Equality, diversity and inclusion continues to grow and evolve in response to changing attitudes, enhanced education and broader societal shifts. A deeper understanding of what diversity truly is, coupled with a wider lens on inclusion, means that organisations must keep up to date on what EDI means for their business.
The ripples sent by the pandemic will be felt for years to come. Remote working is here to stay, at least in one form or another, and employers are finding new ways to support their employees as they navigate this fundamental change to their working practices. During the pandemic, it was estimated that while women make up 40 per cent of the global labour force, they had accounted for 54 per cent of overall job losses. Research by McKinsey suggested that women were almost twice as likely as men to lose their jobs due to the pandemic. Female participation in the workforce has recovered since then but only partially. Ensuring the disparity in gender does not grow even bigger must be a strategic goal for businesses within their EDI policies.
Recognition of diverse gender identity and gender expression
Even organisations with well-considered EDI policies have found it difficult to grapple with a widening range of gender identities and gender expressions. Although inclusive practices such as giving people access to gender-neutral bathrooms and creating awareness around using inclusive language for gender non-binary and transgender employees are becoming more common, research shows that some employers still focus on supporting sexual-orientation diversity in the workplace rather than gender identity or expression. This is backed up by the data: in the US, transgender adults are twice as likely as cisgender adults to be unemployed, while cisgender employees make 32 per cent more money a year than transgender employees, even when the latter have similar or higher education levels. It is hoped that as more non-binary, gender neutral and transgender employees are recognised, there will be more conversations and training regarding their inclusion in the workplace.
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The multigenerational workplace
Nowadays, a typical workplace will include members of Gen Z, Generation Y, Generation X, baby boomers and perhaps even the Silent Generation (those born before 1945). With retirement ages drifting and young graduates streaming into the jobs market, a truly diverse workplace features people from all generations working together. But since they may have very different expectations for their careers and further training, HR strategies must strike the balance between supporting the unique needs of each generation of workers while avoiding the negative impact of age-related stereotyping. Each generation will also have its own unique insights and opinions on diversity and inclusion, which must be taken into account when developing training materials.
Awareness of the impact of unconscious bias in the workplace
Unconscious bias refers to the tendencies to process information and make decisions based on unconscious or inherent biases and prejudices toward an individual or group. Research has shown how these personal biases often discriminate against minority groups such as people of colour or those with disabilities. While this is not necessarily a new topic of discussion in the workplace - and certainly every one of us has preconceptions - commentators say there is an enhanced awareness of how these biases, especially those of managers and leaders, can impact an organisation’s culture and the progress (or lack thereof) towards a diverse and inclusive workplace. Efforts are under way in many organisations to actively minimise the impact of unconscious bias.
Equality as a crucial pillar of diversity and inclusion strategies
Many organisations now include “equality” as an integral part of their overall diversity and inclusion strategy. This growing focus on equity in the workplace will become essential as businesses face calls for enhanced transparency around issues such as compensation reporting, board representation, harassment reporting, advancement and other talent-management practices. Equality is the acknowledgement that not everyone starts on a level playing field; in order to ensure fair and impartial processes and outcomes, leaders and employers need to be mindful of the challenges, barriers and advantages at play for everyone at any given point in time.