Which Came First: Inclusive Content or Inclusive Workforce?
Interactive Ontario organized a roundtable with IDM producers, academic professionals and emerging professionals to study each group’s perceptions and definition of diversity and inclusion. What was surprising to me was that IDM producers and academic professionals quickly responded with terms such as “gender equality”, “ethnicity”, “disability” to describe inclusion. Contrastingly, emerging professionals stuck with “accessible content” and “diversity of content” as the first things that came to mind. This got me thinking and started to wonder if we are pushing the need to share a widely accepted content, more so than ensuring this content is produced by a diverse and inclusive workforce?
Not Enough #Diversity?
Emerging professionals that are coming out fresh from college know that disability, inclusion and equity are important concepts that will make a difference in their career outlook. This diversity is acquired by allowing different people coming from different backgrounds to have an opportunity in the industry. However, even today, as soon as graduates dive into the job hunting process they quickly bump into diversity accessibility barriers.
Some of the participants in the roundtable shared how during their job application process employers weren’t always welcoming of their disabilities or singularities. And when these applicants researched some of these companies they found out that while they were willing to hire people from a diverse background this might actually just be a facade. Yes, companies know that diversity could be an asset and that hiring minorities is something to be embraced; but are they really providing the means for this?
Too Much Diversity?
Some of the bigger corporations have really embraced the need for diversity and are all about creating a masterful plan, which then they are keen on sharing with the world. They are extremely prideful of the steps they are making towards a more inclusive workforce. Google, for instance, has one of the most comprehensive programs around diversity in the world, where initiatives are being focused on community outreach and investment in talent within underserved communities.
Notwithstanding, an employee of Google decided to send an internal memo sharing his critical view of the biases that are negatively affecting the workforce majority. He states, “when it comes to diversity and inclusion, Google’s left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence”. Google’s workforce is made up of 69% males and when it comes to ethnicity, 53% of the workforce is white. However, the majority seems to be feeling threatened and at a disadvantage by the recent transition and focus for a more diverse workforce.
On the one hand, it appears that lack of opportunities for minorities are pervasive in the industry as graduates are struggling during the recruitment process. However, on the other hand, the push for more diversity may actually be affecting feelings of inclusivity in the existing workforce. Can we ever have a win, win situation?
How Do We Achieve Balance?
Diversity is achieved by adding not replacing. Our efforts to increase diversity in the industry should not come as an expense to other groups. Inclusive content should be introduced and highlighted, but it should be added by an inclusive workforce. As mentioned by Johansson, “[Millennials] they’d rather see a handful of people from diverse backgrounds come together to influence the future of these companies, than influence a wave of applications and minorities in low-level positions, just to hit a numerical target”. Diversity in the workforce and #minoritiesintech adds benefits, adds skills, adds power, reduces inequity.
1. HIRE THEM
It all begins by making sure that diversity is contemplated before the candidate is hired. Are job descriptions attractive to minorities? Are recruitment processes adaptable to language barriers or cultural norms? Is diversity included and acknowledged by the human resources team? Are employees assessed fairly?
2. INVEST IN THEM
Opportunities for advancement and higher learning need to be provided to everyone and all in the media industry. Perhaps, the same opportunities will need to be reviewed to address different learning skills. An equiparable approach to training will benefit overall productivity. Investment is communicated by adding to the code of conduct, by offering guidance on how to integrate within the community, by granting advancing opportunities regardless of gender or race, by trusting them.
3. CARE FOR THEM
Building a workplace culture of respect, support and understanding reflects a company’s positive efforts in caring for the wellbeing of its employees. Community involvement projects address the altruistic duty of a company to extend operations beyond a business focus. Are minorities believing that the company is committed to increasing diversity? Are efforts taken outside the realm of the business?
Identifying the opportunity to welcome #inclusiveness within an organization might be the first step towards ensuring workforce diversity. A diverse workforce will most likely produce an inclusive array of content; however, a diverse content will not necessarily attract diversity to an organization unless resources are put in place that shows investment. Why? Because the former reflects a belief in the power of inclusion while the latter reinforces a barrier where minorities are still wanted, but not really.
