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8 years ago, my son - who was then 6 years old and had been the victim of verbal harassment at school - was diagnosed with dyspraxia. I knew nothing about dyspraxia and immediately realized that many teachers were in the same situation. I also witnessed first-hand peoples’ misunderstandings about this disorder and the stigma attached to it.
Dyspraxia is a developmental motor disorder that can affect a person's ability to plan and coordinate their movements. Children with dyspraxia may have difficulty with tasks such as writing, drawing, hand-eye coordination (for example, tying shoelaces), balance, and overall coordination of the body. Like many people with dyspraxia, my son managed to develop compensatory strategies to live like his classmates and fortunately was able to put an end to the bullying and teasing he was experiencing.
Like many individuals with neurodivergent conditions, he has unique skills and perspectives that will undoubtedly be beneficial to companies that will hire him. In fact, he has developed certain skills to a much greater extent, such as empathy, flexibility, time management, the ability to solve complex problems and think innovatively.
His example illustrates that neurodiversity, which includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, should be considered as an asset rather than a handicap. It is possible – and indeed, beneficial and even essential -- to focus on the skills and abilities of neurodivergent individuals rather than on their limitations.
Society is making progress in terms of diversity and inclusion. In educational and professional settings, many people advocate for the recognition of the unique skills of individuals with neurodivergent conditions and for their inclusion. The same applies to disabilities or differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or educational level.
But beyond a changing society, it is obvious that diversity presents an opportunity and a source of value for businesses. Recent studies have measured the numerous benefits for companies that actively promote diversity and inclusion. We will note:
According to a McKinsey studycompanies in the top 25% for ethnic and cultural diversity were 36% more profitable, and when women are well-represented in the C-suite, profits can be higher by approx. 50%.
According to HBR, a survey conducted by Glassdoor found that 67% of job seekers in the US consider workforce diversity when evaluating an offer. A recent Gartner report also shows that people who are part of diverse and inclusive cultures tend to thrive, allowing teams to fully flourish at work and perform better. Performance is improved by 12%, and intention to remain at this company, by 20%.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)revealed that companies reporting above-average diversity within their leadership team have innovation revenue that is 19% higher than companies with below-average diversity among their leaders.
companies that commit to diversity and inclusion can improve their brand image and reputation with customers, investors, and the community at large.
An inclusive corporate culture can improve employee satisfaction and engagement, which can have a positive impact on productivity and work quality. According to a study conducted by Deloitte, companies with an inclusive culture are 2.3 times more likely to be innovative and 1.7 times more likely to be industry leaders.
These numbers demonstrate that diversity and inclusion are not just social justice issues; they have a significant impact on business performance and success. However, there is still much work to be done when it comes to D&I. According to Glassdoor, in 2020, 63% of employees in the U.S. want their workplace to do more to increase diversity and inclusion.
The importance of soft skills and behaviors related to diversity and inclusion in a professional setting is increasingly recognized. Employers seek employees who master skills such as empathy, effective communication, collaboration, open-mindedness, and cultural sensitivity. These diversity and inclusion-related soft skills can help employees better understand and work with colleagues, clients, and business partners from different backgrounds. They create a more inclusive work environment and improve employee satisfaction and engagement. This can contribute to enhancing the overall performance of the company.
To develop these skills, companies can offer diversity and inclusion training, foster collaboration between employees with different backgrounds and set up mentoring or reverse-mentoring programs. Employers can also organize diversity and inclusion awareness events and activities. Greater awareness of our D&I biases and behaviors is needed, and companies need to accurately measure the impact of the various D&I projects they implement. The newly developed COSS D&I framework by 5Feedback will help our client companies create more inclusive work environments and improve their overall performance.
Diversity, inclusion and the fight against discrimination are major issues majeurs for our society and for the professional world. Beyond trends or legal obligations, companies must fully integrate D&I as a true guarantee of performance.
Find out now how COSS Pro by 5Feedback can help you reliably and accurately measure inclusive behaviors within your organization. Click here
