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organization

How COVID-19 will re-shape organizations: Predictions for an uncertain future

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As much of the world moved to remote work in 2020, organization structures were challenged. Many companies with agile systems set up found it easier to transition to remote working than more traditional, in-person, hierarchical companies. It is difficult to predict what organizational structures will look like in the future. It is, however, safe to say that as economies, companies and people worldwide attempt to return to a different normal, a tide of changes will be seen globally when it comes to how companies operate and are structured.

As an organization obsessed with unlocking professional potential for companies and candidates, our clients have been posing this question to us over the past few months.

We don’t have a crystal ball (and even if we did, in 2020 it’s likely it would malfunction…), but we will share our predictions on what companies will look like in a post-pandemic world.

This is by no means written in stone, given the ever-changing nature of the business environment, as evidenced by COVID-19, but we hope it will give you some ideas and questions to think about as you think about planning for 2021 and beyond.

Five Predictions for 2021: What does a post-COVID organization look like?

Though there is no one-size-fits-all approach to organizational structures, the changing and uncertain environment means being agile, responsive and flexible will be an essential skill for every organization to cultivate.
Companies need to think creatively and innovatively to align their employees to the new normal and prepare them to work capably and fast in the ever-changing environment.

(1) Organizations will opt for flatter structures designed for agile teams

Rigid, hierarchical organizational structures impede speedy decision-making and execution. Leaner, flatter structures that allow organizations to respond quickly to emerging challenges and opportunities are the need of the day.

Post pandemic companies will work on reimagining structure, not in terms of hierarchy but in terms of dynamic cross-functional, project-based teams, to foster faster response time and collaboration.

However, with these flatter structures and cross-functional teams, the number of people reporting to a single manager will increase, even if the scope of reporting will be specific and contextual. Keep an eye on managers, who might have a more challenging time balancing everything, especially if you continue to work from home.

Overall, the organization of the tomorrow will be structured to sustain speed that will not only ensure business success and continuity but also employee engagement.

We have already started to see companies embrace technology more wholeheartedly to create effective, agile organizations and expect that trend to continue. Tools like Zoom, Forecast, Notion, Slack and Frame help companies communicate across teams – what technology will be next?

(2) We’ll see more cross-functional teams often staffed with part-time or project-based resources

Some of the biggest learnings from the pandemic have been the importance of operational efficiency, business effectiveness and collaboration across teams. The new normal demands the same and that we go one step further to ensure that.

The traditional way of structuring a company into several departments (divided by function/area/product/service/country) may be on its way out. Especially for companies that had to go through downsizing this year, flexibility in growth is key. Companies will push for the formation of temporary, project-driven, cross-functional teams that are more result-oriented, to become more agile and relevant.

(3) Job roles will be re-designed and many more will become remote
As the world changed this year, many companies also changed. Some grew exponentially. Others downsized or disappeared altogether. Some companies rolled out new products or services and others stayed the course. Many started to think about offering roles remotely, opening up much broader talent pools from other communities or countries.
The post-pandemic environment is going to prompt companies to do a thorough re-think of the current roles in the organization. Some roles will change, becoming more expansive stretching across functions. Some roles may become more specific and focused based on team needs or resource availability.

(4) Hybrid work will become the norm
As the pandemic unfolded most companies shifted their teams into home offices (or bedrooms, or living rooms) and many employees were working remotely. While some companies have started returning to the office, some have given theirs up entirely. Many organizations will prefer a ‘hybrid’ approach – offering both remote and on-site work arrangements to their employees. This way of working has significant benefits – happier, satisfied employees to reduced overheads, and increased productivity.

However, to reap the benefits of this kind of arrangement, organizations will have to balance offices’ safety and digitally-enabled remote working and find ways to engage with their employees even when they are remote.

(5) Need for flexible, agile leadership
As companies faced unprecedented circumstances, leaders were pushed into the spotlight as they exhibited empathy, humility, and care (like the CEO of Airbnb), or struggled to find their footing. Throughout the course of this year, company leaders have also had to be crisis communicators, strategic thinkers, new business line creators, and shoulders to lean on as their teams dealt with outside stressors.

And, as office chats and company town halls became a thing of the past, most leaders had to re-think their approach to communicating with their employee base. Employee engagement and health became more important than ever, so regular communication was also at the forefront.

Post pandemic, organizations will be keen on leaders who are not merely capable decision-makers, but also flexible, adaptable doers, capable of building and leading agile, winning teams.

 

COVID-19 has been the biggest global challenge of our times.

