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Inclusion and diversity are not just social and ethical buzzwords; they are also organizational imperatives. In the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, teams usually work across different locations and time zones and have various languages and cultures. This arrangement helps promote an inclusive and diverse environment.
Organizational diversity brings many benefits, including innovation, productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. Outsourcing clients can leverage BPO to replicate such advantages in their workforce.
This article shares practical tips for leveraging BPO to improve organizational diversity. Continue reading to learn more.
Ways BPO Supports Organizational Inclusivity and Diversity
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. workforce is 77% White, 12.6% Black or African American, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 6.7% Asian, as of 2022. Thus, diversity and inclusion are crucial components of an accommodating and thriving workplace.
Diverse teams make wiser and more innovative decisions, leading to better outcomes for end customers. Workers also tend to prioritize companies that value diversity and enable them to be their true selves. Seventy-six percent of employees state that diversity is crucial when considering a job. So, inclusive organizations retain employees and perform better overall.
A diverse and inclusive workplace can:
- Serve an eclectic customer base better
- Act as a breeding ground for creativity and innovation
- Build a culture of continuous learning and engagement
- Solve problems faster
- Improve employee retention
- Enhance corporate social responsibility
- Minimize risk
BPO companies understand the many benefits of such an organization and, thus, hire talent from different cultures, backgrounds, and races. Offshore and nearshore outsourcing, especially, exposes client companies to a fully global talent pool.
The BPO sector’s contributions to organizational diversity are vital to promoting a culture of growth, innovation, and collaboration. Here are the different ways BPO companies support this goal:
- Program design. Develop a customized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) program tailored to the organization’s needs and goals. Create a comprehensive strategy, including specific initiatives, policies, and goals.
- Communication and awareness. Develop internal and external communication strategies to promote the organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Raise awareness about DE&I initiatives through newsletters, social media, and internal events.
- Leadership development. Provide leadership training to promote inclusive leadership behaviors and skills. Encourage senior leaders to champion DE&I efforts.
- Policy review and development. Review existing company policies and procedures to ensure they align with DE&I goals. Recommend updates or develop new policies to promote ethical and social responsibilities.
- Training and education. Offer DE&I training programs for employees at all levels. Develop workshops, seminars, or online courses on unconscious bias, cultural competence, and inclusive leadership.
- Blind hiring. Utilize AI to screen resumes to eliminate bias in job descriptions, assessments, and interviews.
- Data analytics. Help client companies determine gaps in DE&I policies more effectively. Collect and analyze related data, including workforce demographics, pay equity, and employee satisfaction. Generate regular reports to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
- BPO network. Contact organizations and groups to find qualified and diverse talent for the role.
- Job boards. Post vacancies on job boards specializing in diversity, such as Diversity Working, Recruit Disability, and Network from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
- Diversity training. Conduct DE&I training to determine shortcomings and give the client firm new awareness to launch meaningful sensitivity and cultural training.
- Feedback and employee engagement. Solicit employee feedback to gauge the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion efforts. Encourage employee engagement and involvement in DE&I initiatives.
Considerations When Outsourcing for Diversity Initiatives
Organizational diversity happens when companies emphasize hiring staff with different characteristics, such as ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. What is BPO’s role in helping businesses achieve this goal? It creates a global third-party team and implements policies to ensure your employees are treated equally, respected, and offered the same opportunities.
BPO is pivotal in improving organizational diversity. Diversity starts when you partner with a BPO firm that hires and retains multicultural talent. Here are factors to consider when choosing a partner to create a diverse workplace culture:
- Strengthen anti-discriminatory policies. An article from the Harvard Business Review notes that the language in anti-discriminatory policies is insufficient to drive inclusion and diversity. So, review your provider’s existing policies and talk to their inclusion council.
- Highlight diversity on career pages. Check out the firm’s diversity statement and current initiatives on its career page. Verify if it references DE&I and unbiased hiring in the job postings.
- Provide diverse mentorship. Ask if your potential partner has diverse mentorship programs that ensure everyone can grow in their careers and allow for closer staff relationships.
- Offer high-value scholarships and internships. Do they offer targeted scholarships and internships to workers from underrepresented groups that will assist them in advancing in key roles quickly?
- Celebrate employee differences. Do they encourage employees to share their traditions and backgrounds in the workplace, such as cultural and religious practices?
- Incorporate diversity into company practices and policies. BPO teams must develop and amend organizational policies to be more diverse and inclusive, from recruitment procedures to benefits, performance reviews, and promotions.
KPIs to Measure Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Using various quantitative measures, you can evaluate diversity and inclusion in your internal team and BPO opportunities and partnerships. Key performance indicators (KPIs) related to DE&I include:
- Representation figures. This metric gives the big picture about the firm’s workforce diversity. It analyzes your diversity compared to the community or third-party teams.
- Selection figures. It answers how your business fares in candidate recruitment. Are specific groups overrepresented, or are you hiring a range of diverse candidates?
- Recruitment figures. This figure measures how many candidates from various groups apply for a role in your firm. It shows how broad or biased the recruitment initiatives are. Are your job applicants heterogeneous, or are they from different backgrounds?
- Pay comparisons. How do salaries and benefits differ per employee? Are certain groups making less? How about paid time off, healthcare, and other benefits? The data collected will uncover potential biases regarding compensation.
- Promotion figures. Who receives promotions at the company? Are people from certain backgrounds more or less likely to get a promotion? This number identifies if promotions are awarded fairly.
- Retention figures. Who is staying and leaving your company? Even if you hire diverse staff members, does the talent stay or leave immediately? Knowing this KPI uncovers potential management issues.
The Bottom Line
The benefits of having a diverse labor force go beyond simply reaching diversity quotas. Having the figures to prove your organization is diverse deserves merit, but you only start to see the rewards when you foster an inclusive environment. A diverse team can handle a diverse customer base better, solve problems faster, and be more productive and engaged.
If you want to deliver first-class customer service to your buyers, partner with a BPO firm that is as diverse as your customer base. Better employee retention rates, a positive work environment, higher productivity, and improved engagement all lead to gains in your bottom line.
Let’s connect to discover how BPO can enhance your organizational diversity initiatives!
