3 Reasons Diversity and Inclusion be a Priority

Businesses need to create a culture of honesty and trust, where diversity and inclusion are not siloed discussions

A CEO in a large organisation told me about a high potential talent he employed years ago – she was a star performer, one of the best workers he had seen throughout his career – but she ended up leaving his organisation for a similar role at a competitor firm.

In her exit interview, she didn’t disclose why she was moving on. Six months later, they met for coffee so he could try to gauge what could have been done to keep her around, she told him that she didn’t think there were any opportunities for women to progress within the company because they didn’t employ any top female executives.

When a workplace lacks diverse representation, it creates a homogenised pool of workers where only those that are alike feel included.

This limits diverse, high potential talent from staying with an organisation where they feel on the outskirts of opportunity, and decentivises diverse prospects from applying in the first place.

For the CEO, the cost of neglecting diversity and inclusion initiatives meant losing his star performer, yet the broader impact is far reaching.

Here are three reasons why diversity and inclusion needs to be a priority for organisations:

Employer Branding

A company brand determines how your potential investors, clients and customers perceive your business as an identity.

An employer brand is similar but instead, it focuses on how employees – past, current and potential – see you as an employer.

A business with a great employer brand is considered a fantastic place to work; existing employees naturally become brand ambassadors simply by sharing their workplace experiences.

Increasingly, the spotlight on employer branding is being directed towards culture and social impact – meaning, workplace wellbeing is progressing beyond superficial HR perks to tangible lifestyle changes like flex-work.

Read more: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/344319