What Does Increasing Diversity Look Like Globally?
This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to….well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity
News From #TeamJTC:
NEW EBOOK | We just added a new eBook to our Increase Diversity Toolbox: “What Increasing Diversity Looks Like Globally: A Brief Introduction to Marginalization, Equity, and the Impact on Recruiting.” If you already subscribe to the Increase Diversity Toolbox, you are in luck as this eBook will be available to you at no additional charge. Otherwise, we invite you to subscribe to the Increase Diversity Toolbox to gain access to this eBook along with many great resources.
FREE CHECKLIST | We have a FREE, downloadable CHECKLIST for leaders called The Platinum Checklist for Hiring Professionals: 10 Immediate Actions Leaders Must STOP Doing to Increase Diversity. Click to download your free copy.
I committed a long time ago to do my part to increase diversity. My original lens was in understanding the historical context of underrepresentation and marginalization in the United States. However, for a while now, I have been interested in what underrepresentation and marginalization look like on a global level. So, Team JTC went on a journey to research and unpack what it means to increase diversity globally.
Our goal was to highlight what diversity looks like for 30 countries across four different geographical divisions - Latin America (LATAM), Northern America (NA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions. We focused primarily on the largest economies in each region and considered the footprint of Fortune 500 companies and their regional representation within each geographical division.
Before we dive in, it is important to note that the purpose of this article is not to tell you all how to increase diversity globally, but rather to share knowledge about the current state of increasing diversity globally.
Now, here are just a few of the learning gems we discovered.
Gem #1: Increasing diversity initiatives need to be country-specific.
Each country is different in its understanding of DEI. Many factors dictate how well a society embraces diversity. A country’s history, culture, geographic location as well as the quality of education can have an impact on how they perceive such ideas. This is a key challenge faced by multinational enterprises (MNEs), who must adjust their practices appropriately from place to place to be able to achieve consistent performance as well as stay true to their commitment to DEI.
MNEs and larger organizations must understand country-specific situations when developing their DEI strategies. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to this and businesses must adapt to the local surroundings and respect that each society is at a different stage in its inclusion of marginalized communities.
Gem #2: There is still a lot of work that needs to be done for the LGBTQ+ community.
While we can see some good progress in North America and Europe, there is still a lot of work to be done to make the LGBTQ+ community feel a sense of inclusion and belonging at workplaces worldwide. There are some countries in the Middle East where LGBTQ+ have no legal rights. The Human Rights Watch reports that Saudi Arabia “has no written laws concerning sexual orientation or gender identity” (HRW, 2022d). On the other hand, if you look at other regions like LATAM, you can see many governments pass new legislation to give more rights and equity to the community. The Chilean Congress approved a bill to introduce same-sex marriage in December 2021 (HRW, 2022b). However, there is also the issue of public opinion towards the community, which continues to be mixed, suggesting a degree of marginalization.
Gem #3: Women and the pay gap.
Throughout our research, we noted that there is visible discrimination against women in one form or another in most countries. In countries like Argentina and South Korea, gender pay equity continues to be a main topic of discussion, with work being done at the government level to ensure there’s no bias or prejudice towards women. The Swiss Parliament approved a proposal in 2019, calling for better representation of women at C-level positions of large, publicly traded companies. Despite these efforts, a recent study across 19 countries found Switzerland had the third-lowest percentage of women on committees and the second-lowest score for women CEOs (Gender Diversity Index, 2021). Having more women in leadership roles, based on merit is crucial and as recruiters, we must look at ways to guarantee complete transparency in how we choose our leaders.
So you may be thinking, this is all well and good, but what can we do about it as recruiters and DEI practitioners?
If you are part of an MNE, you are faced with the challenge of understanding the issues related to DEI in different countries and sometimes in different cities within the same country. But as employers, it is our responsibility to take the lead in having these conversations and driving the change towards inclusivity, not only within our organizations but also within the communities. We need to understand the underlying issues and the concerns of marginalized communities. Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace allows your organization to enrich itself with fresh ideas and perspectives and sets you up to be a leader for positive change.
If you would like to learn more about what we discovered on this global journey, check out the eBook series: What Increasing Diversity Looks Like Globally: A Brief Introduction to Marginalization, Equity, and the Impact on Recruiting.
