Diverse but not inclusive: An honest look at Canadian workplaces

By Rohini Mukherji | @RohiniMJ

Rohini Mukherji shares the differences between diversity and inclusion and how communicators can move closer to true, beyond-the-brochure inclusion.

“Diversity is having a seat at the table. Inclusion is having a voice. And belonging is having that voice be heard.”

This is the powerful analogy that stood out as I read an interview with Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, the authors of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work. I continually reflect on that idea when I consider the environments I find myself in – as a woman, as a full-time employee, and as an immigrant. For me, it reinforces the notion that the concepts of diversity and inclusion have long been lumped together into one category, when in fact they are quite distinct.

I believe that while Canada does excel when it comes to diversity – there is widespread positive sentiment around its social and economic benefits and we have the highest percentage of foreign-born citizens than any other G8 country – we don’t do well on the inclusion front. I suspect the same is true of workplaces across the country – and beyond.

Scoring high on diversity, but failing on inclusion

I had the chance to share (read: rant about) my feelings on diversity and true inclusion on an episode of The 4 am Report micro podcast, so feel free to click the link if listening is more your thing.

Here are my three key takeaways on the journey to inclusion:

1. Diversity isn’t just an issue of gender, race or sexual orientation – Diversity goes well beyond visible differences. Work styles, invisible disabilities, lifestyles, and even the age-old morning vs. nocturnal people divide, all represent different forms of diversity we have to start considering to create truly inclusive workplaces. We need to broaden the scope of what we consider under the broad definition of diversity.
2. Education is key – Over the past decade alone, we’ve changed the way we buy, learn and communicate, to keep up with the times. The same goes for inclusion. We have to adapt or risk going the way of the dinosaur. The encouraging part is that learning starts with curiosity. Taking the first step can be as simple as just asking questions.
3. Inclusion is a strategy, not a tactic – Inclusion can’t be checked off a list with one or two small changes. To be a leader of change, it is important to review your workplace policies regularly, and evaluate when additional action needs to be taken to be reflective of the diversity within the organization.

It’s not all doom and gloom on the D&I front in Canada. Many organizations have started moving beyond mere equal opportunity HR compliance to a recognition that D&I is a strategic organizational and business priority and a strong contributor to organizational effectiveness.

The role of communicators

Let’s face it: as communicators, we’re generally a group of early adopters. We need to lead by example when it comes to true inclusion, beginning with the workplace. Inclusion is going to become the norm, not a differentiating quality of one company vs. the next. We need to build a culture of inclusion, which in turn will drive engagement, loyalty and business success.

Canada has taken an important step towards inclusion with the unveiling of the National Anti-Racism Strategy in June. I am curious to see how much we as a nation move the needle on true, beyond-the-brochure inclusion in the next five years.