Moreover, as the ILO report notes, research conducted in 171 German, Swiss and Austrian companies of various sectors and sizes found that those with inclusive business cultures and policies are more likely to report increased creativity and innovation and better assessment of consumer interest and demand.
How to drive an effective DEIB strategy
More and more companies are committing to becoming more diverse, inclusive and equitable, but for many it is difficult to make meaningful progress in these areas. McKinsey sets out five key steps to achieve and drive a robust internal DEIB strategy:
- Align with the vision.
- Build the fact base.
- Develop the plan.
- Take action. Mobilise capacities and resources.
- Moving forward. Measuring progress to expand and maintain momentum.
STEP 1: Aspire
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging objectives, according to the consultancy firm, should be ambitious, but also realistic and achievable. To accomplish this, it’s important that the DEIB goal is linked to the overall goal of the organisation and does not become an isolated priority.
One agricultural company, for example, set out to create gender parity in its organisation by 2030. Leaders conducted a thorough analysis of employee retention and promotion trends and realised that, to meet that goal, 80% of new hires in the next few years would have to be women. Given the state of the industry, the leaders realised that this would be difficult to achieve, so they revised the aspiration to make it more realistic, while maintaining an ambitious target.
Step 2: Evaluate
Often, companies undertake DEIB initiatives without a clear vision of the problems to be solved, the most effective strategies or the criteria for success. To gain a better understanding of the current state of the organisation and the direction of its goals, McKinsey advises that leaders should take the time to establish a quantitative and qualitative benchmark.