Diversity may seem like a “feel good” thing for a business, but the evidence is growing and there really is a business case for diversity. According to DiversityInc, companies in their Top 50 list outperform the rest of the market in economic terms.
That’s only part of the reason Dell is committed to creating inclusive environments, but it does make it great to learn that, for the fifth year running, we’ve made it onto that list.
“Encouraging diversity is not about political correctness, there is a clear link between business performance and inclusive work environments,” says Marie Moynihan, our chief diversity officer. “In order to compete successfully, companies need to ensure they get the best team where team members feel free to share their ideas and deliver great products and services appropriate to their markets.”
Over 1,000 companies participated in DiversityInc’s survey and were assessed in the key areas of diversity management. Dell was rated number two overall for Supplier Diversity, number four in Global Diversity and number four in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Last year, participation in our ERGs grew to 18 percent, with over 17,000 members.
Dell is the first IT company to engage with Catalyst on Men Advocating Real Change (MARC), a program designed to engage men in creating more inclusive work environments. The program helps to identify where unconscious bias exists and aims to promote a more collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
“We need to get to the point where diversity is not about being activists; it’s about simply being honest and being a part of an inclusive environment,” Tim Griffin, vice president and managing director Dell UK recently told PCR.
It all starts at the top and Michael Dell is committed to diversity and inclusion, including taking his entire leadership team through MARC training this summer. It is these types of activities that rank Dell amongst LinkedIn’s most in demand employers for 2014.
We’re not going to rest on our laurels, though. Moynihan says “we have achieved a lot, but still have a way to go.”
So, over the next year, we’ll be focusing on continued growth and participation in our ERGs from employees at all levels within the organization, while developing strong partnerships to encourage more men to engage in external diversity activities, and continuously monitoring our progress.
