New Work Trends: DE&I
DE&I = Part of NEW WORK
In addition to People & Culture and Technology, the world of New Work is also characterised by other terms that are perhaps not yet so common. DE&I is one of them.
So what can you expect in the DE&I area from 4 to 6 June at New Work Evolution?
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion - what's behind it?
Diversity stands for the variety of different people. This means, for example, gender, ethnicity or nationality.
Equity means that all people are offered the same opportunities and that any barriers need to be adjusted.
The last term, inclusion, is about ensuring that no-one feels excluded in the working environment, with diversity being the primary means of achieving this.
As a member of the Diversity Charter, we would like to take a closer look at the 7 dimensions of diversity. As you can see, the focus is always on people.
Developments and challenges
Not only fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, the term DE&I rapidly gained popularity and special significance. The recurring issues of racism, injustice and fairness have also become increasingly vocal in the working environment, forcing companies to restructure and develop new initiatives to ensure that all employees continue to feel valued in the future, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity, for example. This approach not only gives companies happier employees, but also promises promising growth potential.
In the future, it will continue to be a challenge for many companies to unite the different generations. Each age group brings different expectations and life experiences to the job, which in turn means that managers need to cater to the individual needs and requirements of each employee. This also means that subconscious prejudices (unconscious bias) towards employees must be avoided in order to prevent potential points of conflict.
Cases of discrimination should be prevented, as the office should represent a safe harbour. In this context, it can also be advantageous to hire diversity professional managers. They take care of all topics relating to leadership and HR and are responsible for ensuring that, for example, action is taken against discrimination, that possible complaints are taken seriously and that gender-neutral language is used. This kind of approach also promotes transparency and a sense of responsibility among employees and improves dialogue so that everyone works together as equals.
In recent months, it has become clear that it can be absolutely beneficial for companies to deal with the areas of DE&I on a larger scale.
The quota woman is a thing of the past; today, larger-scale plans must be pursued.
Since coronavirus, employees have become accustomed to organising their working hours flexibly. The topics of work-life balance and the associated home office have become an integral part of the corporate landscape. Companies also need to address the changing wishes of employees, such as health benefits or gender-neutral toilets.
