HR SPECIAL..... CREATING inclusive workplaces

CREATING inclusive workplaces





CULTURAL DIVERSITY, GENDER DIVERSITY AND AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT MAKE AN ORGANISATION PROGRESSIVE AND HR HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION

Leveraging differences is about getting an increased range of viewpoints to help you as a business see where your blind spots are and turning that into value,“ says Martin Davidson, author of the book 'The End of Diver sity as We Know It'. Diversity is not limited to gender diversity; diversity is leveraging the different viewpoints and turning the differences in business value. Many organisations failed in their diversity efforts as they failed to shift from the conventional processes of top down approach to providing environment of freedom to express the individual's thoughts, viewpoints, valuing difference of opinions.

Managing diversity is a conscious choice. It is the commitment by an organisation to value differences. But it is fundamentally useless if people are not talking to each other and are not sharing ideas or engaging. Moreover, it will not succeed if they are not sustainably and consistently leveraging their differences to create value for the business by merging various perspectives.

HR has an important role to play in fostering and promoting diversity . Its key role in diversity management and leadership is to create and empower an organisational culture that fosters a respectful, inclusive environment where each employee has the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the organisation's success. Widening the talent pool through recruitment is an important aspect to ensure a diverse workforce.While recruiting diverse talent is important, it is equally important to mentor and guide the existing set of employees on the ethos of diversity and how working in an inclusive environment can prove to be a win-win situation for all.

Today , organisations are going beyond gender diversity and are exploring opportunities for specially-abled talent pool and challenging the biases and conventional ways of thinking.

The recipe for an inclusive and diverse work culture comprises of commitment from the leadership team, providing an inclusive environment and infrastructure, engagement of entire workforce and promoting open communication and dialogue to overcome resistance.

Dealing effectively with diversity--learning not just to manage, but to thrive on the rich mosaic of differences--is an issue for all areas of the organisation. What is required is real change in attitudes, practices, structure and policies ­ from the executive suite down.The human resources manager should not be the sole person responsible for driving the diversity initiative. Companies must spread out the responsibility, or the programme may die early .

Ashu Malhotra, director HR Cargill India sub-continent

Apr 26 2017 : The Times of India (Mumbai)