Take company A. The workforce comprises Indians, Germans and Japanese employees, predominantly, with a few others who come from other parts of the world. The company follows a policy of equality for all and treats everyone without any discrimination. There is camaraderie, and culture remains a binding factor. Cultural exchanges and events are hosted, and when differences arise at all, they pivot purely around the merit of the work involved. Their business model and processes are both strong.
Take company B. The workforce comprises Indians, Germans and Japanese employees, predominantly, with a few others who come from other parts of the world. The company has no policy for gender equity and skews towards employees of a particular ethnicity as a priority where promotions and preferences are concerned. Among the employees, there is discord. Women are given less value and attention, and a few people who have different sexual orientation when compared to what comprises the majority of the company face rude comments. The company has an excellent business model and is driven by the quality for its production processes.
Which company will see progress soonerIJ Without doubt, hands down — A. The reason is that there is an enabling environment that views the value of equity as much as productivity or business and Company B, despite its good business model, will not do well because of the lack of employee unity.
The quintessence of the modern world lies in diversity. Technology and infrastructure have made it possible for a massive exchange of people, skills and know-how across borders, and have redefined the concept of the workspace. Add to the mix the impact of people to people connections and work stresses, which can result in negative impacts on the work front. Creating an inclusive and supportive work environment, therefore, becomes imperative.
The first step is to have a good system in place for the recruitment of employees. At that stage, the goal is to expand the scope of the labour and workforce by recruiting a diverse community of employees. Next, one must work towards the creation of an enabling work environment that will facilitate the growth of the workforce in ways that are profitable and beneficial to the organisation.
At the individual level, some strategies that are deployed to establish a comfortable work environment include:
nEstablishing and implementing a strong sense of work ethics.
nEncouraging transparency and openness among employees and employers by ensuring that all policies & people practices are communicated well.
nWelcoming employees' suggestions, ideas, concepts, innovations and contributions to create sustainable and structured solutions to organisational needs.
nEncouraging respect for diversity and fostering inclusiveness among variant faiths, genders and communities constituting the workforce.
nEncouraging engagement of employees in a very hands-on manner, so that they feel like they are every bit the stakeholder in the mission, vision and future of the company.
Above the individual level, it is important to establish organisation-wide policy structures in place to ensure clarity and openness in communication. The organisation should help set the tone for a shift towards increased diversity and inclusiveness in an organisation. It is important to keep channels open for effective communication and feedback and to optimise opportunities for discussions of issues related to inclusion and discrimination. Employees and employers must share a sense of wholesome accountability, while also being open to addressing issues upfront.
The writer is Shirin Salis, VP HR,Ingersoll Rand India