Partner content: Three things the channel can do to champion diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is becoming a strategic priority for the channel, as many businesses begin to publicly commit to diversity targets. However, more change is required if companies want to enhance the diversity of their workforces.
There are three steps channel partners can take to ensure their D&I strategies make a real and lasting impact.
- Recognise and act to reduce bias
The first step for championing D&I is to acknowledge that everyone has pre-existing assumptions which can lead to bias. People can experience several types of bias based on multiple demographic factors such as gender, race, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background, and disability.
Many people impart unconscious biases in day-to-day life. These are just as important to acknowledge as deliberate biases. The impact of this needs to be understood by companies in the channel if they are to minimise it. By addressing individual and systemic bias within companies and the channel as a whole, channel partners can work to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities.
To put this into practice, businesses should evaluate their own culture to best understand which D&I strategies will foster an inclusive environment celebrating individuals' differences. D&I strategies should recognise biases exist and strive to dismantle them, as well as provide a robust support system for individuals.
- Promote allyship
An ally is "any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people" (Sheree Atcheson, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader). In short, being an upstander, not a bystander. Allies can help day-to-day by ensuring colleagues are not spoken over in meetings, giving credit for ideas, and giving everyone in the team the opportunity to carry out different roles.
Championing allyship in the workplace can transform company culture. A supportive environment is invaluable in ensuring employees thrive at work. In fact, a line manager's behaviour can make up to 70 per cent of a difference as to whether an individual reports feeling included at work. An encouraging workplace environment also leads to positive business outcomes, like innovation, productivity and customer satisfaction. Allyship helps to build trust within a business and can throughout the channel too.
- Prioritise D&I initiatives to drive a supportive work environment
Fundamentally, the channel must prioritise D&I strategies at the same level of importance as other strategic objectives. It makes good business sense. Almost 70 per cent of companies report that the work employees do to promote D&I is very or extremely critical. Studies have shown workplaces that prioritise both diversity and inclusion have improved productivity and ROIs.
Financial benefits aside, implementing D&I strategies create an environment for employees to flourish. Ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to achieve their goals in any way that is right for them creates genuine, lasting change.
Bridget Woods is Principal of Wholesale Commercial and Propositions Planning at BT