Diversity and inclusion (D&I) has proven to be more than a passing trend! Given the strong business case for a diverse and inclusive workforce today, D&I has become impossible to ignore. While some companies have managed to reap the many benefits of their D&I strategies, others have been spinning their wheels. Businesses have come to realise that promoting D&I in the workplace is a critical element of talent management as it cultivates employee engagement and enhances the employee experience. In an inclusive culture, team members feel valued, respected, and accepted as individuals—and are, therefore, encouraged to participate and contribute as their authentic, unique selves. Besides, diverse staff provides a company with different perspectives and new skills that infuse company culture with innovation and creativity, which are vital to thriving in the age of digital transformation.
Furthermore, having a diverse, multilingual workforce from varying ethnic backgrounds is also helpful for companies that want to expand or improve operations in new markets locally, regionally, nationally as well as internationally. For example, as millions of new internet users sign online each year for the first time, companies have an unprecedented opportunity to communicate and captivate new customers and draw in talent. D&I can help accomplish this, as diverse companies are 70 percent more likely to capture new markets.
That being said, today, there is a renewed focus on D&I in the workplace, and many companies are beginning to use technology to drive progress toward their D&I goals. For example, more recently, organisations have started deploying AI to remove unconscious bias. With AI, candidates are sourced, screened, and filtered through large quantities of data and not by their demographic information, such as gender, race, and age. The programs combine data points and use algorithms to identify who will likely be the best candidate. Moreover, using data to assess D&I climate, companies can identify focus areas and quantify the success of initiatives. Storing data from evaluations and all D&I initiatives can help measure changes along the way. While the end goal of a more inclusive, diverse team is central to D&I, there should also be methods of measuring success along the journey. Each company is different, and there will never be a one-size-fits-all approach to D&I. But consistent data collection can help businesses implement, modify, and quantify their success.
As a multitude of these trends is set to nurture the HR landscape, Manage HR has compiled a list of leading diversity and inclusion consulting/service providers in Europe that are at the top of their game. The enlisted organisations are transforming D&I initiatives at the convergence of several disruptive technologies. Besides, the magazine also comprises insights from thought leaders in the sector on the industry trends, best practices, recent innovations, and their advice for the aspiring CIOs.
We present to you Manage HR’s “Top 10 Diversity and Inclusion Consulting/ Service Companies in Europe - 2020.”
