The Four Strategies for Making a Company More Inclusive
The results of the academic study we conducted in 2019 with several experts (CSR directors, HR directors, senior consultants) at major companies (BRL, Dell, Eminence, Sanofi, Sodexo, etc.) highlight that the concept of an inclusive workplace is gaining ground in the corporate world.
In fact, two-thirds of them mention this, with practices primarily related to diversity and commitments to specific target audiences in the concrete actions they have implemented. Employees who saw their companies commit to serving society during the COVID-19 health crisis came together in all their diversity to help develop particularly innovative solutions. One example is Decathlon, which repurposed 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 implementing CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives, focusing in particular on their employees’ quality of life at work and the recognition of their diversity policies.
To date, however, these efforts 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*, the employment rate for people with disabilities is just 3.6%.
Another example is the report *Toward 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 percent, just one percentage point lower than its 2002 level.
To move toward a more inclusive workplace, our study identifies several key factors.
The Key Role of Management
First and foremost, the commitment of top managers is essential, as it is in any organizational change process.
For example, through the policies it has implemented, BRL’s governance and senior management proactively place environmental and human considerations at the heart of the company. The overall strategy, outlined in the “BRL Horizon 2020” roadmap, defines the company’s direction, values, objectives, priority areas, and evaluation tools (certifications, KPIs, etc.) that enable the company to steer and monitor the progress and implementation of this policy. The momentum provided by senior management enables managers to apply work practices that align with strategic decisions.
Promote collaboration between HR and CSR
But another key factor has emerged prominently in our study: the overlap between HR and CSR. As discussed in 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 observe that the integration of HR and CSR policies is essential for recognizing each individual’s uniqueness in the service of the collective.
The Sodexo Group, which is deeply committed to diversity across its various business segments, recognizes the need to move away from “a fragmented approach to diversity that creates silos.” Initiated at the global executive level and then rolled out across the entire group, the CSR and HR departments work closely together to coordinate initiatives that benefit employees. This policy addresses commitments related to both diversity and CSR, as well as HR issues such as gender equality, disability, skills management, leadership, and occupational health.
This approach to human resources management—at the intersection of diversity, quality of life at work, and a sense of purpose—aims to create the conditions for individual and collective motivation around a shared project. Developing an inclusive policy is impossible unless employees feel recognized for their uniqueness, in a safe environment, and in a role where they feel valued. The challenge, therefore, is to implement initiatives that reconcile the well-being of each employee with the company’s performance, while avoiding the segmentation of employees into groups—as is often the case in policies that focus solely on diversity.
A cross-functional approach
For it is the third lever that emerges in our analysis: a truly cross-functional approach to difference, as consultant Pete Stone also notes in an article published on The Conversation France about the Team Jolokia sailing association. The goal is not to focus on diversity for its own sake, but rather on how to ensure that employees with different backgrounds work together to enhance the organization’s performance.
A silo-based approach, which effectively excludes those not directly involved, creates dissatisfaction and hinders collective mobilization. The example of the Team Jolokia association illustrates the value of this cross-cutting approach. This association promotes diversity and inclusion by, among other things, participating in an offshore race with a crew that celebrates diversity.
What makes this approach unique lies, for example, in the recruitment process: crew members are selected through a 360-degree, collaborative process, and it is not the skipper (the equivalent of a manager or line supervisor in a company) who has the final say. People are not recruited based on any particular difference they may have, but rather on a set of nautical, athletic, and interpersonal skills necessary for the project. This helps ensure an inclusive recruitment process by allowing candidates to be chosen based on their skills.
Building a Shared Project Together
The fourth lever identified in this study confirms that front-line managers play a key role in fostering inclusion through their own actions—particularly in their interactions with their employees—by working collaboratively with them to develop initiatives that support the organization’s shared mission 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 competencies—openness and team spirit—as well as on a CSR framework that is fully integrated into the HR practices of these frontline managers.
Indeed, their role is fundamental. They are a crucial part of the system. Companies have come to understand 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 or BRL, for example, implement training initiatives to strengthen managerial practices and skills; for instance, the BRL Group has created the “Manager Track” training program as well as, among other initiatives, awareness campaigns addressing stereotypes, such as how certain populations are perceived. Dell is also deeply committed to diversity, training and engaging managers, and encouraging them to actively participate in the various groups created for visible minorities.
However, it is clear that, at present, these training programs focus on diversity and inclusion; the challenge is to develop training programs specifically on inclusive business practices.
A Paradigm Shift
Companies have a clear interest in considering onboarding processes, skills development, working conditions, and—in particular—social responsibility, as these factors can help each employee realize their full potential for the benefit of the entire organization. However, this growing awareness among companies also goes hand in hand with society’s shift toward greater inclusion for everyone.
In any case, an inclusive organization is one that creates the conditions—within its very structure—for each and every person to reach their full potential by drawing on the unique qualities they bring. This definition is inspired by the work of Jean-Yves Le Capitaine in his 2013 article “Inclusion Is Not Just More Integration: The Example of Deaf Youth.” Whereas the formerly “integrative” school system required children to adapt to the educational institution, the inclusive school system, conversely, requires the educational institution to adapt to each individual’s differences: every child has a place in a mainstream school.
This is a significant paradigm shift, as it is based on a holistic approach that views the human element as a whole, encompassing the self, others, work, and health. This perspective opens up a new dimension to inclusion through its central role in human relationships: it is through the human relationships fostered by inclusion that employees will be able to develop a sense of belonging to a community and a sense of trust in their organization. These principles are the driving forces behind true resilience if we want a more inclusive economic world.
Caroline Dufoix, an MBA student at Montpellier Business School, contributed to this article.
Walid A. Nakara, Professor, Director of the Social Entrepreneurship and Inclusion Chair, Montpellier Business School – UGEI and Anne-Valérie Crespo-Febvay, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.