Diversity Matters

In this article, the third in a series of four, NWT CEO Glenn Ballard discusses why there has never been a more important time to recognize the importance of inclusion and diversity (I&D).

His perspective is grounded in his extensive experience within global organisations in the IT sector and more recently managing a large professional services firm, whose success depends on attracting and retaining diverse talent and leveraging it to create unique solutions to address the complex problems its clients face.

“In my experience in the IT sector, women, people with disabilities, older people and ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in the industry. Tech companies are still predominantly white, male and young. We had considerable feedback from our February article on Women in IT, which clearly demonstrates that diversity is an industry-wide problem – but thankfully one that is finally being talked about openly.

I believe strongly that diversity in the workplace matters, not only because it makes sense in purely business terms (gender and ethnic diversity, inclusion and performance go hand in hand*), but because it creates a more balanced and inclusive environment where ideas and actions can be tested, and the best course of action selected. It is well recognised that businesses with diverse workforces are typically more innovative and profitable and grow faster. Characteristics that are much needed as companies recover from the pandemic.

Cultural diversity brings in ideas and traditional wisdom that helps to foster effective communication from other cultures; age diversity brings in experience and problem solving from people with different historical experiences and gender diversity brings in investment and innovation. I&D is about understanding, accepting and respecting what makes all of us unique. By nurturing a culture of diversity, an organisation will ensure that they build and maintain a collaborative, supportive and respectful environment where everyone can contribute and be counted.

At the core of NWT is an unwavering commitment to I&D. We are committed to gender balance, parenthood, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity and equality for all. Our goal is to provide a truly inclusive work environment and strongly

believe that the diversity of our people helps us to work better together and drives greater innovation for our clients and communities.

On a personal level I am worried however that there is a very real risk that I&D will fall off the central stage as priorities in many companies change because of COVID-19. Many companies are facing an incredible degree of disruption including devastating losses of revenue, dislocations to operations and supply chains and challenges to liquidity and solvency. Others are having to cope with unexpected spikes in demand.

I believe that the qualities that characterize diverse and inclusive companies – notably innovation and resilience – will be much needed to help companies recover from the crisis and will contribute to the wider effort to revive economies and safeguard social cohesion. Innovation is needed, not only to defeat COVID-19, but to help heal our wounded workforce. The numerous ways different people think and carry their varied experiences is what we need to help us navigate these unprecedented times.

The coronavirus outbreak also unearths some important questions around I&D efforts. Do video-conferencing calls, which have become mainstream as people work from home, help remove unconscious biases? Are video-conference protocols helpful to ensuring that all employees are heard? Do we learn more from quiet staff members, or do we see them become even quieter when faced with the awkwardness of speaking on screen? And does everyone have the technical capacity or living situation to do video calls?

Flexible work and telework have long been seen as either necessary or desired by women, who often shoulder the disproportionate burden of family care. But telework, once a luxury for some, is now a necessity. Historically, the women (and men) who did flexible work or telework were often perceived as less committed to their careers. Will this gender-biased assumption now be put to rest when everyone, from the CEO to the administrative assistant, is teleworking?

What will responsibility look like at home as some people are laid off and others telework long past the eight-hour workday? Most people do not have a home office elegantly framing themselves for a video call, with books and fine art as a halo around them. But we can glimpse into their lives and see that men have generally always played a smaller role in childcare and family obligations. Have stay-at-home dads or male partners learnt more about what their significant other juggles daily?

At some point, be it in a month or in a year, we as society will try to glean lessons in the wake of the pandemic. We are sure to learn the value of science, crisis preparedness and leaders who tell us truths. But if those are the only major areas of reflection, we will be missing out on a fundamental lesson: that diversity is imperative to our survival.”

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