Q3 Newsletter Pt 1: Why Inclusion?
This quarter, the Women Empowerment Council (WEC) newsletter Thought Leadership section provides deeper insights into inclusion. In this three-part series, let's first dive in to why inclusion matters.
Why Inclusion?
“For leaders, it’s making sure you have little risk of being blindsided by something that a diverse team would have known about and would have identified as an opportunity or a risk... It brings far greater confidence to the decision making when you know you are being supported by people who have far more diverse points of view.”
-François Hudon, Former Executive, Bank of Montreal
Research shows that inclusion reaps many rewards and, moreover, a failure to be inclusive leads to significant negative consequences. Inclusion benefits individuals, leaders, and organizations, specific and tangible outcomes include:
Attracting & Retaining Talent: 65% of people see an inclusive environment as “very important” when considering new roles (Bain, 2022) and experiencing inclusion explains 20% of an employee’s desire to stay at their organization (Catalyst, 2020).
Breeding Company Ambassadors: When employees feel fully included, they are much more likely to promote their place of employment to others (Bain).
Enhancing Innovation: Employees who feel included are far more likely to innovate and challenge the status quo (Bain), it accounts for 18% of their ability to generate new ideas, processes, and approaches to driving results (Catalyst).
Improving Engagement & Teamwork: Inclusion explains 35% of an employee’s sense of purpose and emotional investment in their work and 49% of how effectively they perceive their team to collaborate, solve problems, and resolve conflicts (Catalyst).
The consequences of not embracing inclusion or allowing exclusion can affect people’s Wellbeing. Based on neuroscience, the feelings of exclusion show up in the brain as signals that resemble physical pain (Bain). It can also Increase Attrition. Employees who experience low levels of inclusion are up to six times more likely to actively seek new job opportunities (Bain).
Stay tuned for the rest of this three part series: What is Inclusion and How to be Inclusive?
Sources:
The Fabric of Belonging: How to Weave an Inclusive Culture | 2022 Bain & Company, Inc.
Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership: Why Change Starts with You | 2020 Catalyst Inc.
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The Women Empowerment Council (WEC) is an engaged network of leaders and decision-makers that aims to advance gender equality in businesses in China and beyond.
女性赋权委员会是由领导者和决策者组成的社群，旨在促进中国及其他国家企业的性别平等。