The past 18 months has driven Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to the forefront of conversations across communities, workplaces, and wider society. Alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, the pandemic has been a harsh revealer of social inequalities; emphasising the need to focus on the ‘equity’ element of DEI. The world of work has been characterised by a sharp contrast between the ‘haves’ working from comfortable homes or on furlough, and the ‘have nots’ putting their own lives at risk to continue working in essential jobs in the battle against COVID – or living in compact shared accommodation not suitable for home-working. In Singapore, migrant workers largely in the construction industry have experienced the brunt of lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus within their dormitories; living in a period of prolonged isolation while rules were loosened in the wider community.
Hybrid working is calling into question how companies can build fair practices that cater to different workforce segments. Roffey Park Institute and Profile’s ‘Working in APAC 2020’ report revealed that while a third of employees feel more productive working from home compared to the office, another third said they are less productive (due to children distracting them, poor WIFI connection, and lack of sufficient workspace away from other family members). As well as working parents and carers having a more negative experience of home-working compared to others without the same personal responsibilities, people differ on their ability to navigate the boundary between work and home life. While ‘integrators’ like to integrate professional and personal life, ‘segmentors’ keep the two spaces entirely separate. To build a resilient workforce, companies must confront workplace inequality and understand the differential impact of ways of working on individuals.
Prioritising the individual experience
Poor mental health and burnout have become prevalent as people have battled the stress and uncertainty of the crisis, both in personal and work life. Roffey Park’s 2020 report revealed that just under half of employees in APAC said that COVID-19 has adversely affected their mental health, while 60% felt the mental health of their colleagues has been adversely affected. With access to health protection and support being paramount during the pandemic, empathy has become a critical quality for organisations to demonstrate to their stakeholders: companies that failed to demonstrate care for people’s health suffered damage to their reputation. To foster long-term resilience, prioritising the human experience of work is more important than ever before. Employees are asking for flexibility around their personal circumstances, and many are speaking with their feet if the company cannot offer what they need. A phenomenon that has been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’ is occurring, as people quit their jobs in droves to pursue better experiences – be it an alternative career path or preferable employment deal. Talent shortages are therefore further pressurising employers to up their game in creating a healthy, sustainable employee experience with DEI at its core.
Translating diversity into inclusion
DEI can no longer be viewed solely from a compliance perspective or as a nice-to-have. While remote working is enabling organisations to hire talent based anywhere in the world, people want to work for a company that prioritises diversity. Research[i] also suggests that diversity within a team is one of the four qualities that build resilient teams. But recruiting people from a broader range of diverse backgrounds is only the first part of the journey: converting diversity to inclusion is the most prominent challenge. A Singapore study revealed that while the majority of employers recognise the positive impact of DEI, 70 per cent had not yet introduced DEI policies; with ‘many firms struggl(ing) in making employees feel emotionally safe, understood and empowered’. Embedding DEI into organisational values, people management and employee behaviour were highlighted as challenges. This is particularly important to tackle in a country like Singapore that is characterised by such a diverse mix of cultures and religions, but which comes with long-held racial misconceptions within society. According to McKinsey’s recent survey, one of the most important reasons people leave their job is a sense of belonging. However, employers did not recognise this as a key reason – indicating a disconnect between employee needs and employer understanding of those needs that make a difference.
Spotify ‘defines diversity as being invited to the party; inclusion as being asked to dance, and belonging as when they play your song.’ For employees to deliver their best work, they need to feel accepted as an individual. This comes from an inherent human need to be valued and appreciated, which influences job satisfaction and employee engagement. Research has shown that diversity practices create a climate of trust, which in turn positively influences employee engagement. Inclusion, meanwhile, moderates the relationship between diversity practices and trust climate. Inclusion also promotes a sense of fairness, which contributes to wellbeing. For example, when employees feel included in important workplace activities or processes and are treated with respect and dignity, they are less likely to experience stress.
Voice as a channel for DEI
Building an inclusive culture where people feel a strong sense of belonging is important not only from an ethical standpoint: it also fosters different perspectives, creative thinking, and open collaboration. Going back to RPI’s study on resilient teams – when each individual’s contribution is understood and valued, organisations can tap into a greater range of experiences and knowledge to improve decision-making. A key element of belonging is the ability to freely express yourself and have your voice heard, which also facilitates innovation. While this can be more of a challenge in a hybrid work environment, technology has the power to level the playing field. For example, in face-to-face meetings, not everyone participates equally: introverts and junior team members can struggle with brainstorming. Meeting virtually, meanwhile, enables more novel ideas to be generated if well-managed using a social collaboration tool.
To create an inclusive culture in which people from all backgrounds feel they belong, leaders and managers need to gain a deep understanding of individual needs through continuous listening. Creating groups or forums to discuss DEI issues is not enough: employers must address the systemic hurdles to embedding a DEI culture across the company ecosystem. How can people be empowered to openly share their concerns, ideas and issues that are important to them? This is a particular challenge in Asian cultures which tend to be characterised by high power distance – or acceptance of hierarchy – meaning people are reluctant to speak up and challenge the status quo; particularly if they risk losing face.
Rather than being siloed within particular teams or initiatives, inclusivity must be recognised as a shared responsibility amongst everyone; encouraging a diversity of voices to help develop solutions. Continuous listening is more than regular employee surveys or feedback sessions: it’s rooted in a compassionate mindset, and this can be role modelled by leaders as a starting point. According to Roffey Park Institute’s research on compassionate leadership, questions leaders can ask themselves to help foster compassion include:
- Do I understand the value of sharing problems with others?
- Is it a norm in my team to know about each other’s lives and pay attention to the pain and suffering of a colleague?
- Is there a strong connection between people in my team which makes them feel joined, seen, felt, known and not alone?
[i] Team Resilience: An exploratory study on the qualities that enable Resilience in teams (Sueann Soon & Saradevi Gopal Prabhakaran)
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