Diversity and inclusion is good for business, our communities and our organisation’s performance, so the big question is: Why is progress so glacially slow?
“Organisations are still struggling to make meaningful progress towards more diverse and inclusive workplaces,” explains Friska Wirya, a change management thought leader, speaker and consultant.
“Despite the many purported benefits of diversity and inclusion, including increased innovation, better decision-making, improved employee engagement and well-being, the challenge of achieving real change remains elusive for most.”
In Australia, women still earn, on average, 14.2 per cent less than men, and only 15 per cent of CEO positions are held by women. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples also continue to be underrepresented in many industries, Wirya says, with a workforce participation rate of only 49.7 per cent compared to 77.5 per cent for non-Indigenous Australians.
People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds also face barriers when it comes to career progression in the workplace, and are often overlooked for leadership positions.
Having spearheaded change programs for the biggest names in mining, engineering and tech, Wirya regards diversity and inclusion (D&I) as the most difficult change management initiative to implement.
“Diversity requires a fundamental shift in organisational culture,” Wirya says. “It is not enough to simply hire a diverse workforce or organise unconscious bias training.”
“To truly embrace diversity, organisations must be willing to challenge their existing assumptions, beliefs, and practices. This requires a healthy amount of introspection and self-awareness by not just leaders, but its workforce overall.”
Unfortunately, the tech industry is a strong example of where organisations have long struggled to successfully implement D&I, as professionals remain overwhelmingly white and male.
According to a recent study by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, women hold just 25 per cent of computing jobs, while Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals hold only 12 per cent of these positions.
The financial services industry is another example of where progress has been lacking, with public commitments to D&I often falling short on meaningful action.
While change can certainly be hard and culture takes time to build, Wirya advises that companies create a comprehensive strategy to accelerate essential D&I efforts. This includes implementing targeted recruitment and training programs, as well as partnerships with underrepresented communities.
She says establishing a sense of urgency is critical to successfully creating an inclusive workplace, and empowering others to act on a tangible change vision is essential to building support.
“To change our sub-par performance in the D&I arena, we must apply lessons from the change management playbook,’ says Wirya.
“We must start to recognise the invisible cost of homogeneity and simultaneously be voracious for the benefits of increased diversity and inclusion.”
“Together, we can build a brighter, more inclusive future for all. Change won’t happen, unless we change ourselves first.”
Wirya shares more strategies for companies to accelerate D&I efforts during her keynote session for Women’s Agenda’s new video app series, The Keynotes.
The Keynotes app shares “Mini Keynote” sessions and insights on leadership, equity, current affairs, climate and so much more. To watch Friska Wirya’s keynote as well as other sessions, sign up to the app here.