The fact that the most recent Davies Report found that the number of women on FTSE 100 boards has almost doubled over the past four years is an encouraging benchmark of how far we have come at tackling equality issues in the workplace. However, a separate report published by the Strategic Management Journal – based on analysis of 1,500 firms between 2001 and 2011 – found that that chances of promotion for women half when there is already a female leader in situ. It seems then, that although quotas have gone some way in achieving gender parity, we may have taken our eye off the ball when it comes to addressing fundamental diversity issues. Let’s look at the big picture and reassess our objectives.
True diversity reaches far beyond our physical image or biological make-up – it extends to the very essence of the individuals in our teams. Any company, on paper, can hire a ‘representative’ mix of male, black, LBGT or disabled talent, for example. However, in theory, these professionals could all have grown up on the same street, at the same time, attended the same university, watch the same films and respond to the same triggers – not so diverse after all.
The phenomenon of ‘hiring in our own image’ stems from an innate ease with familiarity. HR professionals with responsibility for hiring must be aware of this – and dig beneath the surface of potential recruits – if they are to avoid the potential stagnation of their organisation. We cannot argue with the fact that diverse companies are more profitable – and although a façade of diversity may look great at a distance, it will have no significant impact on the bottom line.
Innovation and profitability rely on an organic and immeasurable melting pot of professionals with different viewpoints, backgrounds and beliefs, regardless of what’s on the surface. Maybe we are so focused on creating a culture that promotes gender equality; we are failing to see the wood for the trees.
In order to better reflect their customer bases, organisations must mirror the attitudes, thought processes and approaches of their stakeholders. When bringing on board fresh talent, it is imperative that hirers don’t ask, ‘in which pigeon hole do they fit?’ – Every employee should fit in their own groove. Diversity is more than a box ticking exercise, and the best man, or woman, should get the job every time.
