We live in a world where organizations are steadily realizing the importance of an inclusive culture that puts the employee at the centre and supports diversity through thoughts, actions, and more. It’s time to embrace all our differences

In January 2018, Iceland, a country known for its glaciers and scenic waterfalls, was in the news for all the right reasons. By passing a law that made pay parity a legal requirement, Iceland became the first country in the world to ask employers for proof that they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality.

While a welcome move, the fact is even without any legal requirement, it is in the best interests of companies across the world to have a compassionate and inclusive culture that supports and promotes diversity in their organisation. And the very first step in building an equitable and diverse workplace is to introduce a holistic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy—one that acknowledges and rewards hardworking and talented employees from across the board and makes sure their voices are heard loud and clear.

Organisation that welcomes all

In our organisation, DEI is more than merely a hiring strategy or the subject of an occasional workshop. In fact, our DEI strategy has been the means to bring about a complete workplace culture transformation that now flows seamlessly through the entire organisation. Having chalked out a comprehensive DEI framework, we set about creating a core committee of senior leaders to lead a strong army of employees eager to join hands towards a common goal. To achieve our ambitious goal, we put together three Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): World of Women, PRIDE Alliance Group, and Special Ability Alliance Group. These groups act as the voice of employees, and help us understand the sentiment on ground and across the organizational hierarchy.

Our organization prides itself on being an employee-centric organisation, and our DEI policy reflects this by ensuring that a diverse group of employees is hired and has a seat at the table. Several hiring interventions like recruiter incentivisation and education programs, building all women teams etc., have

been put in place to attract a diverse pool of candidates. In addition, we have also successfully addressed equal pay and opportunity issues through adequate managerial training interventions.

Continuous education programs and conversations at our current organisation aid our understanding and help build sensitisation and fight against unconscious bias. To achieve this, we have introduced a host of policy initiatives and programmes spearheaded by our ERGs, including: mentoring employees, dedicated programs to aid women in mid-management progress their careers at our organisation. We also offer women flexibility during maternity, return to work, and extended WFH, job protection during exigencies and caregiving.

Most recently (June 2022), we celebrated Pride month in support of the LGBTQIA+ community with a flash mob and a Pride parade at our office premises in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. We also invited LGBTQIA+ rights advocates to interact with the team and discuss the requirements of the community towards showing support for absolute inclusion. Our philosophy of ‘leading with a human touch,’ which is ingrained in our DEI policy, which has been recognized and we have been declared among the top 50 Indian Companies as a Great Place to Work.

Why a holistic DEI policy matters

A diverse employee base represents the community and aids in not just furthering the innovation agenda but also powering an organisation’s ability to service an equally diverse customer set. There are also several other tangible benefits of an inclusive policy. First and foremost, it creates a positive work environment, motivating the employee to perform better, which in turn enhances productivity. It also attracts talent, and equally important, it helps retain said talent, thereby reducing the expenses associated with high turnover, recruitment, and training.

Therefore, it is important to note that a holistic DEI policy focusing in creating a sense of equity and belonging should be the number one priority for any organisation that aims to create a healthy, inclusive and productive environment for its employees

(The article has been authored by Sunil Wariar, Chief People Officer, Future Generali India Insurance)