EconomyDiversity and inclusion: beyond filling the quota

Diversity and inclusion: beyond filling the quota

(Expansion) – If your company, university or government is only interested in hiring diverse people or in filling a quota (establishing a minimum percentage of people for a position in a historically discriminated group) because the laws require it, it is simply not inclusive.

By diversity we mean the differences between people, whether in terms of gender, culture, ethnicity, education, religion, backgrounds, stories, etc. In other words, it is recognizing that no two people are the same and that each contributes a unique set of talent.

Meanwhile, inclusion seeks to ensure that all individuals or social groups, especially those underrepresented, can have the same possibilities and opportunities.

You may have heard of purplewashing or pinkwashing -marketing maneuvers with the aim of “selling” themselves as friendly and inclusive spaces. If you thought putting the LGBTQ + flag on your profile picture in June or having a company temporarily paint their logo purple in March, let me tell you that you’re not really being inclusive either.

Aggressively inclusive companies have long-term programs, with measurable objectives and key indicators of progress, and they also issue an annual corporate social responsibility report.

Diversity does not exist without inclusion

To be competitive you have to innovate, but is it possible to innovate when there are only groups of people with similar origins, perspectives and experiences? No. Today some companies already implement inclusive hiring programs. One of the most common biases is wanting to hire someone similar to yourself.

I am convinced that innovation is born from diversity. Having a diverse group of people allows you to see problems from different perspectives, is much more creative and favors areas such as retention and attraction of talent.

So why does it cost so much to implement? According to a McKinsey study, 70% of companies fail to implement policies. It would seem very easy to just write policies to promote more diversity, however, there are obstacles such as prejudice, bias (cultural, affinity, first impressions, qualities or defects) and the meta bias – “I have no bias” -. They will be especially difficult to apply if these policies are imposed by outsiders on underrepresented groups.

Let’s talk about these “tough issues”, remove the stigmas; The day we achieve that everyone in the company is well represented, the labor ecosystem will be nurtured and companies will have a more complete picture. That day we will stop talking about gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, skin color, or living with a disability as if they were something external. We will only refer to ourselves as people.

This pandemic is the ideal time to drive and achieve greater diversity and inclusion. We live in a world where more and more companies work and communicate virtually. Thanks to technology, a wider variety of talent is available today.

It is not a competition

To achieve true diversity and inclusion we need to collaborate with each other, in fact, in my company we are implementing a Global Inclusion Index, this is an index of diversity and inclusion at a global level within the technology industry, the idea is that this alliance establishes criteria common and metrics to monitor progress in the matter.

As companies we must encourage all people to be brave and dare to be fully who they are, create a safe environment to share our stories and experiences, only then will we end social stigmas. An inclusive environment is not about filling “the quota”, it is about attracting, retaining and growing talent.

Let’s start by spreading the teaching that we are all equal and empowering and giving a voice to those who don’t have it. If you have collaborators belonging to underrepresented groups, talk to them and define how you can improve their working conditions.

This effort begins with each of us and must be implemented every day of the year. We all have something to contribute and we deserve to be heard equally. I challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of a person who belongs to an underrepresented group, only then will we have a more accessible world without barriers that limit the development and opportunities of all.

Whenever you see a company that is doing purplewashing , question what their D&I policies are, some of us may copy them to other companies or we may find that they were not really inclusive.

We all have skills and strengths to contribute. We all have the right to participate under equal conditions both in the workplace and in daily life. When all our opinions count equally, it will be the day when we will have achieved the change we need. And you, where are you going to start?

Editor’s Note: Ana Peña is Communications Director for Intel Americas. Follow her on. The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.

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