We can’t go back to the old ‘business as usual,’ a different normal is settling in. Companies should take this time to re-imagine and re-invent themselves, and to come back stronger. The future will be bright for the bold, agile and responsive companies.


Are you hiring? Shortlist can help, we offer a wide range of recruitment solutions that help companies build great, diverse teams.

Are you building team? We can help

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employee well-being

How to prioritize employee well-being during and after COVID-19

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COVID-19 has brought about the biggest work-from-home experiment of all times and altered not just the way we work, but how we live for a long time to come.

As business leaders across the world are navigating this period of uncertainty for their businesses and their employees, it is essential not to forget employee well-being.

One in three employers in the Asia Pacific believes COVID-19 will have a moderate to a large negative impact on employee well-being. Almost two in five employers plan to enhance mental health services and stress or resilience management for their employees over the next six months.

How companies react and align during this crisis will define your employer brand and help you retain top talent. Making sure that your talented employees stay happy at work is the key to surviving the post-COVID-19 world. Your workforce will remember the actions you take during this time and will reward you with loyalty.

Prioritizing employee well-being during the pandemic

Leadership team, please over-communicate

Employees are dealing with a lot of uncertainty, when it comes to their job status or when the offices will be re-starting and how returning to the physical workspace will be handled. It is an uncertain and stressful time.

Put your employees at ease and have company leaders communicate as much information as possible with them frequently. During the crisis, communication is the key, so overcommunicate as much as you can.

At Shortlist, when we went remote, our leadership team heightened the communication methods through emails, town halls, pulse checks, frequent check-ins and team standups. We made every attempt to convey all the information people would need to work remotely and gave them clarity upfront. It helped Shortlisters adjust better to remote work and come forth with any questions they had. The result was as a team, we have grown closer, and everyone is getting as comfortable (as they can under current circumstances) with remote work.

Resources for remote working and overall health

Most companies are giving access to resources that range from financial aid to upskilling opportunities.

Have you tried to include COVID-19 treatment in your medical benefits? That is an excellent way to start if you already offer medical benefits, include the coverage for COVID-19. Your employees will feel they are being taken care of.

72% of companies have also prioritised communicating about well-being apps to support their workforce in maintaining their physical and emotional wellbeing. 73% of employers have also been promoting telemedicine services to their workforce.

Make the work-from-home easy for your employees, make provisions for workstations, ergonomic equipment, laptops and internet, so that they can work efficiently remotely.

Encourage your team to learn and grow during COVID-19. Share MOOCs, courses from learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Coursera, etc. for the team to upskill.

Virtual team-building activities
Host virtual versions of all your in-person employee well-being activities that you used to have in the office. At Shortlist, we have all our previously in-person activities held online from town halls, weekly check-ins to team stand-ups.

We introduced new virtual bonding opportunities like cross-border virtual potlucks, where we randomly teamed people from our Mumbai, Hyderabad and Nairobi offices to catch up over a meal and get to know each other. Then we hosted a Global Games Night, which was a huge hit and sparked a wave of conversations across our WhatsApp group. We have folks from the team host unique learning sessions where they teach the broader team any particular skill they have like mandalas, recycling, etc.

These events have gone a long way in improving morale, keeping employees engaged and connected during the whole work-from-home situation.

Focus on mental health
Social distancing takes a toll on people, creates anxiety and stress. Make sure you are frequently checking in with your employees to see how they are doing. Listen to them, address their concerns and make sure they are heard.

Check-in on their workload, ask if they can manage it in addition to their responsibilities and chores at home and adjust accordingly.

Small considerations like these will go a long way in alleviating work-related stress when your employees know you can be flexible and understanding.

We all need to feel a human connection, especially more now than ever. Spend some time with your team catching up and talking about things outside of work.

Prioritizing employee welfare post-pandemic

One of the biggest things all companies will have to re-evaluate post-pandemic is their employee well-being policies and benefits or perks.

A lot of things will be outdated, as employees start living the new normal, as an employer, you are expected to do the same. In addition to retaining your top talent, when it comes to hiring the best talent, updated and appealing well-being and benefits policy will go a long way.

These are a couple of places, we think, employers should focus on re-evaluating policies so that they hold up in the post-pandemic world.

All-inclusive healthcare plans
Healthcare has become more pertinent than ever; COVID-19 has taught us to be prepared for the worse and not be caught off guard. This will figure out predominantly in future employment decisions. Comprehensive employer-provided healthcare will go a long way in helping employees feel secure and cared for. Prospective employees will be looking for employer-covered plans that will never put them in the position of making hard decisions to get the care they can’t afford.

