Building an Inclusive Organization: Leveraging the Power of a Diverse Workforce

by Stephen Frost, Raafi-Karim Alidina

Business Book Awards 2020 - An Exceptional Book That Promotes Diversity Category
CMI Management Book of the Year 2020 - Society Transformed Category

A diverse workforce is a business imperative. Without it, companies are made up of employees who come from the same background and have the same skills and, therefore, the same blind spots. A diverse workforce brings together different strengths, a variety of experiences, a huge breadth of knowledge and a wealth of creative problem-solving techniques. However, in order to leverage the benefits of this diverse workforce, businesses must be inclusive. Inclusion ensures that employees feel supported, are treated fairly and are therefore happier, more engaged and more productive. Building an Inclusive Organization is a practical guide to creating an environment of real inclusion. It explains how to remove unconscious bias from company processes including recruitment and selection, how to make the case for diversity and inclusion to all stakeholders and how to embed inclusion into an organization's culture and overall business strategy.

Packed with case studies from organizations including KPMG, Uber, Salesforce, Harvard University and the UK National Health Service (NHS), Building an Inclusive Organization shows how to implement robust processes and policies to foster diversity and inclusion in organizations of any size, and in all sectors, including the creative industry, finance, tech, and academia and foundations. Guidance and advice is also provided on how to use 'nudges' to change behaviours and overcome bias, how to achieve transparency and accountability, and how to measure, review and evaluate inclusion.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2019

Reviews

[Jung · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Building an Inclusive Organization: Leveraging the Power of a Diverse Workforce" by Stephen Frost and Raafi-Karim Alidina offers invaluable insights into creating workplaces that embrace diversity and foster inclusivity. Here are some actionable takeaways from the book:

1. Move Beyond Tokenism: True diversity and inclusion go beyond superficial representation. It's about integrating diversity and inclusion throughout the organization, including decision-making processes and company culture.

2. Engage with Different Perspectives: In a polarized world, engaging with diverse perspectives becomes crucial. Homogeneity breeds groupthink and limits innovation. Embracing diversity allows for the exchange of different ideas and leads to better decision-making.

3. Confront Unconscious Bias: Unconscious biases shape our perceptions and decisions without us even realizing it. By acknowledging and addressing these biases, individuals and organizations can create a more inclusive environment where everyone has equal opportunities.

4. Address the Gender Pay Gap: Gender equality is not just a women's issue; it affects everyone. Companies need to adopt policies that promote transparency in pay and create equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of gender.

5. Prioritize Inclusion in Hiring and Retention: Actively recruit diverse candidates and ensure they feel respected and valued in the workplace. Implement policies that promote psychological safety, fair treatment, and equal opportunities for growth and advancement.

6. Tailor Diversity Policies to Specific Industries: Different industries face unique challenges in achieving diversity and inclusion. Tailor strategies to address the specific needs and obstacles within each industry to create meaningful change.

7. Leverage Technology for Diversity and Inclusion: Technology can play a significant role in combating bias and promoting diversity. Use tools and platforms that identify and address biases in hiring processes and workplace practices.

8. Lead by Example: Creating an inclusive organization starts from the top. Leaders need to champion diversity and inclusion initiatives, involve the entire organization in the process, and hold themselves and others accountable for creating a culture of inclusivity.

9. Make Diversity Personal: Encourage team members to share their experiences of exclusion or belonging in the workplace. Personal stories can help foster empathy and understanding, driving meaningful change within the organization.

By implementing these actionable strategies, organizations can build inclusive cultures that celebrate diversity, drive innovation, and empower all employees to thrive.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book for people who want to understand discrimination at the workforce from the perspective of an employee or a hiring manager, written by a joint collaboration of two employees of Frost Included in 2019.
However, the book did not disappoint so, although built around the diversity buzzword, it still confirmed some interesting things I was already aware of or made me aware of things I hadn't even considered.
I was pleasantly surprised with the highlighting of the importance of engaging in different perspectives... and how social media influences this without our control. I did notice how annoyingly tracking cookies too force me to be exposed only to predecided content, 'more of the same', especially on YouTube & Facebook, so it's much more difficult to find diversity than before with all this 'personalized' content that leads to a very biased view of the world, one of many unconscious biases that recent science has pointed out in the past decades that we should be wary of and learn to recognize and manage better.
The book further elaborates on this idea and several others, and I do find it worth reading and worth recommending for those of you who plan to take part in such professional setting, but also for intellectuals and lovers of diversity.

[Quinns Pheh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The authors seek companies to be inclusive, and change policy to have a more diverse organisation. They found that diverse organisation have more innovative ideas, and therefore more engaging to their audience and also make more money. The majority of us should tackle this to challenge ourselves constantly on reframing diversity in an organisation. However, throughout the book, the authors are focusing more on race and representation, and less about solid qualifications and fitting in the values of the organisation. Although we should promote inclusivity and encourage new ideas from different perspectives, we should only proceed for the benefit of the team (company/organisation) and the audience (customer).

[Tsinoy Foodies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Points out reality of unconscious bias on homogeneity, discrimination against minority and genderism, nepotism, cronyism causing group think towards conscious competence and transparency. Diversion and fair representation promotes Creativity and innovation and that even the added friction is good for a workplace. Inclusion is a corporate culture that requires information gathering first. Corporate culture takea time and consistent and persistent action (awareness of concious bias is not enough).

[Chintushig Tumenbayar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Албан байгууллага удирдаж байгаа хүн үйл ажиллагаа цар хүрээ нь томрохын хэрээр гаргаж буй шийдвэрүүдээ Bias-т автаж буй эсэхийг мөн арьс өнгөний үзэл, эрэгтэй эмэгтэй ажилтныг ялгаварлах зэрэг хандлагууд хэр өөрт нь нөлөөлж байгаад тогтмол дүгнэлт хийх хэрэгтэй болж ирж байгаа юм.

Хэд хэдэн trick сурлаа. Хожим үр шимээ өгөх байх.

[Ashley Kalb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspective on diversity and ways to become more inclusive. Read for school, but found it extremely interesting and eye-opening.