Towards a workforce that reflects the inherent diversity of society

Organisations have begun to realise that a workforce that reflects the inherent diversity of society simply makes sense. As a result, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I or EDI) is no longer merely the subject of a one-off seminar or training day; these are now detailed policies woven into the fabric of company cultures.

Ibec’s head of social policy, Kara McGann, says companies are clamouring to partake in Ibec’s Diversity Forum, which provides an opportunity to share best practice in the area. More than 450 companies at different stages of their DE&I journey are now signed-up members. “They are all actively engaged, some in the early stages, others working on this for years and everything in between,” says McGann.

The reality is that a diverse workforce is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a must, according to McGann. “If you have a diverse population you are reflecting your customers; you are reflecting the actual population,” she says. “It’s really not sustainable if you don’t have a diverse population. Now organisations are looking at the reasons why their workforce isn’t diverse, whether it’s that they are losing women at a certain stage or even that it isn’t representative of the community that they work in.”

The pandemic, however, threatened to wipe out this progress in DE&I, with job losses disproportionately affecting diverse populations and leading many women to opt out of the workforce due to their lack of childcare options.

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Yet McGann says that time was also an instigator for employers to act on the needs of the workforce, as they were laid bare by successive quarantines and lockdowns. “When childcare structures and elder-care structures broke down, for example, things we didn’t necessarily know about people we worked with became apparent and it was clear they needed that additional flexibility,” she says.

Creating an inclusive culture

The benefits of robust EDI policies are myriad, says Laoise Mullane, director, people and organisation, PwC. “Organisations with a diverse workforce may realise a number of benefits including a wider talent pool; new perspectives and increased innovation; better decision making, taking a variety of perspectives into account; improved engagement and retention; and, ultimately, better business results and higher profits,” she says.

But having a diverse workforce itself is not enough to realise these benefits, Mullane adds. She says that “having an inclusive culture where people can be themselves and bring their unique experiences to discussions is key”.

Emma Scott, people partner at PwC Ireland, says PwC is committed to creating an inclusive workplace culture, with its Inclusion First policy ensuring that everyone can “bring their full selves to work”.

“Recently we have been focusing on embedding inclusion and diversity throughout our employee experience by supporting our people at all stages of their lives,” says Scott. This suite of inclusive policies covers supports around fertility, pregnancy loss, menopause, domestic abuse and gender identity and expression.

Scott also notes that PwC takes a “data driven” approach to building an inclusive culture, ensuring it has the right information to drive progress and be “intentional” in its actions. “Our This is Me campaign encourages our people to complete their self-identification information and has helped us to better understand the full spectrum of how our people identify. We were also the first professional-services firms in Ireland to publish our Gender Pay Gap, in 2019.” The company also intends to focus on disability and neurodiversity into the future.

A business case for DE&I

According to Holly McNamara, manager, Human Capital, Deloitte, there is an emerging business case for DE&I that can’t be ignored. Indeed, research conducted by Deloitte indicates that an organisation that takes a meaningful approach to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion across the workforce will be eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes.

“A diverse and inclusive working environment is also conducive to improved talent attraction and retention, as people who feel supported and see others around them being supported are more likely to stay, and may even promote this experience to others outside of the organisation,” says McNamara.

Deloitte has been busy establishing Inclusion Networks, she explains, which are employee resource groups covering the full diversity of voices at the organisation, and mental-health resources, including an employee assistance programme and dedicated, trained mental-health-champion employees.

“One additional method we have recently introduced is the Inclusion Passport, a framework designed to be used by employees to discuss and document what supports or flexible ways of working would make a difference to their ability to thrive both personally and professionally at work,” says McNamara.

Priyanka Jaiswal, who is director of people, proposition and reward at Three Ireland and Three UK, is also effusive about the benefits of diversity in the workplace, underpinned by strong DE&I policies. “Different viewpoints and experiences help to challenge assumptions, identify blind spots and consider a wider array of possibilities, ultimately resulting in more well-rounded and informed decisions,” she says.

Three Ireland has sought to exemplify this through a culture of equity enabled by its diversity, inclusion and belonging programme. “We wanted a programme that would reflect the changing priorities and values of our employee and customer base,” Jaiswal explains.

