Diversity matters for the bottom line so make sure to get it right

Every business should support all its staff, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Being different shouldn’t be a barrier to progression at work.

But equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) isn’t just about doing the right thing: it’s also about the bottom line. This is because, research shows, diverse workplaces are more productive, whereas the more alike the teams, the lower their performance.

But the best will in the world won’t necessarily create the conditions for a diverse workplace or one in which historically marginalised groups feel included and able to thrive. It takes time and careful consideration to get it right.

The Irish Centre for Diversity provides specialist training that supports businesses and organisations that want to progress.

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Working both in-person and remotely, its team of expert trainers has delivered approximately 1,000 training sessions over the past three years to a wide range of organisations across many industries in both the public and private sectors. EDI-related training has been delivered to more than 30,000 individuals.

Laura O’Donovan, business development manager with the Irish Centre for Diversity, says its training includes a broad introduction to what diversity and inclusion means, and more focused training on the nine grounds of discrimination in Ireland, as well as on how organisations can ensure their language is inclusive.

In 2018 the long-running US sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia provided a succinct explanation of why one-off diversity training doesn’t work. The episode follows the five main characters – terrible people, one and all – as they attend a mandatory diversity training event that runs for one day. Spoiler alert: they all behave in a completely inappropriate manner, are not particularly keen on learning and mostly see the day as a necessary, tick-box inconvenience.

The takeaway? “One-off training does not work,” says Andrew Campbell-Edie, communications manager at the Irish Centre for Diversity.

“We are about cultural shifts and changing business through inclusive leadership training because the bulk of change comes from the leadership above rather than one-off unconscious bias training for the general staff cohort. We focus on understanding what the organisation needs and where they need to go, creating mutual respect and the confidence to have respectful conversations.”

Campbell-Edie adds: “One of our most popular development courses is inclusive leadership. Our experience confirms the research that shows that the organisations which have the full commitment and engagement from the leadership team are the most successful in advancing diversity and inclusion.

“The course covers the business case for diversity and inclusion (D&I) so that leaders understand the benefits of getting it right and the costs for getting it wrong. We look at unconscious bias and how it affects leaders’ decision making and we also explore leadership behaviours and how they can influence the culture of an organisation.”

Other courses include inclusive recruitment, race awareness, mental health in the workplace, creating a culture of dignity and respect, and neurodiversity.

The Irish Centre for Diversity works closely in partnership with organisations representing LGBTQI+ people, disabled people, neurodiverse people, Traveller rights organisations and more. They often refer people who need further support to these partner organisations.

“Millennials and Gen-Zers now make up a large percentage of the workforce and that demographic looks for organisations that have D&I as a priority in their business and values,” says Campbell-Edie. “We have clients that are actively being scrutinised on their D&I credentials at interviews, so it is important that the employer has an understanding of the area and has measures in place to address these questions.”

For more, see IrishCentreForDiversity.ie

· The UCD Smurfit School offers a postgraduate module on intercultural competence and understanding cultural differences in business. See SmurfitSchool.ie/UCD

· The University of Limerick offers a one-year, part-time graduate certificate in equality, diversion and inclusion

· The UCD Professional Academy offers an online professional diploma in diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion

Case study: Getting the training right

Ciara Mitchell is HR business partner at Statkraft, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, where she and her colleagues have taken a number of steps to ensure staff and teams have a solid understanding of why EDI matters to them.

In the first quarter of this year they rolled out mandatory dignity and respect at work training, with a focus on the behaviours that can constitute bullying, workplace discrimination and harassment.

Data shows that women tend to outperform men in school and college but often hit the “maternity wall”, finding their abilities and work questioned once they become pregnant, take maternity leave or adopt flexible, family-friendly work hours. Men, who generally have fewer caring expectations or responsibilities, start getting more promotions and earning more.

“We recently launched a maternity-leave checklist and supplementary training which focuses on driving a supportive experience as expecting mothers transition into their maternity leave and then again transition from maternity leave back to the workplace,” says Mitchell.

“We also put a strong focus on the ongoing supports we provide during maternity leave. And we acknowledge that the return can be difficult, so we provide a lot of support by offering a phased return to work and, if preferred, adjustment in working hours.

“To ensure that D&I does not feel like a tick-box exercise, we regularly raise awareness on notable D&I topics, hold D&I-related events and we always try to celebrate workplace diversity with events through the year, including women’s network events, mental health seminars, support for parents and celebration of Pride.”

Mitchell says creating a family-friendly, employee-centric business has helped protect Statkraft’s award-winning corporate culture and makes it a more attractive workplace for existing and potential employees.

“Being an inclusive employer also engages existing employees, which leads to a greater level of retention rates among staff and a greater likelihood to recommend Statkraft Ireland to friends and family members,” she adds.