the development of people from marginalized groups, but stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice can prevent harmonious inclusion. To promote inclusion, it is important to put in place practices such as a common code of conduct, inclusive language, intercultural conflict management and the promotion of cultural diversity.
It's also crucial to provide accommodation for people with disabilities, implement anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, and provide supportive coaching to help new recruits integrate. By promoting inclusion, teams can become more effective and encourage staff retention.
In conclusion
Civil society has stimulated reflection on diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the corporate world. Companies need to adopt a culture of inclusion and diversity to attract talent, improve economic performance and foster innovation. Inclusion and diversity policies must be implemented consistently, with a commitment from the entire organization, to reduce the barriers faced by marginalized groups such as women, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and visible minorities. By implementing these practices, companies can create a fair and equitable working environment, where all employees can contribute fully to the company's success, while feeling valued and respected.
To find out more :
Équité, diversité, inclusion : la différence au service de la performance
