Diversity and inclusion aren’t the same, and both need your attention

Recognition and understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) in Australian workplaces is increasing, which is an encouraging shift in the right direction.

However, something I frequently observe is that the two terms—diversity and inclusion—are used interchangeably. In reality, they are two distinct concepts that are certainly interconnected, but not exchangeable.

Many workplaces have diverse workforces, but are not inclusive. Employees may come from culturally diverse backgrounds, be neurodivergent, or LGBTQI+, but this does not necessarily mean these people feel comfortable to be their true selves at work. They may not feel their opinion counts for the same as someone else’s, or that they are socially accepted. In other words, a sense of inclusion is lacking.

On the other hand, an organisation may lack diversity but feel inclusive to those within it because employees are from similar backgrounds — not the sort of inclusiveness organisations should aspire to. When an organisation is inclusive to only a select group of individuals — they may look alike, have studied at similar schools, or come from a certain geographical area — it is often unwelcoming (whether explicitly or unintentionally) to a huge swathe of society that looks, thinks, and lives differently.

Organisations like this not only don’t represent the communities they operate in, they also greatly limit their potential for creativity, innovation and ultimately performance, which diverse teams are shown to bring in spades.

While many organisations believe they are diverse, by the very nature of how they hire, they often fall short.

So how do you untangle D&I and ensure you’re getting both parts right? To start, employers need to step back and assess their recruitment and HR processes in their entirety to identify where biases (including unconscious ones) may be creeping in, and where opportunities exist to increase support.

The hiring process is often where a lack of diversity stems from. While many organisations believe they are diverse, by the very nature of how they hire, they often fall short. Traditional recruitment methods that rely on resumes, interviews and reference checks often result in certain candidates being favoured over others, regardless of their merit, as social biases tend to creep in and play a role in decision-making.

To avoid this, organisations should consider incorporating blind hiring and aptitude testing into the hiring process. Blind hiring ensures candidates can’t be evaluated based on details such as age, gender, or where they’ve worked previously, while aptitude testing reveals a candidate’s true potential.