The future of work does not exist without diversity

The future of work does not exist without diversity


It’s a long-term job, but one that, if done responsibly, produces results.




The future of work does not exist without diversity

The world of work is constantly evolving. Practically every day we are faced with some new term, a new tool to facilitate routine tasks, work deliveries and even communication between people.

Among many innovations, mostly digital, when the theme is the labor market or people management, no tool can replace eye contact, a conversation or personal feedback, because we are talking about people who need to interact with each other , experience them and share them .

Today I want to talk about how valuing diversity is also important in these exchanges, how it can completely transform a corporate environment. Companies that have teams made up of diverse people are more productive, creative and also culturally richer.

Movements in favor of diversity

In recent years, in our area, we have witnessed an increase in debates and movements in favor of diversity in companies, but I believe that never before has there been so much talk about its benefits as in 2022.

And for those who are setting goals and objectives that they want to achieve in the coming year, it is important to know that without including diversity issues in business ventures, they will certainly run the risk of being left behind in their market and also in what we call the future of work.

The future of work does not exist without diversity. This is a fact! For those companies that haven’t yet considered including diversity and want to change it, but don’t know where to start, my advice is simple: get started!

Many rely on the excuse of not knowing what the first steps are, or of getting in the way thinking they have to do everything quickly. For those who think so, it is important to know that the process of enhancing diversity should begin little by little, with the work of sensitizing the teams on the subject, establishing which goals and objectives the company intends to achieve, carrying out a demographic census for find out what the current situation of the company is in relation to the subject and how employees see diversity, etc.

It is a long-term job, but which, if carried out with professionalism and responsibility, gives excellent results.

Systematized agenda in companies

In 2022, companies that took the topic seriously and set a systematic agenda for it were able to move forward and gain recognition for their practices. The Ethos Institute conducted the Diversity and Inclusion Survey, an initiative that aims to publicly recognize the best practices of Brazilian companies in this sector and the work of 72 companies that have demonstrated diversity-related work.

But, as I always reiterate, the future landscape of diversity is still quite challenging for companies. When it comes to inclusion of black professionals, the numbers show us what companies are up against. Despite representing 56% of the Brazilian population, according to the IBGE, the black population (black and brown) represents only 10.2% of the workforce.

Another theme that, in my opinion, should be even more present on the radar of companies in 2023 is the gender issue, especially when it comes to women in leadership positions, because despite being one of the most prominent and successful diversity themes , the space of women within organizations is still very unequal to that of men.

According to the “Women in Business” survey conducted by the Grant Thornton company in 2022, 38% of leadership positions in medium-sized companies are held by women in Brazil. The data show a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, the issue of gender equal pay attracts attention. Based on the National Household Sample Survey of the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), the consulting firm IDados conducted a survey showing that women earn 20% less than men.

Appreciation of diversity

Companies that do not yet apply diversity assessment need to move to change these numbers and this will only happen with a lot of effort and commitment from leaders.

So, here are some tips for those who want to start investing in diversity programs next year: Hire subject matter consultants, with professionals who can expertly support the development of internal diversity programs; create internal Diversity Committees that include at least one professional from each minority so that they can bring their experiences into discussions, as well as proposals for change; encourage a new organizational culture in which all employees are aware of the company’s commitment to valuing diversity; and last but not least, set goals and objectives within each of these topics and disseminate the results, both to internal and external audiences.

If your organization can put these recommendations into practice, the future of diversity will surely start to be built. But remember most importantly, throughout this process, you also rely on the expertise of HR professionals, after all, they are key to the advancement of diversity in companies.

My wish for 2023 is that we not only move forward in the debate on these issues, but that we are protagonists of this change to build a society that is truly more inclusive, just and equitable.

Taís Rocha de Souza is a psychologist and director of operations at Grupo Soulan/Thomas International Brazil.+

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Source: Terra

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