Diversity & Inclusion Are More Than Just Buzz Words
Ask any Talent Manager worth his or her salt, and they’ll tell you that the notion of “Diversity and Inclusion” (D&I) is something they think about every day. Many times every day in fact. We think about what it means, we think about why we need it, we think about how to get it, how to grow it and how to keep it.
From a business perspective, recruiting a diverse workforce makes sense. It more than makes sense actually — it’s been proven to increase a company’s profits. A January 2019 study published by McKinsey & Company found that “companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21 percent more likely to outperform on profitability and 27 percent more likely to have superior value creation” and further that every 1 percent increase in gender and racial diversity equated to a 3–9 percent increase in sales revenue.
A diverse company is, by definition, better equipped to create innovative and successful products for a wider market. An inclusive workforce and culture improves innovation by bringing different perspectives and voices into conversation (while also encouraging those voices to be heard) and equipping a company to better understand its consumers. Diversity and equality in the workplace has also been reported to increase employee satisfaction and boost retention levels.
But, beyond all that, from a human perspective, recruiting a diversity rich workforce is simply the right thing to do. There is immense value in being surrounded every day by talented, fiercely smart people who have walked a different path than you have. Maybe you learn something about a new cuisine or a new holiday tradition, maybe you learn time management tips from a single parent, or maybe you learn a little sign language. But, you will learn something, and you will become a better you because of it.
Upside is fortunate to have a hometown like DC — a patchwork of cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, races and life experiences, but that doesn’t mean creating a diverse pipeline and pool of candidates just happens. It’s something we, and every company, must always work at and strive for. We ALWAYS choose the best, most qualified candidate we meet for the role, but we also will always strive to make sure our pool of those candidates reflects the rich background of our city and the customers we serve.
It isn’t easy. It isn’t a check mark on a to-do list — it’s never over, never “done”. It takes constant thought, constant action, and a lot of passion. But luckily for us, that passion for celebrating, appreciating and respecting one another’s differences is woven through every thread of Upside’s being and that’s why we put our commitment to diversity and inclusion— both in our workplace and in our recruiting practices — into real action. This won’t happen overnight. It might not even happen next month, but it will be something we wake up and think about tomorrow. And next month. And every month after that.
To kick off our diversity partnership initiative, we are so excited to open up our office and welcome members of progressive groups around DC making an impact in tech and diversity for a summer networking mixer. We hope you’ll join us! Check out the details and RSVP here.
How does your team promote and foster diversity? We’d love to hear and learn from your best practices in the comments below!
