The Demand for Diversity & Inclusion Roles Rises in 2022

2019 gave the limelight to the global agenda “workplace equality.” Revelations like the #MeToo movement, gender pay gap, and diversity shortcomings resulted in doubling down on the drive to hire D&I professionals. 

In 2020 & 2021, companies continued to build action-oriented diversity and inclusion teams. Organisations are now conscious of their workforce’s unique life stages like single, married, parents, individuals living with parents, and others. According to the Chief People Officer, Cleartrip, building inclusive workplaces is the need of the hour to address specific needs while maintaining productivity. As per the report shared by ZoomInfo, the database confirms that there has been a 113% increase in the number of executives holding diversity and inclusion titles in organisations. 

Clearly, companies are hiring more diverse professionals to carry on a number of tasks and introducing new ideas to improve D&I in the workplace. So, you can expect the trend of hiring to grow in 2022 and beyond. 

Also read: Your Diversity Program Must Have These Elements to Make it a Success!

D&I is growing fast, but still, a lot of work needs to be done

D&I is growing, and so is the healthy workplace culture. According to a study by BCG, companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues due to innovation. In fact, around 40% of Fortune 500 companies on-boarded executives to focus on areas around diversity and inclusion. 

It won’t be wrong to say that D&I is an essential element, but there is much work in progress. According to the Head of Diversity at Heineken, Pascale Thorre, “Inclusion and diversity should be considered for the entire employee life cycle.” She emphasises the fact that this might start with talent acquisition. However, the concept should continue with on-boarding, promotions, and the building of diverse teams. 

A degree in HR or social sciences and the knowledge of local laws related to D&I and soft skills is what a professional needs to drive the movement forward. Since they have the right mix of head and heart, strategy and empathy, leadership and empowerment, you can easily surpass the standards. 

But there is still a gap between intent and action. Even though more than 90% of companies consider themselves “Equal Opportunity Employers”, the ground reality seems different. According to the Career Expert at Glassdoor, the primary responsibility of D&I professionals will be to cultivate a work environment that encourages and supports diversity and inclusion. 

What next? 

Clearly, the opportunities for D&I are exploding. But it is not a buzzword. One needs to evolve and accept that growth and D&I are interlinked. This is how they must proceed.

• You must not look at diversity as a nice thing to have. But you must look at it as an integration of your business operations. Only then do you achieve better quality in terms of products or services. 
• You must reduce the gap between the values and experiences of your employees. You need to acknowledge that there is discomfort first. 
• Since a lack of diversity and inclusion results in employee turnover, it could be devastating for companies. It could cost you billions of dollars every year. Creating the feeling of belonging will help companies never miss the mark.
• Diversity is a commitment that you can’t do alone. You need the right professionals to analyse every facet of management and hiring practices. That way, you can understand the metrics and will put in the right efforts in the right direction. 

In short, you have endless opportunities to make the change. However, the learning never stops. This is why you need the right professionals to do the job for you.

Also, read:  The “broken rung” is still holding women back- How to improve it?

Examples of organisations that are leading the change

Forward-looking companies easily understand the requirements of each group and imbibe a culture that better understands the workforce and business interests. In fact, according to a study by Mckinsey, even a 10% rise in women employees will add $700 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. 

Having said that, if you want to cultivate the culture because of the principle, “What’s in it for me,” it will be nothing more than a far-fetched idea. Also, when it comes to inclusion, it means LGBT+, women employees, and the person with disabilities. 

Here are some of the companies at the forefront of the change and are hiring D&I professionals to make an impact.

• General Motors: The company recognises that their company must move forward to an equitable future. This is why they pledged $10 million to support their vision to promote racial justice and inclusion. They will also commission an inclusivity Advisory Board to address the barriers hindering their inclusivity. 
• Salesforce: They believe that business is robust for change and should be guided by core values like innovation and equality. They launched their Racial Equality and Justice Task Force to instil change within their workforce and community. 
• Slack: The concept of D&I is core to Slack’s values. Not only are they hiring diverse talent, but they also make sure to treat each one of their employees with respect and support. Their DEB program focuses on unlocking the potential of their employees by investing in their education, opportunity, and growth. This is why they are always on the lookout for diversity managers who can help them reach their diversity targets.

How to get started?

Research confirms that having diverse talent on board results in better productivity, innovation, and performance. Not only that, it improves employee retention rates along with promoting a positive perception of an organisation. 

However, you must build a base for hiring diverse candidates to achieve that. For that, you will require a team that will help you create an inclusive work environment.

Final Thoughts

If you aren’t communicating your commitment to inclusion, you are just trying to develop a brand doing all the talking. Even if you can’t overhaul your whole hiring process at once, it will help you get started with something and make your company inclusive and worth the effort.

If you don’t know where to begin, let us help you build a roadmap to improve D&I initiatives at your workplace.