A diverse workforce isn’t enough - it must be inclusive to make a difference

Recruiting a diverse workforce but not retaining them? Time to look at how inclusive your culture is. 

When many companies approach what’s traditionally been termed diversity & inclusion there’s been a tendency for them to focus more on the “D”: setting targets and tracking outcomes for diverse recruitment and promotion to senior levels. True, these metrics are vital. But unless there’s also a focus on the “I”, underpinned by action to embed a culture where all individuals cannot only survive but positively thrive, the whole strategy will fail.

In other words, while both inclusion and diversity (I&D) are business critical, neither is enough on its own. And historically it’s the culture element that’s received too little attention. Often because it’s harder to pinpoint and to measure, hard to change, and it takes time. When there’s a glaring issue to address like low workforce diversity, it’s often tempting to go for a quick fix. Measures such as recruitment targets seem to provide that, since the needle can be moved on them pretty quickly to give a sense that progress is being made.

By contrast, culture change takes far longer, because it involves modifying the behaviour of people across the business. Therefore what’s needed is a dual approach, overlaying short-term diversity-focused KPIs with a longer-term vision and drive to shift the behavioural norms, backed by strong, visible leadership commitment and role-modelling.

For any business, I&D isn’t a nice-to-have, but a commercial imperative within and beyond the organisation. And it’s vital to address both the “I” and the “D” – powered by the right culture and leadership behaviours on the one hand, and the right metrics and targets on the other.