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Diversity and Inclusion – A Diamond in the Rough

Maher Alshoweiry • May 16, 2022

In our global and competitive business environment, recruiting, engaging, and retaining talents has become a "hustle" for many HR professionals. New tools and techniques in the recruitment process of the world's top employers ensure that they reach broader niche talents. With the ever-expanding workforce, the HR professional's primary concern remains to attract those "diamonds in the rough"- the diverse undiscovered talents - profiles that have not had a chance to shine because the recruiting focus was too narrow. One way to discover these hidden gems is through a conscious company-wide focus on diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a recruiting method and an overall strategic objective.


Often employed together, the terms diversity and inclusion are concepts that can enhance a business's competitive advantage. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) refers to diversity as the similarities and differences between individuals accounting for all aspects of one's personality and individual identity. In contrast, inclusion is how each person in an organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a team member.


Now, a company can differentiate itself from its competitors and benefit from promoting its D&I initiatives to better position itself as an "employer of choice" in the market. Similarly, a company that celebrates its D&I initiatives inside and outside the company excites the customers to buy its product and services and employees to join it. Thus, companies can build a solid reputation for promoting inclusion rather than individualism to succeed, which creates positive goodwill and ultimately impacts its bottom line.


Steps to increase your workforce diversity


Please spread the word: Companies that use the same old channels to recruit risk having the same old know-how they always have, which hinders innovation and growth. To reach a broader and more diverse audience, talk to affinity groups and other employee resource groups (ERG) inside the company who can help spread the word among their communities. Additionally, HR professionals should connect and build relationships with outside parties such as minority groups inside their local market to help them increase the pool of potential talents.


Walk the talk

It is essential to have leadership buy-in for a D&I strategy to succeed. Otherwise, much time and effort will be wasted should the leadership decide not to adopt it. HR professionals can be helpful ineffective leadership by showing them how D&I activities align with the company's strategic growth objectives. 


Top management should then actively promote and enforce D&I initiatives across all business functions to ensure that synergistic efforts are adopted.


D&I as active and constant learning

Advocating D&I inside one's organization helps foster an inclusive culture. For example, implementing a D&I program that helps teach everyone to respect and value each other's opinions emphasizes collaboration and openness that can lead to innovative thinking, problem-solving, and team building. Such programs and training should be done publicly throughout all levels of the organization and not in isolation to achieve a positive and lasting cultural change.


Communicate inside out

Companies that champion D&I should communicate their efforts in external communications to enhance their brand image and employer value proposition (EVP). Company websites and printed media should describe these initiatives, and public job postings should contain language about the company's commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce.


To reap the maximum benefit of D&I initiatives, HR professionals should ensure that they reach everyone in the market, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational background, or any other differentiating characteristic. In today's increasingly global and market-driven economy, innovative companies understand that D&I initiatives are worthwhile to attract and retain top talent and strengthen their competitive foothold.

About the Author

Maher Alshoweiry

Maher Alshoweiry is currently the HR Manager, Middle East, and India at Maison Christian Louboutin. He is an experienced Human Resources Manager with a demonstrated history of working in Luxury Retail, Construction & Real Estate, and other financial services. He is a SHRM-Certified Professional and an NLP Practitioner with more than eight years of experience in the Human Resources field.

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Disclaimer: Content on this blog is authored by multiple sources. While we do make every attempt to proofread and fact-check, unless authored our staff, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Society for Diversity and the Institute for Diversity Certification.

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