Key services packages
As the world went in lockdown and people were forced to look out for options for various services from grocery shopping, upskilling, medical services, entertainment to fitness online, people have embraced these options wholeheartedly to make the quarantine life easier and safer.

Get creative when you revisit your benefits package. Take this idea of offering a bouquet of online services and seek partnerships to provide these benefits to your employees at a reduced price or free of cost. Your employees will appreciate the thought and be glad to avail the use of these services.

In uncertain times, how you treat your employees will be remembered for years to come. What all companies can learn from this situation is the importance of leading your people with empathy, flexibility, and compassion. Consumers and employees want to know they are working with companies doing good and treating their people right.

Companies that will take this time to do genuine good whether for their employees or communities and will reap the benefits when this storm has passed.


Are you hiring? Shortlist can help, we offer a wide range of recruitment solutions that help companies build great, diverse teams.

Are you building team? We can help

Contact Shortlist Here

why job descriptions matter

Why do job descriptions matter?

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Did you know that 61% of employed candidates said an interesting job description would prompt them to consider a new job? Another study says a prospective candidate spends only 14 seconds reading your job ad.
Yes, you heard right, 14 seconds. That’s it.

What does this say about the importance of job descriptions, given that they are the first outreach you do as an employer to your prospective candidates? They are incredibly important and can’t be ignored. You can’t simply copy-paste the same old job descriptions when you last closed that position, be it a 6 months ago or 3 years ago.

Our candidate survey in Kenya tells us that over half of the candidates use the job description to learn more about what it’s like to work at a company- over Glassdoor and all social media platforms. Employers must be mindful of making the best of the 14 seconds attention span to communicate why they make the best employers and what they have to offer to the candidates.

Crafting a compelling job description that will help you attract the best talent has never been more important in a competitive talent market.

We are going to share tips to keep in mind while drafting your job descriptions (or in other words, your sales pitch to the candidates).

A few pointers to keep in mind before drafting JDs:

Evaluate the context you are hiring for

The most important and overlooked step before drafting JDs is to evaluate the position you are hiring for in the context of the team you are hiring for. Every role you hire for is an opportunity for the company to drive the growth of the business. The best fit is found when there is growth for both the person you are hiring for the position and the company. Always try and find the best fit. The person you hire will flourish in the role and so will the organization in the area the person was hired for.

Think of future needs when writing JDs

Never write job descriptions based on what the “last person” in the role did. Your JD should reflect the current and future needs of the business that particular position will fulfil and not be based on what was being done historically. This is a forward-looking approach, sadly ignored by most companies. When JDs account for the future needs, the prospective candidate gets the most accurate picture of what the job would entail and can evaluate if they can be a right fit for the role.

The rationale for using this approach is, when job descriptions are posted without any evaluation or deliberation about the needs of the business, they don’t tend to account for the role changes that occur over time. As a result, quite a few job seekers may not be able to identify with the role you have scripted and you may lose out on great talent.

Remember you are selling your job
Before you start reading on the minutiae of writing job descriptions, remember you are selling the role or the open position. Make sure you give compelling reasons to candidates to leave their current workplace or choose your job over others in the market. Make it easy for them to decide – share details of the perks, benefits that you offer and most importantly how the role contributes towards the company’s growth.

Writing winning job descriptions

We have already done one super informative deep dive into writing engaging and inclusive job descriptions earlier here. We stand by those tips and will be sharing some more below to help you improve your ability to write great job descriptions.

First impressions are important
Job descriptions are often the first point of contact the candidates will have with your company and the way it is written will shape their impression of your organization. Mistakes in your job description turn off the candidate and leave them with a negative impression, much the same as the impact of when you see grammatical mistakes or jargon in resumes.

So mind your ps and qs, and have someone double-check the copy before going live with the job posts.

Showcase your culture, use multimedia
Get creative, use images and videos to communicate your organisation’s vision, mission and values. Don’t just rely on plain text to do all of the work. Our experience (as a staffing and recruiting company) has shown us that candidates engage well with JDs that have images and videos showcasing your work culture and people. It gives them a sense of your culture and employer brand.

Include pictures of your office, staff and traditions, and work environment to give an idea about how your team works. This helps candidates understand your culture and positions you as an attractive employer.

Involve current employees in writing job descriptions
Most often, the HR department is involved in writing job descriptions and they traditionally do it based on the last JD they had written for the role. Involve current employees working in that position or department to make sure that JD reflects the realities of the job and future growth. A person working in the position is in the best place to tell you if what you have in JD is what they do and what the next person can expect when they step in the role.

