"and the Oscar goes to..."

In recent times the Oscars have faced increasing criticism over their lack of diversity amongst nominees.

Despite having a plethora of skilled individuals to select from, there is a distinct feeling of “same same” from the coveted Academy’s decisions. Some have responded to this backlash at the time the winner was announced and others have agreed a different approach is required. Another viewpoint presented was that the “same same” Oscar nominations were symptomatic of a problem, but not THE problem. Essentially the groups of the movies being judged and therefore nominated, not just the cast but the entire production company, did not ‘look like’ nor their ‘lived experiences’ reflect the general community, ie their audiences.

Now without sounding too “Sex and the City”, this got me thinking. Does our business reflect the diversity of the community we live in, and if it doesn’t, how do we change this? In a world where unconscious and conscious bias is rife, how and where do you start making changes?

1. Do your research

Consider the current breakdown of your business. Have you hired mostly senior/junior employees? Are all your employees of a very particular work experience background? Do your grads only come from two specific universities and nowhere else?

If you want to be different, you need to stop looking in the same place each time and expecting variety to emerge naturally.

2. What are you doing to retain employees?

Perhaps you have hired different and unique individuals but cannot seem to keep them? Maybe you need to consider what motivates people and what you are doing to keep them engaged. Bonuses or monetary incentives do not necessarily motivate everyone, just as subsidised gym memberships or free coffee inspires productivity in others. Just as variety should be reflected in your team, it should also be available in your benefits.

3. Consider your customer

Think about your service offering or product and who it is currently appealing to. Even if what you are selling is towards a niche market, such as young adults under 30, consider the variety of cultural influences, backgrounds, and preferences of that age group alone.

Do you have a robust workforce that has a diverse experience that can tackle the questions, barriers, and nuanced needs of your customer base to guide them through the purchasing journey? Too often, we are focused on selling to customers who mimic the business in character and unwittingly prevent ourselves from appealing to a broader audience. 

Specific industries will heavily lean one way or another in terms of representation due to more significant issues that cannot necessarily be resolved within the hiring space alone. However, if we actively ask ourselves these fundamental questions, we can work towards organically diversifying our workplace and creating a healthier and more successful business.