Technology is proving to be an important tool for developing a transparent workplace environment that promotes inclusion of diverse employees. The ability to educate employees, share knowledge and gain insights creates a better workplace for everyone.
-By Karen White

Recruiting and hiring diverse employees is only the first phase of developing a unified but diverse workforce. Once people are on board, the real work of creating an engaged workforce environment, in which all talented employees have opportunities and the desire to share diverse ideas and perspectives, begins. Technology can play an important role as a unifier and source of information about the status of inclusion efforts, while also offering transparency in the workforce. From ERGs to analytics, technology is giving management the insights needed to eliminate workplace bias while strengthening inclusion.

Technology Becomes the Magnet and the Glue
Diversity for diversity’s sake does not address inclusiveness. Sumita Banerjee, senior vice president, talent acquisition, L’Oreal Americas at L’Oréal, frequently points out that building a diverse and inclusive workforce is not enough. Businesses must put the talent to use in order to get the full value a diverse workforce offers.

Unless the organization is willing to accept and support diverse input, the workforce will not develop the strong workplace relationships needed for a sustainable and innovative business that becomes a community leader. In every organization, but especially in large and dispersed business operations, technology can become the magnet to bring people together and the glue that keeps relationships strong.

Organizations are recognizing technology’s greater role in leveraging diversity. Widely dispersed and global Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are made possible by technology. AT&T encourages ERGs that foster inclusion among minorities and women, but there is another purpose. The digital communication in the ERGs gives leadership valuable insights into the workforce and the markets the company serves. They also help the business develop cultural sensitivity and cultural intelligence, both needed to create a cohesive workforce.

One of the ways to reinforce a diverse workplace culture is for leadership to utilize the knowledge and expertise found in diverse ERGs. Some companies fail to develop a strong diverse workforce culture, despite hiring diverse employees, because the groups of diverse employees remain non-participatory. When Mattel decided to develop a line of dolls geared to the African-American girl, the company executives turned to Mattel’s African-American Employee Resource Group for advice and guidance on the product launch of “So In Style” dolls.

Creating a Dynamic, Diverse Workforce
Technology-based ERGs inspire loyalty and give people the ability to contribute unique insights.

John Chambers, Cisco chief executive officer, developed the concept of the Dynamic Networked Organization (DNO), a collaborative organization operating with shared goals that lead to innovation and operational excellence. ERGs are early DNOs in that they are cross-functional and organized around functional diversity and not hierarchal status. Cisco sees DNOs as formalized business groups that impact the workplace, the workforce and results in the marketplace.

The Cisco Emerging Technology Group (ETG) is a step toward becoming a DNO. The ETG is charged with identifying the next billion-dollar businesses for Cisco by enlisting the assistance of Cisco’s 12 other ERGs. Cisco already had the Cisco I-Zone in place, a collaborative platform that enabled the global workforce to brainstorm new ideas. The company decided to reinvent the I-Zone to incorporate the latest technology tools and processes, and began by completing a survey of employees to identify what incentivizes people to participate in innovation. The survey was made possible through technology. Cisco believes that the next big ideas will only come with support of diverse employees who are willing to share perspectives.

Transitioning from Social Group to Resource Group
Technology has helped companies like Cisco, AT&T, Deloitte and Wellpoint transition ERGs from social groups to resource groups. Software programs turn invisible groups into sources of innovation and give management the ability to access the wealth of information of its global, diverse workforce.

Technology works in other ways to create a workforce environment that brings value to the workforce and thus to the company. Learning labs are one. Prudential uses learning laboratories to give employees a venue for practicing leadership skills. ERG members can develop emerging competencies and assume leadership roles within the ERG. The learning labs, connecting people through internal social technologies, give Prudential insight into potential leaders who can fill the leadership pipeline. Technology is an equalizer. Employees using training and development software programs, like gaming and other customized software, express different perspectives and cultural backgrounds without contending with management’s conscious or unconscious biases.

Used in talent management systems, the technology creates a more transparent process that shines a light on business practices, from processes used to attract job candidates to how candidates are reviewed, promoted and compensated. The technology offers a wealth of data that can be analyzed to improve decision-making and trigger process and system changes. The information follows the job candidate into employment by revealing organizational biases, closing the gap between recognizing differences and holding those differences against someone once employed.

Technology Opens Window to Unity and Diversity
Organizations are also using technology to raise the cultural intelligence of the entire enterprise. Creating online project teams composed of representatives from various employee groups and functions is a powerful strategy for promoting workforce unity. Employee involvement is a key best practice in achieving workforce diversity. Leaders must support, in multiple ways, employee efforts to interact with diverse people, including helping managers develop the necessary skills. Technology throws open the window by recording effort, communication and results. Big data for Human Resources also enables businesses to get critical insights into the factors influencing the success of organizations in engaging and utilizing diverse talent. Analytics can identify patterns of bias in the compensation structure, and predictive analytics can inform business leaders about things like the likelihood a group of employees will succeed, helping the company make needed changes to improve engagement and retention.

Convincing organizations to develop diverse workforces was only a first step. An equally important step is making sure diverse employees are included.

Creating a workplace environment that appreciates diversity for the value it brings to personal lives and corporate success is a goal all companies should embrace. Technology is a tool that makes it much easier to reach that goal when it is used wisely.