The more accurate a description you share, the better understanding your candidates will have of the role.

Bust biases
We can never stress this enough – when you say, you are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate against candidates based on their gender, race, sexuality, etc. it’s important that your JDs also reflect that.

Make sure you are not using gendered language in the JD. For example, words such as ninja, rockstar, and guru, are associated with male stereotypes, while words such as support, understand and interpersonal are associated with female stereotypes. Gender-biased language can be subtle, but it is still detrimental. Recent data has also shown that gender-neutral language can help companies attract a more diverse talent pool and fill vacancies faster. While biased language deters highly qualified talent from applying by unconsciously lowering their sense of fitting in the role and the organization.

We hope all this has given you a good idea of why job descriptions matter and how writing a great JD will help communicate an honest picture of your position and brand to the prospective candidates. This will help you attract the best talent to your company.


Are you hiring? Shortlist can help, we offer a wide range of recruitment solutions that help companies build great, diverse teams.

Building team in India
Building team in Kenya

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Business Unusual in a covid-19 world – Part 3

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In the latest edition of our business unusual series, we feature Nicholas Kasidhi, Head of Talent Engagement, EABL, and  Hussein Kiarie, Business Manager, PULA Advisors.

Nicholas’s core role is to lead end-to-end Talent efforts across East Africa for purposes of future-proofing the business with a consistent pool of top external & internal talent base for succession cover; enabled by strategic sourcing & pipelining, continuous learning, diversity & inclusion and a compelling employer brand positioning.

Hussein has been with PULA for about 1.6 years. He’s a jack of all trades and takes pride in being a generalist. At one point in Pula, he managed Administration, HR, and part of Finance departments within Pula across 6 countries.

They shared their thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized how we work:

How has COVID-19 impacted your business or businesses you work with (positively or negatively)?

Hussein Kiarie

Hussein: When I initially wrote this section in April, there were mixed feelings about it though an overall negative feeling but fast forward to June, it proved to be the burning floor that has kept us on our toes. The transition to work from home forced us to find new ways of working, forming new processes, novel ones, simple ones that made us more effective and efficient in meeting and surpassing targets and productivity levels. Being a tech start-up our employees are key to the success of the firm. When the tragedy beckoned they stood up for the challenge and overcame it. Below are highlights of negative and positive impacts of COVID-19

Positively:

  • We’re forced to be innovative around engaging with clients and partners: e.g. we just did a field insurance training on zoom at almost zero cost. Previously this would involve hiring a venue, catering for lunch and transport
  • Time to reflect on business priorities
  • We were forced to set up systems to allow for remote work which will be invaluable to the company in the long run considering running operations in different countries
  • A general increase in staff motivation and productivity levels as working from home allows for people to be in their comfort and away from distractions such as traffic and self-management of working hours

Negatively:

  • Movement is restricted meaning limiting business development activities and field activities
  • Delays in new hires and capital expenditure given the uncertainty
  • Delays in new funding
  • Additional costs relating to social distancing and working from home.
  • Lack of physical interactions and relationship building among employees

Nicholas Kasidhi

Nick:  Since the first case Covid-19 case was announced, swift measures were put in place to contain the spread of the disease. These measures significantly disrupted our trade, consumers, and employees alike. We are in a VUCA environment, and frequently we carry out a scenario planning exercise in the business, but never in our imagination had we seen such a scenario at play! Our business pre-COVID 19 channel split was 95% on-trade and 5% off-trade. With the closure of on-trade channels, our brands were only available in the off-trade. _ Mainly supermarkets and convenience stores and consumption could only be at home. It also meant that we could only sell spirits and canned beer. In response to this, new “ways of working ” were quickly implemented in line with the global Diageo protocols. With a focus on putting our people’s health and safety first. Adopting global Diageo practices locally has really supported us to deal with this crisis with pace and effectiveness. We have also ensured that we are adhering to all government directives.

Our crisis management team has also been instrumental in supporting the business navigate this very dynamic environment and they have ensured that our people are safe. During this period, we have a significant number of employees working from home, however, we are still running our spirits and canning beer lines, which means that some of our Supply and Commercial teams are on duty. In the midst of all these, our teams have worked together, remained agile and acted with speed to adapt to the changing and complex environment.. mostly dealing with issues we have never had to deal with before. Yet while dealing with this, many of them are also taking care of their families and loved ones back at home.

