Companies with diverse teams have 20% more profitability: six actions to transform your organization

In a working world in constant transformation, organizations that incorporate diversity and inclusion not only carry out the values ​​of respect, equity and equal opportunities, but also obtain better results in terms of productivity and brand competence. The evidence is overwhelming: companies with the highest with teams with greater diversity in their profiles have 60% more likely to improve their reputation and 20% more to increase its profitability, according to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO). It is not an abstract ideal, but a specific advantage.

From Grow – Gender and Work we accompany organizations that decide to take this step and transform their culture with progressive and sustained actions. We know that it is not enough with a declaration of good intentions: inclusion requires commitment, planning and decisions that go through all areas.

Here we propose six key actions to start traveling the way to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organizational culture.

First, review and redesign the personnel selection processes. What profiles do staff search processes arrive? What are the channels that are used for it and what is the language with which the scope is extended? What profiles come to the selection process and what criteria are prioritized (consciously or unconsciously) when choosing? Incorporating an intersective look that contemplates gender, age, educational trajectories and territories of origin, among other aspects, allows for stronger and creative equipment, with looks that complement each other and enhance creativity and innovation.

Secondly, build human resources policies or procedures that promote inclusion explicitly. This implies from reviewing labor benefits to reach all personnel -considerating their peculiarities of family and identity context -as well as the opportunities provided by the organization of training and internal promotion.

Third, it is essential to have a responsible decision body of the Diversity and Inclusion Agenda That is a strategic team with decision -making capacity, with representations of key areas and levels. This organ or equipment may promote actions, monitor and evaluate the impact of the policies implemented to gradually achieve changes in institutional culture in structural, economic and social.

Fourth, sensitize and train all levels of the organization. It is not enough to work with the Human Resources team/Human Talent: Cultural transformation requires the involvement of all people who make work in an organization possible.

Fifth, especially train leadership. Many times it is the middle managers who draw changes. A proactive leadership is needed, with tools and conviction to accompany, sustain and communicate the policies of the cultural changes that the agenda of diversity and inclusion summons. Every transformation requires clear referents, with commitment and conviction that the example from their role is carried out.

And sixth, measure. What is not measured, is not managed. Delivering data disaggregated by gender and having indicators allows permanent monitoring and identifying gaps and establishing concrete goals, as well as making necessary adjustments throughout the process in order to achieve the objectives that bet on change.

From Grow – Gender and Work, an NGO with more than 14 years of experience, we believe that each organization has the opportunity and responsibility to build a fairer work environment. Doing doing it is not right: it is also a strategic decision that improves the links, performance and sustainability of the business.

It doesn’t need to do everything at once. The transformation can start with a first step: review a practice, open a conversation, train a team. The important thing is to start decision and sustain the commitment over time. From Grow – Gender and Work we accompany organizations on that path.

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