In today's environment, organizations can no longer afford to treat inclusion and diversity (I&D) as a public relations or human resources issue. Instead, they must take a thoughtful and sincere approach, and adopt a meaningful I&D strategy.
Inclusive business practices help companies remain relevant to customers and communities. The power of people’s differences—through greater access to talent, a healthier work environment, stronger brand recognition, and deeper community relations—can strengthen competitiveness.
KPMG LLP recommends a coordinated approach to inclusion and diversity strategy, including visible commitment and engagement of top management (including promotion of qualified, diverse people to leadership roles); active dialogue to seek feedback from diverse employees; a coordinated, enterprise-wide implementation approach; and a supportive organizational culture bolstered by a complete change management program.
In this paper, we explore:
- the positive impacts gender, ethnic and cultural diversity can have on financial performance
- guiding principles that can simplify organizational, strategic, cultural, and logistical factors when defining an overarching I&D strategy
- key success factors for progressing from simple equal employment opportunity compliance to a fully integrated I&D business model
- immediate and ongoing activities to build a robust inclusion and diversity program.
Guiding principles and key success factors for inclusion and diversity as a competitive differentiator