(If you’re Working From Home or remotely) What’s your favorite thing about Working From Home or remotely? Least favorite?

Hussein: My favorite thing about working from home is the chance to really have a quite comfortable environment to really zone out in tasks and duties for the day, I can swear my TAT is faster now on the same activities I used to do while at the office.

Least favorite is not getting a chance to interact with my colleagues, socially and intellectually.

Do you think that this will signify a shift to more remote work in the long run?  Why or why not?

Nick: “One challenge for remote workers is setting boundaries between work and their personal life so they can be effective and stay sane.”   A few basic pointers include:  Setting a schedule for the day, Taking regular breaks – set an alarm for every  90 minutes, Protect your off-work time –don’t be tempted to answer phone or emails after hours, Make space for you –separate work from home life –different place, times, clothes can all help, Cultivate relationships –make time to keep socially connected and have some fun, Stretch, drink water, go for a walk….move frequently, Move away from your screen for lunch!

Hussein: Yes I do think this will shift to WFH being a norm in the future of work. Most startups who were already practicing minimum required office attendance per week are realizing that WFH does not necessarily lead to loss of productivity and complete WFH is possible.

For corporates, I think it’s becoming clear that big offices and expensive C-suite get-ups which in a rational sense are purely cost centers are not really necessary and other options exist. It’s been very evident that staffing 100+ employees in multiple floors can be averted to some extent as most of the staff can work remotely with a minimum required office attendance established.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to all sectors but to a significant section.

What motivates you?  Where do you find sources of motivation?

Hussein: I’m motivated by trying to leave a better example to my younger siblings. What hard work, persistence, focus on studies and a go-getter attitude can do in terms of achieving your goals and having a better chance at a fruitful life.

What’s an inspiring or motivating story you’ve seen as a result of COVID?

Nick: ‘Never waste a crisis’ so they say. The most inspiring story I’ve seen during this period is just how fast our enterprising skills showed up in response to the next normal ways of survival. For instance, I’ve recently witnessed the increasing number of car boot sales by the roadside ranging from groceries to cereals and other necessities. An indicator to demonstrate that ‘when the world throws a lemon your way, make lemonade’. Many other examples of innovations in our learning institutions. From ventilators to manufacturers leveraging some of their production lines to produce hand sanitizers in bulk. I have also stated in a recent Business Daily publication that the world of work has already shifted substantially and Covid-19 only brought this reality much closer than most of us may have anticipated with the ‘future of work’. Critical to appreciate that we are operating in a VUCA environment and it’s no longer business as usual. This is an uncertain time. It’s also an unprecedented time and so we have to embrace an agile and resilient mindset to thrive.

Huge thanks to both Nick and Hussein for their valued contribution to this piece. Look out for our next series in the coming weeks. You can also read our first and second series featuring companies in Kenya and India.

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Why LGBTQIA inclusion matters

Here’s why companies should care about LGBTQIA inclusion

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Given that it’s June, an annual celebration of Pride, we have seen the social space abuzz with conversations around LGBTQIA equality, inclusion, and policies. We’ve also seen rainbow logos. We’ve also seen some policies changing and some companies leaning into inclusivity. During Pride, we’re reminded that as employers, it is our responsibility to make our workplaces inclusive, accepting, and welcoming.

As Pride month comes to a close, we are asking an important question: what happens during the next 11 months of the year? As we put our rainbow flags away, and change our logos back to their regular colors, what we do next is what will make the longest lasting impact.

First, let’s look at why it’s important to care about LGBTQIA inclusion all year, not just during Pride.

The numbers show that LGBTQIA employees don’t have an easy time at work. 19% of LGBT workers have experienced verbal bullying from their colleagues and customers. 13% of LGBT workers do not feel confident reporting homophobic bullying in their workplace. 42% of trans people who are not living permanently in their preferred gender role say that they are prevented from doing so because they feel it will threaten their employment status.

Over the years, the situation has improved for the LGBTQIA staff in some key ways.

  • 91% of Fortune 500 companies have introduced non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation.
  • 67% have voluntarily extended health and insurance benefits to all LGBTQIA families.

Despite coming a long way in the last few decades, there’s still a lot of work to be done to create a psychologically safe, inclusive, and accepting work environment for LGBTQIA employees.

Zooming out, let’s take a look at the economics of inclusivity.

Do you know how much the US economy would add per year if American companies improved their ability to retain LGBTQIA staff with inclusive policies? If you guessed $9 billion, you’re right.

