“Be kind, for every person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” This quote, attributed to the Athenian philosopher Plato, is a perfect example of the importance of enriching the diversity of the workforce in companies. Are those battles that “we do not know anything” those that demonstrate the capacity that people have to overcome challenges and contribute to their work.
Ensuring diversity and inclusion is an increasingly important trend in the corporate fabric. Not only because of the moral value of “leaving no one behind”, but also because of the productive benefits it has for the company. The PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA, from the Prensa Ibérica group, organized a meeting at the Espacio Bertelsmann, in Madrid, to discuss the importance of integrating vulnerable groups into the labor market. Sponsored by Telefónica, the event, entitled Diversity and labor inclusion, a social and business challenge, included a panel of experts in which the opportunities and complexities of incorporating personnel of different characteristics were discussed.
competitive social responsibility
When you talk about “diversity“, each person can think of different realities. One can think of gender equality and the advancement of women, especially in command positions. Another can imagine the integration of disabled people. One can come to think of open environments that respect sexual orientations and gender identities, or in other aspects such as social origin, nationality or age. “When we talk about diversity in the workplace, it is in all its breadth. The company must promote an inclusive culture so that all people feel supported, understood and can contribute,” explained Sonia Río, general director of the Foundation for Diversity.
“We have been educated in the culture of uniformity. Success had a series of keys based on stereotypes. That time is long gone“, pointed out Val Díez, president of the CEOE’s Equality and Diversity Commission. “Companies today cannot limit themselves to only selling products, they have a responsibility to create a positive impact in the community in which they are,” he added.
What are the benefits of including diversity in companies? “Firstly, the general law on disability must be complied with, which obliges companies with more than 50 workers to have 2% of their workforce with people with disabilities. Secondly, we help to comply with corporate social responsibility and that it becomes true competitive social responsibility. And thirdly, we increase productivity by reducing costs,” he said. Manuel Casteleiromanager of the SIFU group in Madrid.
“The most diverse companies are the ones that do best. Not only in terms of economic business performance, but also in the work environment; companies that support diversity generate greater talent retention, which benefits results,” he said. Ana Fernandez, Partner responsible for Diversity and Inclusion at KPMG Spain.
“We are evolving towards a perspective in which diversity adds value,” reflected Rio. “Today, companies hire SIFU because we value the capacity of the disabled, not because we are sorry“, assessed Casteleiro. “We have to work in much more collaborative teams,” said Díez.
gender perspective
The pandemic has brought about a transformation of the labor market at a speed not seen since the end of the Second World War. The sanitary restrictions led to teleworking being imposed in less than a week and to reforming the homes of millions of people to adapt and reconcile work and home. This implied great fears about the achievements made in recent years. “We monitored that women could disappear from the public space. Being at home due to teleworking, this could influence their withdrawal from common settingsFernandez commented.
“It’s very important leave a specific space for gender equality when we talk about diversity”, Díez argued. “It is a path that is yet to be reached, and of which there is still a long way to go. We see that every time we have a fairer society for everyone, without any type of stereotyped roles that do not fit with reality,” he added.
An important issue about inclusion is that differentiate or vulnerabilities they do not operate alone. On many occasions a person can be affected by different dimensions that reinforce his vulnerability. Manuel Casteleiro wanted to influence this aspect. The SIFU manager underlined the gender differences that exist in the labor integration of disabled people: “the last ratio we have obtained indicates that women represent only 35% of people with disabilities who are employed. They are also those who later enter the labor market”. “Diversity is complicated because human beings are not inclusive by nature; it is easier for us to deal with people with similar characteristics,” said Fernández.
Business philosophy
“If there is an explicit culture of diversity in the company, employees are more likely to contribute,” Rio said. “To create that empathy, it is the organization that has to establish the means so that everyone can grow with equal opportunities,” said Fernández. “Cultural change always takes years: You don’t transform the culture of a company with 20,000 workers in 15 days,” Río replied.
Díez gave an example of the importance of a company’s work environment to help integrate: “a person from the LGTBI collective can be very competent at their job, but they have to feel comfortable so that, when there is a company dinner where people bring their partner, they can bring their own“. “The perception of showing yourself as you are cannot have any repercussions at work,” said Fernández. The partner responsible for Diversity and Inclusion at KPMG pointed out that it is estimated that one in three LGTBI people who are “out of the closet” in their social life they hide it in the business environment “Until you hear people tell the experience, you are not aware of the social situations that occur in the office,” he added.
“We have to break the barriers of accessibility from a 360 degree perspective. The challenge lies in detecting people’s hidden abilities in order to adapt them to the ideal positions”, indicated Casteleiro. In this sense, it is important to assess the quality of the actions carried out. “If you want to know if your policies are successful, you have to measure them and communicate to the staff the effort that is being made. You have to take care of consistency to move forward, since many times the staff does not know the measures that the company is applying,” Río warned.
The administration
The State, as the guarantor of fundamental rights, is the first agent to favor the diversity and inclusion of all people. “Great progress has been made in legislative matters to promote integration. However, I believe that it has a role that demands more speed. The Administration must push and force more in increasing labor diversity,” said Río.
Manuel Casteleiro sent a direct message to public opinion and the political class: “It is an issue that should not be ideologised, diversity is outside of ideologies”. The manager of SIFU Madrid believes that the Administration continues to be a few steps behind: “These groups claim rights that I think will help increase inclusion.”
The table concluded that “we can aspire to diversity” in the work environment, but that this will not come soon, but that it will be a joint work of companies, Administrations and society itself to achieve it.
political unanimity
The conference on inclusion organized by EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA and sponsored by Telefónica was closed by Dolores Navarro, General Director of Integration of the Community of Madrid, who reviewed the legal keys and services available to the regional Administration to help integrate any group with difficult insertion in the economic fabric. “The convention on the rights of people with disabilities establishes the commitment of people to be accepted in the labor market”Navarro said.
The general director explained the plans of the Community of Madrid in terms of employment integration. “The strategy for the period 2018-2022 includes 12 lines that are articulated in 64 measures. Last year the centers served 1,800 people and the insertion rate was 65%,” he said.
Dolores Navarro, who is also a deputy for the Madrid Assembly, emphasized the extensive list of measures that allow companies to incorporate people with disabilities: “incentives for permanent hiring, direct subsidy programs, adaptation and transition from protected employment to ordinary jobs, etc.”
“Diversity is a value shared by all political agents and Administrations; guaranteeing equal opportunities is something in which we are committed”said Navarro, who wanted to emphasize the seamless support that politics provides to vulnerable people: “it is true that politicians tend to deal with different conflicts, but disability issues are where the greatest consensus is produced.”
The general law on disability was reformed last year in an atypical case of unanimity shown by the Congress of Deputies. Thus, the new provisions had the support of all political groups, without fissures or abstentions. The updated standard has specific accessibility measures and a greater political and labor commitment. Specifically, the measure guarantees the “equal opportunities, non-discrimination and universal accessibility” in areas such as electoral participation, employment, the information society or the relationship with the Public Administration.
The general director stressed that, after the pandemic, the moment “it is difficult”, but “the path” must be maintained. “Guaranteeing the vulnerable and not leaving anyone behind is our central axis. This includes any group: homeless people, immigrants or excluded groups, who are also affected by that diversity,” he said.