Happy Martin Luther King Day! It’s now been sixty years since one man’s dream for everyone to be treated equally was spoken out loud for the whole world to hear. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since the dark days of segregation that preceded the civil rights movement. We absolutely loved to see how our nation rallied for Damar Hamlin's recovery, collectively raising nearly $9,000,000 dollars for his children's charity. But does that mean Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s dream has now been realized?
One look at the striking race gap in corporate America says no, not at all. And you didn’t need us to tell you that, because we’re all living through the same reckoning as a nation. Where issues like police brutality, wealth inequality, and a lack of access to housing and healthcare are being brought into our awareness in the form of harrowing news stories, every single day.
So what can we do as business owners or employers? Well, as MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, it’s a great time to review your diversity, equality, and inclusion efforts.
Days like today are good for reflection and remembering. But we can’t expect to see meaningful change if we’re only willing to take action on special awareness days. Because for those impacted, be that by race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, social demographic, or the myriad of other reasons a person may find themselves ‘othered’ by society – there are barriers that must be faced every day.
Despite the rising call for awareness over recent years, diversity related workplace statistics still make for sobering reading. And this is an issue that goes way beyond hiring.
As employers, we all have enough information by now to work on creating an environment where each person is celebrated for what makes them different, and all feel comfortable being themselves at work. You can’t have inclusivity without accessibility, so this goes further than good intentions and carefully chosen words. People also need the tools and infrastructure in place to enable them to thrive at work, regardless of their individual circumstances.
As we inch closer to our differences being championed at work every day, not via box ticking exercises but through our collaborative efforts to implement practical solutions, MLK moves one step closer to achieving his dream. And if that’s not motivation enough, here are five good reasons why a solid DEI strategy makes good business sense.
Diversity breeds innovation
Every business can benefit from a broad range of perspectives and ideas. When people from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures come together, they bring with them unique perspectives and ways of thinking which can lead to new ideas, fresh approaches, and breakthrough solutions.
In a diverse work environment, people feel comfortable sharing their ideas and are more likely to challenge the status quo, leading to greater creativity and innovation. In short, diversity drives progress and finds new and better ways of getting things done.
Better informed decision making
People from different backgrounds produce a wide range of ideas and ways of thinking. This leads to more rounded exploration of issues and greater ability to solve problems.
Diverse teams in decision-making are also less vulnerable to blindspots, as the sum of their differences can help reduce groupthink and biases. This leads to fairer assessments, a more thorough approach to problem solving, and greater consideration of potential consequences, to ultimately lead to making better informed decisions.
Increased market success
A diverse workforce allows for greater understanding and connection with the customer base. This leads to better customer experiences and improved products and services. Products and services developed by diverse teams will also be more inclusive, able to meet the needs of a wider range of people, which increases customer satisfaction and sales potential.
Companies with diverse leadership teams have also been shown to financially outperform their peers, and find it easier to attract top talent from a wide range of backgrounds.
A culture of connection
When people feel like they belong and are valued, they tend to be more engaged, motivated, and satisfied with their work. An inclusive staff culture can help create a sense of belonging, leading to greater performance overall.
Diversity metrics can be a useful tool for measuring the demographic makeup of your organization, but they won’t provide much clarity on their own. By measuring your employee engagement, staff retention, satisfaction, and performance – you’ll gain a clear picture of how different people feel within your organization. Critically, this will also show where you can improve.
Addressing inequalities
Historically, there’s been a colossal underrepresentation of marginalized groups in leadership and within certain industries and roles. Today, many organizations still pay women and people of color less than white men for the same work.
By recognizing and addressing their own biases and privilege, individuals and organizations can take an active role in promoting equity and social justice, which is a crucial step towards addressing and dismantling systemic inequalities.
The bottom line
MLK day always makes us think about what can be achieved by one person who dares to dream that life can be better for everyone. Just imagine what we can achieve together.
If you’re looking to partner with a recruiting firm who believes that the struggle for equality impacts everyone, every day, let’s have a conversation.