Achieving workplace diversity and inclusion is possible through technology
Globally connected business environments can present unforeseen challenges to organisations. Technology is bringing about paradigm shift transforming our manner of living, interacting and experiencing the world around us resulting in powerful disruption for organisations. All these have resulted in making traditional hiring filters redundant even as Human Resource Departments continue to tackle the conundrum of talent attraction and retention.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AS PART OF DNA Organisations must embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a vital component for employee engagement, both existing and potential. Gender parity is a core area for modern organisations and Human Resource professionals’ endeavour to on-board women employees is currently work in progress. Furthermore, the ambit of D&I is expanding now to include multi-cultural inclusion, and supporting the differently abled to seek equal opportunities at work. The difference this time is that it is becoming less of a choice for employers.
Thanks to the ubiquity of social media, the costs of not incorporating D&I initiatives into organisational processes are extremely high, with potentially damaging long-term consequences. Corporate work cultures that are not seen as inclusive are terrible news for the employer brand. In a world where information flows quickly across the globe, even a single bad news can pose severe reputational risk for an employer. This makes D&I a key imperative for business leaders.
A company’s reputation as an employer of choice gets accentuated if it ensures positive work culture for employees. D&I is gradually becoming ingrained in
HR practices and is no longer just a feel-good topic of yesteryears.
Technology tools have aided in changing the narrative from mere lip service to revisiting the organisational framework to ensure D&I becomes a way of life in business. For example, voice and speech recognition software are enabling visually impaired and differently abled people to use computers and even create word processing documents. Additionally, voice transcription software, and neurolinguistics programming (NLP) techniques, allows them to enter data and give instructions to computing devices.
TECHNOLOGY-FACILITATOR FOR DISABLEDFRIENDLY WORKSPACES
Despite increase in awareness, public spaces are yet to evolve as disabled friendly and needs urgent attention. Workspaces though can designed in a manner to encourage those with physical disabilities to perform and grow in their jobs without fear of discrimination or a sense of disadvantage. This is where modern tools like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) tools provide unique opportunities in driving inclusive experiences at work that never existed before. AI – including predictive text, text-to-speech, speech-totext, and many more such exciting tools – are already showing tremendous promise in empowering those with vision and hearing impairment. Smartphone apps and smart wearable devices can allure new talent, who will no longer be constrained due to physical limitations.
Professional t ools have allowed employers to accept remote working and facilitate lives of especially women, who would earlier need to choose between job and family.
Technology clearly can be the driving force in creating diverse and inclusive organisations. Coupled with intent to bring about deeper systemic change, it can deliver positive and more enriching results in how they manage talent, and foster creativity and innovation.
PROFESSIONAL TOOLS HAVE ALLOWED EMPLOYERS TO ACCEPT REMOTE WORKING, ESPECIALLY, OF WOMEN