Why is it important for a business to have a plan for diversity (in hiring/employment, and developing clientele) in place?

Diversity does not necessarily happen naturally. You may find that you have somewhat of a diverse workforce or clientele, but that may largely be because your available talent and client is diverse. Not because you did anything deliberate.

If we look at the way our brains work, we are hard wired to be suspicious of people that aren’t ‘like us’. Because of that, we have to be deliberate in our actions to ensure we have a diverse workforce and clientele, and more importantly, an inclusive workplace. And if diversity and inclusion is a business priority, we need to have a plan in place to ensure it is executed successfully. 

How does unconscious bias hold a business back? 

Unconscious bias holds a business back because the people in our business – employees or clients – may be making decisions based on information that is biased.

Unconscious bias is made up of two parts: 1. Bias which is how our brains work. Everyone has bias in some way. It may be bias in favor or against a person or group of people. Our brain functions on bias so that it can make decisions on an unconscious level, in split seconds, to help save energy.

2. Stereotypes which permeate society. There are so many stereotypes out there that we as a society accept as fact: women are emotional, blonds are dumb, Asians are good at math. Some women are emotional, some are not.

When you put those two things together, you find yourself unconsciously making decisions based on outdated and sometimes harmful stereotypes. And that’s how business is held back… by people.

How can a diversity policy contribute to a business’s success? 

A diversity policy is an important part of a business’s success, but it is just one part. A policy is important because it establishes the ground rules or structure within which you operate. But the policy is only as good as how it is executed. If people are not following the rules laid out in the policy, then nothing will change.

What should diversity policy include? 

A policy is like a road map. It tells you the way things are done, and the way they are not. It should include as much information as possible to ensure it’s crystal clear how things are to be done.

Take the talent attraction process for example – how are people hired in your organization? Is there a specific process, including panel interviews and standardized questions for every candidate? Or is it up to each hiring manager to determine their own process? The latter allows significant room for bias-based behavior to come into the process.

It is also important to note that it should not just be one policy. You should have a talent attraction policy, an accommodation policy (related to people with disabilities) a religious accommodation policy, and so on. There’s no way that you can cover everything in just one policy.

What does a bad diversity policy (meeting a quota, etc.) look like? 

A bad diversity policy lacks detail and specificity. It leaves too much room for subjectivity. Good diversity policy can include any potential program or initiative you intend to introduce, but it needs to include a level of detail that ensures people follow the process or procedure as intended, and don’t color outside the lines.