Diversity & Inclusion or D&I is a relatively new concept that has been slowly and steadily gaining momentum over time. It refers to the idea of the workplace being a fair and transparent environment for all employees, regardless of race, gender, or age.

As Southeast Asia is widely considered to be a melting pot of cultures, it is quite unfortunate that most companies in this region lack any D&I program or initiative. Consequently, this can lead to businesses missing out on high-performing talent.

As the Great Resignation in the U.S. has shown us, shifting employee mindsets and new priorities mean companies must do more to retain their employees.

For example, a CNBC study revealed that 65% of working women believe that COVID has made things worse for them. Between balancing work in the office and their home life, a rising number of female employees admit to feeling burnt out.

Besides difficulties faced by women in the workplace, sexual harassment is also another major issue for employees.

A survey conducted by Aware reported that 2 in 5 Singaporean employees admitted to having faced sexual harassment in the workplace. Incidents include unwelcome sexual advances, being sent lewd images, or receiving unpleasant remarks of a sexual or sexist nature.

Even more worrisome is that only 1 in 3 victims reported the incident to their superiors or authorities.

HR professionals have a significant role to play in ensuring that the work environment conducts a safe, fair, and progressive employment practice. And to achieve this, HR software is one of the most critical tools in the HR professional’s repertoire.

Using HR Software to Promote Diversity & Inclusion

Besides automation, HR software is also able to promote Diversity and inclusion in the workplace. So, let’s take a look at how it makes D&I possible:

1. Providing Employees With Sensitivity Training

Sensitivity training is one of those things that has been continually parodied by popular culture, but this doesn’t mean that it is irrelevant.

Far from it, in fact.

Sensitivity training is an integral part of company culture. It encourages employees to be aware of their prejudices and to be more sensitive to others. A simple way for companies to educate employees on fair and progressive employment practices

Topics covered in sensitivity training should ideally consist of (but not limited to) the following:

• Dealing with racism
• Microaggression awareness
• Professional workplace conduct
• Group dynamics
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness

To make all this possible, HR professionals need to use software that provides them with an overview of their organization and employees. From here, they will be able to assign programs as required and send automated follow-ups.

Besides organizing training sessions, HR software can also be used for…

2. Implementing Objective Performance Metrics

Performance management has always been a contentious topic for employees everywhere. It is also a vital part of enabling fair and progressive employment practices.

This is why it’s so important that organizations have objective and transparent performance metrics in place. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should always be based exclusively on an employee’s performance only.

However, these assessments can sometimes be colored by a manager’s personal feelings. Consequently, this can lead to an employee receiving a less-than-fair performance review.

The same can also be said of an underperforming employee with an excellent personal relationship with their supervisor. Both situations are unfavorable and can lead to a workplace quickly becoming toxic, resulting in higher employee turnover.

R software such as that from IQ Dynamics provides HR professionals and managers with a clear overview of the entire review process, thus ensuring that employee appraisals are fair and transparent at all times.

3. Promote good onboarding practices

A good onboarding process is an excellent way to introduce employees to the organization’s culture and values.

During this phase, it is essential that your expectations are communicated to the new employee, so they better understand your requirements.

From here, HR professionals can also schedule regular follow-ups with the new hire to check on their progress. This helps employees feel welcome during the onboarding process and is a great way to collect information needed for continuous improvement.

4. Eliminating Hiring Bias 

Hiring bias results from prejudices that a hiring manager may have towards a particular group of people. When hiring bias is present, organizations tend to lose out on top talent.

In Malaysia, for example, a 2019 study found that candidates of certain ethnicities and backgrounds were discriminated against during the hiring process.

IQ Dynamics’s HR software eliminates hiring bias by:

• Allowing HR professionals to track past hires. This allows the HR department to conduct fairness audits and identify potential issues.
• Providing secure access to external recruiters. Thus, exposing the organization to a broader talent pool.
• Giving HR professionals the authority to monitor requisition requests. This allows HR professionals to monitor departmental hiring patterns.

Closing Thoughts

Employees have every right to work in a fair and progressive employment practice environment, and HR professionals need to safeguard this right. IQ Dynamics aims to empower HR professionals by providing businesses with a comprehensive HR solution for all their HR management needs.