The four levers for making the company more inclusive
The results of the academic study we conducted in 2019 with several experts (CSR directors, HR directors, senior consultants) in large companies (BRL, Dell, Eminence, Sanofi, Sodexo, etc.) highlight that the concept of inclusive business is gaining ground in the corporate world.
In fact, two-thirds of them refer to this, with practices mainly related to diversity and commitments to specific audiences in the concrete actions implemented. Employees who saw their companies commit to serving society during the COVID-19 health crisis mobilized in all their diversity to help develop particularly innovative solutions. One example is Decathlon, which reconfigured diving masks into medical equipment.
Walid A. Nakara, Montpellier Business School – UGEI and Anne-Valérie Crespo-Febvay, University of Montpellier
Since the 2000s, companies have been committed to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives, particularly through the quality of life at work for their employees and the recognition of their diversity policy.
To date, however, these actions are not enough to attract and retain not only customers, but also the talent the company needs to grow. For example, according to Anne Revillard in her 2019 book Handicap et Travail (Disability and Work), the employment rate for people with disabilities is just 3.6%.
Another example is the report Towards Real Equality Between Women and Men published in 2019 by the State Secretariat for Gender Equality. This report reveals that the gender pay gap in 2015 remained at 24%, barely one percentage point lower than in 2002.
Our study identifies several levers for moving toward a more inclusive company.
The key role of management
First and foremost, the commitment of top managers is essential, as in any process of change within an organization.
For example, the governance and general management of BRL, through the policies it has implemented, proactively place environmental and human considerations at the heart of the company. The entire strategy, set out in the "BRL Horizon 2020" roadmap, defines guidelines, values, objectives, priorities, and assessment tools (certifications, KPIs, etc.) that enable the progress and implementation of this policy to be managed and monitored. The impetus provided by senior management enables managers to apply working practices that are consistent with strategic choices.
Promoting HR/CSR interactions
But another important factor emerges from our study: the porosity between HR and CSR. In line with the recent white paper HR and CSR at a Crossroads (ANDRH, National Association of Human Resources Directors, 2019), which analyzes the interactions between HR and CSR departments in large companies, we also note that the link between HR and CSR policies is essential in taking into account each individual's uniqueness in the service of the collective.
The Sodexo Group, which is deeply committed to diversity across its various segments, recognizes the need to move away from "a segmented approach to diversity, which creates barriers." Driven at the global management level and then rolled out across the group, the CSR and HR departments work closely together to coordinate actions in favor of employees. This policy enables the group to meet its commitments in terms of diversity and CSR, as well as addressing HR issues such as gender equality, disability, skills management, management, and occupational health.
This approach to human resources management, which combines diversity/quality of life at work with a sense of purpose, aims to create the conditions for individual and collective motivation around a shared project. Developing an inclusive policy cannot be achieved without employees feeling recognized for their uniqueness, in a secure environment and in a job where they feel useful. The challenge is therefore to implement measures that reconcile the well-being of each employee with the performance of the company, avoiding segmentation by group of individuals, as is the case in policies that are limited to taking diversity into account.
A cross-functional approach
This is the third lever that emerges from our analysis: a truly cross-functional approach to difference, as consultant Pete Stone also states in an article published on The Conversation France about the Team Jolokia sailing association. The goal is not to focus on diversity as such, but rather on how to ensure that different employees work together for the benefit of the organization's performance.
The silo approach, which effectively excludes uninvolved audiences, creates dissatisfaction and hinders collective mobilization. The example of the Team Jolokia association illustrates the value of this cross-functional approach. This association promotes diversity and inclusion by participating in, among other things, an offshore race with a crew that values difference.
The specificity of the approach is based, for example, on the recruitment methods, with team members being selected on a 360-degree basis, in a collegial manner, and it is not the skipper (the equivalent of a manager or line manager in a company) who has the final say. People are not recruited on the basis of any particular difference they may have, but on the basis of a set of nautical, sporting and interpersonal skills necessary for the project. This contributes to inclusive recruitment by allowing candidates to be chosen on the basis of their skills.
Co-create a joint project
The fourth lever that we highlight in this study confirms that local managers are key players in inclusion through their own actions, particularly with regard to their employees, with whom they work to develop initiatives that serve the organization's common project and strategy.
Inclusive management is naturally based first and foremost on recognizing the uniqueness of each manager so that they can then recognize and value individuality within the group. Inclusive management is based on two key individual skills: openness and team spirit, but also on a CSR framework that is well integrated into the HR practices of these local managers.
Indeed, their role is fundamental. They are an essential cog in the wheel. Companies have understood the importance of relying on managers. It is therefore necessary to raise their awareness and train them so that they can communicate and explain the approach to employees.
Natee K Jindakum/Shutterstock
Most large companies, such as Dell and BRL, for example, implement training programs to strengthen managerial practices and skills. The BRL group has created a training program called "parcours manager" (managerial career path) as well as, among other things, awareness programs on stereotypes, such as the way certain populations are viewed. Dell is also very committed to diversity and trains and involves managers, encouraging them to actively participate in various groups created for visible minorities.
However, it can be seen that, at present, these training courses have a diversity and inclusion component; the challenge is to develop training courses on the inclusive company, strictly speaking.
Paradigm shift
Companies have a clear interest in considering the conditions for welcoming new employees, developing skills, working conditions, and particularly social commitment, as these can help each employee realize their individual potential for the benefit of the entire organization. But this awareness on the part of companies also goes hand in hand with society's evolution toward greater inclusion for all.
In any case, an inclusive company is one that creates the conditions within its own organization for each and every employee to develop their full potential by drawing on the differences they bring to the table. This definition is inspired by the work of Jean-Yves Le Capitaine in his 2013 article, "Inclusion is not just integration: the example of deaf young people." Whereas the formerly integrative school asked children to adapt to the educational institution, the inclusive school, on the contrary, asks the educational institution to adapt to the differences of each individual: every child has a place in a mainstream school.
This is a significant paradigm shift, as it is based on a holistic approach to the human element as a whole, encompassing the self, others, work, and health. This understanding opens up a new dimension to inclusion through its central role in human relations: it is through the human relations fostered by inclusion that employees will be able to develop a sense of belonging to a collective and also a sense of trust in their organization. These principles are the driving forces behind true resilience if we want a more united economic world.
Caroline Dufoix, an MBA student at Montpellier Business School, contributed to the writing of this article..
Walid A. Nakara, Professor, Director of the Social Entrepreneurship and Inclusion Chair, Montpellier Business School – UGEI and Anne-Valérie Crespo-Febvay, PhD student, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.