Culture inclusiveness in companies

There is a quote by Verna Myers which goes like “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance”.

The terms diversity and inclusion are often interchangeably used by many people but there is a difference between these two. Diversity is just a mix of people from different backgrounds or cultures but inclusion is a feeling of belonging. Having diversity never guarantees inclusion and the same can be said the other way. Long gone are the days when people only looked for having a high salary package. A sense of satisfaction and a feeling of inclusion is also important for them these days. 

But it is not like the company doesn’t benefit from taking care of its employees. It only reaps a better profit. Conducting employee recognition practices like awards and going on office trips are common in most of the companies across the world and the reason behind this is that the employee gets to interact on things apart from their monotonous work and get to know each other. When the interaction works magic, it can be seen in the company profits as well.

But the success of this inclusion falls mostly on the management. Employees who feel that they have to cover their identity regarding their gender, lifestyle, or any other preferences have to work in fear and this can become a hindrance to harmony. It is the duty of the management to get their feedback and make them feel welcomed. Some companies that believe in inclusion and executes it are Loreal and Lenovo. 

Loreal sponsors workshops in India on topics like disability awareness offers training in vulnerable Pakistan communities and pairs its employees with multicultural students in the Netherlands. Lenovo scored a perfect 100 on the corporate index for LGBTQ equality. The chief diversity officer of Lenovo, Yolanda Conyers believes that it is not just one out-of-the-box thinking, it’s a million different boxes, and all of the matters and makes them what they are. Deloitte has come up with “ Eight powerful truths” related to diversity and inclusion which are the following-

• Diversity of thinking is the new frontier

• Diversity without inclusion is not enough

• Inclusive leaders cast a long shadow

• Middle managers matter

• Rewire the system to rewire behaviors

• Tangible goals make ambitions real

• Match the inside and the outside

• Perform culture reset, not a tick-the-box program

Furthermore, Deloitte believes that the following are the traits of an inclusive leader-

• Cognizance

• Curiosity

• Courage

• Cultural intelligence

• Commitment

• Collaboration

To understand how well the inclusion pays off for a company, Deloitte had conducted research and these were the findings-

Organizations with inclusive cultures are-

• Eight times more likely to achieve business outcomes

• Three times more likely to be high performing

• Six times more likely to be innovative as well as agile

• Two times more likely to exceed their financial targets

There must be a great commitment from the company to execute inclusion but the results will be worth it. Higher retention rate, commitment from the employees' side, and a good business environment should be something that any company should idealize and inclusion can show the way.