Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have emerged as priorities for businesses worldwide. We are perhaps ahead of the curve in South Africa because of our progressive labour laws and employment equity frameworks. Yet, despite the enormous strides made since 1994, the reality is that we still have plenty of work to do before we can claim to have transformed our workforce and workplaces.
According to the 22nd Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) annual report, Africans account for only 17% of top management positions, despite accounting for nearly 80% of the economically active population in South Africa. Women hold only 25% of management positions, despite forming more than half of the country’s population. People with disabilities are also poorly represented at senior management level.
This is despite the fact that diversity is good for business. Diversity helps to create a richness of ideas and innovation, giving an organisation insight into its market and customers. It should be about meeting employment equity targets and building a team that covers the full spectrum regarding socioeconomic background, religion, marital status, education, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability, and life experience.
What can HR and people teams do?
HR and People teams are the visible champions of diversity and inclusion, so they set the tone for the organisation. Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace goes far beyond compliance or PR exercise. It means creating a genuinely fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunities for professional development, career growth, and access to resources.
To do this, HR and People leaders must understand their organisation, people, and problems. It means having a committed leadership team, being prepared to have difficult conversations, and building trust with their workforce. Anything less, and people will see straight through you.
Here are six practical tips to get you started on your journey:
View diversity as an opportunity, not a tick-box exercise
Treat diversity as an opportunity to create a company people want to work for, not a compliance or risk mitigation issue. This requires a complete review of your business. It might mean taking a long, hard look at the company culture to identify the behaviours, policies, and practices that lead to discrimination and inequality and then creating strategies to remedy the situation.
Establish trust with employees
People from previously disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds often don’t report discrimination for fear of victimisation. It’s HR’s job to build trust with them. Get to know your people, meet them, and cultivate relationships. Remember, not all diversity is visible. For example, there are many disabilities or mental health concerns you cannot see when you look at someone.
Above all else, believe your people. It’s hard to accept that racism, homophobia, xenophobia or sexual harassment is happening in your organisation; your first reaction might be one of disbelief. It’s important to deal with reported incidents through the appropriate channels, even if this means having challenging conversations with far-reaching consequences.
Not dealing with nor managing these issues poses a greater reputational risk to your business.
Use data to understand the make-up of your workforce
Use analytics to ascertain how many people from different backgrounds are in your organisation. Much of this data will be available in employment equity reports for companies with more than 50 employees. But also dig into the data to understand nuances like how much people from different backgrounds are paid and how long they stay.
Don’t sweep bias under the carpet
It’s never easy for employees to report discrimination; it can sometimes be difficult to prove, and employees may not want to be seen to cause conflict. Send an anonymous survey to all your workers asking if they have experienced or seen discrimination, bias or inequality in your organisation, and act on the results. If you struggle to talk about these issues openly, bring in an expert to help facilitate trusting spaces.
Invest in training programmes for underrepresented populations
The underrepresentation of black people and women at the upper levels of business isn’t tenable. Years of discrimination in education recruitment, promotion, and training means many South Africans hit a glass ceiling early in their careers. Internal and external training programmes for talented employees from all backgrounds, along with mentoring, is key to ensuring a diverse pipeline of senior talent for the future.
Target diverse populations in your recruitment process
Actively seek workers from underrepresented groups by engaging with recruiters or organisations who specialise in diversity. If your recruiters keep sending people with similar backgrounds, such as graduating from the same university or living in the same city, question them.
Make people feel they belong
To foster diversity and equality in your workplace, you need to make people feel like they belong, are respected, have a voice, and will be given equal opportunities. This is where the inclusion piece of the puzzle comes in; your workplace is diverse and offers an environment where all people, regardless of surface or hidden level differences, feel welcome and valued.
