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Why Inclusion Is an Outcome Not a Process

We’ve become accustomed to thinking about inclusion in terms of processes and policies. I think it’s time to start thinking about it as an outcome. We also need to appreciate how it is intertwined with the culture of a successful business.

Research by McKinsey showed that companies in the upper quartile for inclusion, on average, outperform their competitors. The researchers are careful to point out that this isn’t necessarily a simple cause and effect mechanism.

My view is that diversity and inclusion performance say something essential about how companies work – they are indicators of a positive culture. The effects of that positive culture are felt by customers through better delivery and service.

Fairness and Performance

Job satisfaction and performance are strongly linked to the perception of fairness. Any organisation whose culture is firmly rooted in fairness will not only perform better but will also find diversity and inclusion a natural way of doing business. And it’s not a massive stretch of imagination to see that an organisation that seeks to attract the widest possible pool of talent, and which actively supports every individual to achieve their best, is probably going to do well.

Inclusion must be front and centre for any business to succeed. At Osborne, we are proud of our different approach. That difference comes from consistently living and breathing our values and behaviours. Our culture grows organically from the diversity of the people we employ.

Those values drive change within the organisation and make sure that we tackle issues such as unconscious bias in recruitment and selection. Above all, they help make us a learning organisation where everyone’s point of view and experience is welcomed and respected.

The evidence is overwhelming that inclusive workplaces are good for business. We know that inclusive outcomes emerge from diverse teams, where people come at a problem from many different directions. A richness of beliefs and backgrounds increases creativity, fosters innovation, and improves problem solving across the organisation.

Inclusion Outcomes

Simple fairness is a good enough reason to make any business inclusive. The approach also leads to tangible benefits. To me, the inclusion outcomes are better productivity, more engaged people, higher morale, and better employee retention.

It is crucial that we embrace and recognise the fact that we are all different, yet still have so much in common. We celebrate those differences, and highlight the inclusive outcomes this diversity in thought gives us.

Here’s a fairly simple example of the business benefits of inclusion. I learned that over twenty different languages were spoken within one of our contract teams delivering housing maintenance services. What a difference that inclusion outcome can make to a housing association resident in need.

Put simply, everyone, in every role at Osborne, has the opportunity to deliver a very special and different approach to our customers, end users and the general public. When we embrace inclusion as the outcome and celebrate those differences it translates into greater value. Investing in difference makes sense.

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