According to the World Bank, how much would India add to its economic output if it addressed discrimination against LGBTQIA people? Did you guess $32 billion? Correct.

Last one, and then we’ll move on. What’s the aggregate spending power of this LGBTQIA consumer base ? Does your answer include “Trillion”? If not, guess again. The spending power of the LGBTQIA consumer base was estimated to be US$3.6 trillion per annum in 2018. Trillion, with a “T.”

Changes to policies, practices and workplaces add up to billions and trillions of dollars of impact, not to mention making your employees feel like whole people when they come to work.

In fact, the impact of inclusion is so broad that almost every measure of a company’s success improves with inclusivity: client perception, retention, talent pool, brand recognition, market share, legal costs, etc. Below, we’ve compiled more information on each of these, as there’s a wealth of data to show that inclusivity is good for business.

With the world becoming more accepting and understanding of the LGBTQIA community, companies are expected to be more inclusive and create a safe, tolerant environment where your LGBTQIA staff can be themselves and thrive at work.

So, what can companies do to be more inclusive?  Where do you start?

Commit to do the work.

Being an LGBTQIA-inclusive employer is not an overnight process; it takes time and consistent commitment.

Here a few things you could start with as you begin your journey towards inclusion:

Think and act ‘glocally’

It is an employer’s responsibility towards their staff to look after their welfare, be fair and accepting to all. Look at the policies and actions taken globally by employers. Find out what would work best in your local context considering the laws to make the workplace more inclusive and adopt the best practices.

 Assess your policies

Take stock of your current workplace policies and see if they are conducive to people being open and receptive to others. Check with your LGBTQIA staff if they feel safe, disclosing their sexual identity at work, and are not being bullied. Put measures in place to make sure your work environment is safe for your employees and continually review them to make them better.

Visible LGBTQIA role models

Have visible role models in your organization; they send a powerful message that you walk the talk when it comes to inclusion in your own staff. These role models serve as allies who also educate the workforce on the differences and how to behave with people different than themselves.

Don’t just do one thing, and don’t stop.

Individually, start with any or all of the strategies mentioned. As a company, look at your policies and commit to change the ones that are not inclusive based on sexuality and gender. Have networking events, trainings to address the bias and discrimination and struggles faced by the LGBTQIA community all year long. There are many resources out there (a google search for “LGBTQIA company resources” returns dozens of them), and you can also take a look at these free trainings by LinkedIn for your staff to foster more inclusivity and belonging in your workplace.

Companies who do the work all year round will be the harbinger of powerful societal change, reap the benefits of inclusion, enjoy a positive perception of the market, and enjoy brand loyalty from one of the most loyal customers.

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The detailed case for how inclusion is good for business. Here’s are some reasons why:

Positive client perception

Diverse, inclusive companies enjoy an enhanced public image. Clients are keen to partner with companies that are non-discriminatory and inclusive. Millennials who are touted to be 75% of the global workforce by 2025 and form a chunk of consumers are inclined towards companies who are more embracing of their LGBTQIA staff, making them employers and brands of choice.

Reduced legal costs

Companies that care about the inclusion of their LGBTQIA staff observe a drop in their legal costs as the discrimination suits against employers reduce. It also translates in lower health insurance spends on employees as employees’ health improves working in a good environment, reducing stress.

Higher retention

LGBTQIA employees who feel comfortable being out with their colleagues, tend to stay on longer with the company compared to those who feel stifled by the office environment. This reduces hiring and training costs associated with hiring and onboarding new employees. Employee engagement is also said to suffer by 30% when work environments are now accepting of the LGBTQIA staff.

Bigger talent pool

Companies who embrace diversity, especially with LGBTQIA staff, open themselves to the large, talent-rich demographic, increasing their competitive advantage. The diverse team is more innovative and happier.

Brand loyalty

LGBTQIA people tend to be loyal customers. 87% would switch the brand, which is known for providing equal workplace benefits. 23% of LGBTQIA consumers already switched to companies who were more supportive of their cause disregarding the cost and convenience of using the brand.

Higher market share

There has been a sharp increase in the number of same-sex households over the past years along with the increase in their buying power. Inclusive companies will get a share of this pie if they work on being more open and receiving of their staff.

Lastly and most importantly, a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters creativity, leads to innovation, and brings a multitude of ideas thanks to their staff.

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Are you hiring and wondering how to make sure your team is diverse and inclusive? Shortlist can help, we offer a wide range of recruitment solutions that help companies build great, diverse teams.

Building diverse team in India
Building diverse team in Kenya

Contact Shortlist Here