How digital transformation drives diversity and equality

Fiona Tullett

Viewpoint

Across the world, organisations increasingly recognise the importance of diversity in the workplace — including its effects on the bottom line. A growing number of UAE government initiatives, such as the Gender Balance Council, are institutionaliSing women’s empowerment, driving diversity and equality locally. Currently 41st on the international gender equality index, the nation is set to be in the world’s top 25 by the year 2021 . In all, the UAE is well poised to benefit from these changes, both socially and economically.

Recent studies have shown that greater diversity, including gender diversity, can have a positive impact on an organisation’s innovation, productivity and profitability. Not surprisingly, digital solutions are becoming increasingly important in supporting such efforts.

When it comes to encouraging diversity in the workplace, technological solutions have the potential to impact processes from recruitment to employee development to leadership. For example, human resources professionals have started using technologies to flag gender-biased language that may positively or negatively affect their ability to attract female candidates through job advertisements. These tools detect phrases such as “driven by” and “ambitious goals” that resonate more with men, and “collaboratively” and “being heard” which statistically attract more women.

In addition, “blind recruitment” tools eliminate gender and names, removing biases at the initial screening stage. Also, machine learning is able to map candidates’ profiles to job descriptions — thereby giving women and men equal opportunity to be considered for a role.

Impacts of technology do not end with the hiring process. New platforms enable employees to overcome traditional barriers that may have hindered growth within an organisation. As digital technologies become more widely used, online learning is providing an enormous benefit not just for women, but for all employees looking to learn and grow. Furthermore, mobile computing offers the opportunity for employees to enter the global workforce remotely, enabling competition and collaboration across markets.

Finally, digital transformation is changing the paradigm for women in leadership positions. According to KPMG’s first

report, female leaders are making confident, data-based decisions. They feel very comfortable with new technologies and their business impacts, and favour promoting the application of data analysis in their companies. In fact, thorough know-how of new technologies is ranked as the second most important trait to achieve personal success (after “active personal network”).

With the proliferation of artificial intelligence, machine learning and digitalisation across sectors, work is increasingly broken down into smaller and smaller tasks; this is often referred to as the “atomisation” of work. This means that we have now started to think about jobs as a set of micro tasks, some of which can be accomplished using automated tools or disruptive technologies, such as machine learning. As this atomised view of jobs becomes increasingly pervasive and certain activities are replaced by technology, people will be left with isolated tasks to complete.

The challenge will be to ensure that the workforce is still able to find purpose and meaning in their work and that they stay connected with the organisation’s vision and mission. The shift is reliant on us rethinking the role of leaders, shifting from a command and control structure, to leaders as a source of inspiration and coaching. Both require empathy and emotional intelligence — traits often resonating better with women than a more linear, hierarchical approach.

As we move towards a world where women are well placed to succeed in leadership positions, there is still a need to make sure that internal organisational processes support diversity. We must constantly challenge our assumptions to make sure procedures foster equality. Organisations should embed diversity initiatives in all aspects of their business, from hiring practices to operational methods. Understanding the women in their workforce and being prepared to listen to them and change is essential in order to benefit from the knowhow and opportunities that a diversified workforce offers.

While digital transformation can support equality and diversity, it is people who create change. We must ensure that we foster inclusion at an organisational level, while supporting it with the right technology.