It includes several novel initiatives, she notes: “Last year we enhanced our paternity leave, now giving up to four weeks of leave. We introduced paid fertility leave of up to 10 days for those directly experiencing fertility treatment, with two days allowance for partners, and we introduced paid early pregnancy loss leave of up to 10 days for those who have directly experienced early pregnancy loss.”

The organisation has also set 50/50 gender balance targets by 2030 for its leadership levels as part of its commitment to improve its gender pay gap. This work has earned it the Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation, with Three Ireland one of only six companies in Ireland to have achieved this recognition.

Sneha Patel, chief human resources officer at PepsiCo Ireland, agrees that the best ideas and solutions are brought forth by teams from diverse backgrounds and experiences. “DE&I is and will continue to be a competitive advantage for our company, driving our performance and engagement, and enabling our sustained growth over the long-term,” she says.

According to Patel, Pepsi’s DE&I policies foster an environment of dignity and respect for employees of every race, gender, age, ability, socioeconomic status, language, national origin, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

“Our aim is to mirror the workforce availability of the communities where we operate,” she says. “We remain committed to achieving gender parity and have made significant progress in advancing women in leadership positions around the world.”

The company is also building inclusive leaders and teams through focused developmental programmes around unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training. Patel speaks proudly of three of PepsiCo’s employee resource groups, namely the Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN), LGBTQIA+ group Equal, and EnAble, for people with all abilities.

“Whilst our work isn’t complete and will be a journey, the steps we’re taking to support gender parity, advance pay equity, fostering inclusion, and increasing diverse representation at the managerial level are making a positive impact,” she says.

Geraldine Casey, chief people officer at AIB, says the bank has made significant strides in building “a truly inclusive environment” in recent years. “Key elements include enterprise-wide universal inclusion campaigns, progressive people policies, diversification of our recruitment practices and mandatory Inclusivity and Diversity training for all employees,” says Casey. “Embedding our Inclusivity and Diversity agenda is supported by the efforts of colleagues across the organisation via our strong and active inclusion networks – the Pride Network, Abilities Network, Life & Family Network, Women’s Network and Roots Network.”

AIB has worked with partners to promote disability inclusion, opportunities for disadvantaged young people and gender balance, such as a recently launched mentoring programme for female leaders of AIB SME customers in conjunction with the Irish Management Institute and The 30% Club.

“In 2022, we were the first bank and largest employer in Ireland to achieve a Gold Investors in Diversity standard from the Irish Centre for Diversity,” says Casey. The bank has also applied an inclusivity and diversity perspective to its suite of HR polices, enhancing its family-leave offering to improve the work-life balance of its working parents, including mothers, fathers, parents through adoption or surrogacy and same-sex parents; including 10 days fertility leave per year for employees undergoing treatment and two days for colleagues whose partners are having treatment; and surrogacy leave that mirrors its maternity leave of 26 weeks fully paid regardless of gender.

McGann says it’s about putting the right supports in place to make sure that everybody can fulfil their potential and the potential of the organisation. “We all are different but we all bring something to the table and it’s about embracing those differences and harnessing those differences – because we know from the research that they improve our problem-solving, our creativity and innovation, and that diversity of thinking is such an asset to an organisation.”

The gender question

We have come a long way since the marriage ban but are women still disadvantaged in the workplace? Alessia Paccagnini, associate professor at the UCD School of Business and a member of the diversity team at the school, says women in particular have encountered significant hurdles and disadvantages since the pandemic that “deserve to be taken into consideration”.

Companies, but also academia and policy institutions, often have strong DE&I policies in place to make sure that women and other underrepresented groups have equal representation and chances, Paccagnini says. “The goal of these policies is to get rid of historical and systemic barriers that have made it harder for women to get into certain jobs or take advantage of certain opportunities in organisations. Some organisations may focus on diversity recruitment, mentoring programs, leadership development, flexible work arrangements and other ways to make sure women workers feel welcome and supported.” Gender pay gap reporting has been a significant development, she adds.

Even though putting in place strong DE&I policies is a big step, Paccagnini notes that achieving true gender equality and representation often takes a lot of work over time. “It means addressing unconscious biases, making sure everyone has the same access to resources and opportunities, creating a welcoming culture and helping women move up in their careers within the company,” she says.