In the last year, organizations around the world have faced unprecedented challenges: on the one hand, the covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the way people work; on the other, companies are also struggling to create and deploy more equitable work environments.
During this period, according to information collected by the Capgemini Research Institute, 70% of companies have reported increases in operational productivity, but it has also been observed that 58% of organizations in Mexico indicate that there are areas of opportunity in which to Diversity and inclusion (D&I) refiere.
For many businesses this may seem like a dead endWhen you have limited resources, should you invest in digital work tools or in diversity and inclusion initiatives? Should you focus on making the work of employees easier or making it easier for employees to work together?
New research suggests that these are not exclusive aspects, in fact, it is believed that investment in business digitization has a positive impact on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Organizations that budget to integrate digital work platforms are better equipped to hire diverse talent and promote fairness in the workplace.
Many employees have expressed their desire to continue working from home, and executive teams are listening to them: a survey from Microsoft’s WorkLab identified that 66% of business leaders are considering redesigning office spaces for the hybrid work; But it is also true that as more companies choose to open virtual offices, people also have access to more opportunity to choose, making mitigating labor inequality an imperative necessity.
What is clear is that the shift to remote and hybrid work environments has been accompanied by an accelerated digital transformationAccording to data from McKinsey & Company, at the beginning of the pandemic, global industries jumped “five years in adopting digital business and customer service strategies” in just eight weeks.
Research by ServiceNow, surveying more than 900 business leaders in about 13 countries, indicates that 58% of firms that have rapidly adopted technologies in their operation have also seen improvements in D&I. Beyond the clear social benefits of developing Diversity and inclusionThese advances have also been reflected in the creativity and agility of employees, to the extent that it is estimated that a positive rate of inclusion and diversity can also represent financial benefits for organizations.
For HR executives this virtuous circle between diversity, inclusion and digitization is not a surprise: companies that put human capital at the center tend to be more diverse as well. “
In this way, it is possible to identify three categories of digital tools that are promoting business diversity and inclusion:
- Those that give businesses access to a broader and more diverse offer of job candidates.
- Those that enable companies to optimally execute their D&I initiatives.
- Those that allow them to more easily disclose what they are doing to build an equitable and inclusive workforce.
As more and more people around the world are vaccinated against COVID-19, businesses are evaluating what this “return to normalcy” should look like. Companies that have already taken the step to digitization in their administrative systems, work tools and other digital flows have an undoubted advantage.
By finding efficient ways to leverage these solutions in your marketing initiatives Diversity and inclusion, organizations can make a real difference in the experience of their workers, giving them a memorable experience from hiring to internal development.
For employees this provides a humane environment, focused on their needs; For the organization this implies substantial improvements in terms of productivity, creativity and business agility, in addition to building institutional values and fostering the loyalty of its staff.
* The author is the general director of ServiceNow for Mexico and Latin America (@MauricioGarciaCepeda)
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx