Diversity and inclusion: practices that improve performance!

This time our public administrations have taken the lead in making these subjects part of their modern HR policy. For some time now, they have integrated diversity and inclusion into their hiring policies.

Our industrial and services companies have embraced it with some delay. But they too have everything to gain from a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

A diverse team brings:

✔️ Other perspectives, facilitating complex problem-solving and innovation

✔️ Improved employee engagement

✔️ Reduced staff turnover

✔️ Increased productivity

Recent studies show that companies that adopt diversity policies and an inclusive culture reap significant benefits:

💡 A BCG study shows that companies with gender and ethnic diversity are respectively 19% more likely to be innovative and 35% more likely to outperform their competitors in terms of financial performance.

💡 According to Deloitte, when employees feel included, their capacity for innovation increases by 83% and their ability to work as a team by 42%.

💡 A study published in the Harvard Business Review showed that inclusive companies are 70% more likely to penetrate new markets thanks to greater agility in the face of challenges.

Innovation is key to staying competitive. Companies need to adapt quickly to market changes, and the agility of inclusive teams is an undeniable competitive advantage.

👉 How can we accelerate this trend? As CEO or HR Director, you have a key role to play.

Here are a few ideas:

📌 Inclusive recruitment: ensure pay parity and integrate diversity criteria into recruitment processes.

📌 Ongoing training: make employees aware of unconscious bias and inclusive leadership.

📌 Corporate culture: promote a culture in which everyone feels valued and respected. Encourage an environment in which every voice counts and everyone can be authentic at work.

By Michel Van Hemele, Managing Partner @ Essensys