McKinsey’s 2020 survey results show that many employees do not feel fully included at work and want their organizations to do more to advance inclusion and diversity. To do so, companies can address four factors: diverse, inclusive leadership; meritocracy and initiatives to increase fairness; sponsorship; and access to senior leaders. These factors echo ubuntu principles.

The Ubuntuworks Resource Hub provides organizations and individuals with data, stories, studies and support for a more connected and compassionate world.

Focus on inclusion

“Organizations can take full advantage of the perspectives of a diverse workforce only if leaders and employees enjoy a sense of inclusion, which we define as the degree to which an individual feels that their authentic selves are welcomed at work, enabling them to contribute in a meaningful and deliberate manner. 

Overall, respondents often indicate that their organizations should do more to build inclusion in the workforce. Thirty-five percent of respondents say their organizations put too little effort into creating a diverse, inclusive environment. By comparison, just 6 percent say too much is being done.

Additionally, the survey found that 84 percent of all respondents have experienced workplace micro­aggressions, which are everyday slights rooted in bias. In every subgroup—by gender, gender identity, minority status, or sexual orientation—more than eight in ten respondents report these indignities. For example, more than a quarter say they have needed to correct others’ assumptions about their personal lives. Those who say they aren’t sure whether they have experienced any of the microaggressions we asked about are significantly more likely to feel very included than respondents who report experiencing one or more. Respondents who have experienced more than one of these microaggressions are even less likely to feel included than those who report just one…”

To read more about how to advance inclusion and diversity in the workplace, and to see the results of the survey, visit https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/understanding-organizational-barriers-to-a-more-inclusive-workplace

Image: Mario Purisic

Learn more about equality, compassion, and inclusion in the workplace in employment lawyer Eric Sirotkin’s book, “Surviving and Thriving at Work: What Every Employee Needs to Know But is Afraid to Ask,” available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon, or via your local bookseller, or from Itasca Books.