Respecting diversity in the workplace

But what makes us diverse?

There are lots of things that can make a group of people diverse. For example, imagine your own classmates at school. Some are female, some are male, and others might be non-binary. Your classmates are most likely from different ethnicities. You probably have classmates who observe different religions. Your classmates' sexuality might be different to yours and their first language might be different. They might come from a different social or economic background, be differently abled or their accent might sound different. 

Diversity & Inclusion at M&G

At M&G plc, diversity & inclusion is a strategic objective. At all levels of the business we recognise the benefits of having a diverse team that feels valued and listened to. It helps us think and act differently, adopt new ideas and better relate to the needs of our customers. 

An inclusive environment makes us more accessible and ensures we attract, engage, promote and retain the best talent and we have a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion team who are passionate about making M&G plc a place where every colleague feels able to bring their true self to work every day.

We have policies and practices that support our ethos of a modern and inclusive workplace; supporting maternity returners back to the workplace, developing mental health first aiders, assisting employees going through a transition at work and increasing diversity within our trainee and apprentice initiatives are just some examples of what we do.

Accept people's difference but find common ground

Yes, people might be different to you but do you have anything in common with them? We often have more in common with people than we think. If you're studying the same subject or are in a similar job, that's probably the first thing you have in common and can start talking about.

Learn something new from people that are different to you, don't shut it down

There is so much you can learn from people that are different to you. Don’t automatically assume that your way is the only way. Don’t shut someone down because you don’t understand. Remember you might have become stuck in your own bubble. Learning about another person’s experience can widen your horizons and develop you personally.

Make sure you give everyone a chance to have an opinion

Allow everyone the chance to express their views and thoughts in all situations. It’s nothing personal when someone doesn’t agree with you, it’s just that they see something from a different perspective - most likely because they had contrasting experiences to you.

Avoid using stereotypes and recognise and address your own bias

Don’t stereotype a particular group of people because that’s what you have heard or assumed. Get to know the person and ask questions. Recognise that it’s unfair to put them in a box and address any unconscious bias you might have. This bias is formed from attitudes and stereotypes that you unknowingly attribute to another person or group of people that then affects how you engage with that person or group. You can take a test to measure your unconscious biases here. Although we don’t think we have them, it is common that we do. Question yourself if you find yourself immediately jumping to a view or conclusion – ask whether your opinion or feeling can be proved by a fact.

Think about what you're saying

Some words and phrases can have meanings which are offensive and demeaning to certain groups of people. For example, don’t make jokes which have cultural references or undermine a certain religious belief.

To find out more about how to use your voice in a positive way, click here.

Respect religious holidays or cultural events

Take note of religious holidays and cultural events which take place in classmates and colleagues’ calendars. By being aware of the occasion, it might give you the chance to learn more about their religion or culture.

Go further and become an ally!

Just respecting diversity in your school or work environment is arguably not enough. Many marginalised groups of people (e.g. people of colour, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities) are targeted by oppression in other walks of their life. It is everybody’s responsibility to understand how they can support people who might need their help,

For example; let’s suppose a manager asks Sally and John what they did at the weekend. Sally, who identifies as straight, has no reason to wonder if what she will say will make someone uncomfortable, or lead to a “joke” at her expense. That is because our culture is set up for straight people to be themselves with very little thought. But for John, who identifies as gay, a simple question about his weekend may cause anxiety – how to act, who to trust, what to share. Unlike Sally, he does not have the privilege of going an entire day without remembering his sexual orientation.

In this example, Sally can recognise her privilege by understanding that she can answer the question with very little thought compared to her LGBTQ colleague. She can then use her privilege to answer the question in a way that makes John feel safe and comfortable with sharing his answer. She can even go further and have a talk with her manager, in private, about how these questions may make different people feel and what they can collectively do to help make the work environment feel more inclusive in the future. These positive steps are what we call being an ‘ally’.

By becoming an ally, you are helping all groups of people reach their full potential and flourish in society, not just yourself.

You can start small by becoming educated on the history of why a certain group is marginalised, speaking up when your friends or family use hateful or ignorant language and listening to what marginalised people are saying. You can go further by volunteering at local community groups who support marginalised people, donating to social justice charities or showing up and supporting an event held by a marginalised group. 

Don’t hold back in your school or work environment either. You could set up a support group, make time to coordinate training sessions on diversity or organise a mentorship scheme for people from marginalised groups who might benefit from having a relatable and inspiring role model to look up to. These are all ways you can actively lift people who are different from you and promote a positive, more inclusive society for everyone.

So, what now?

The activities below have all been designed to help you get fully ready to take your next steps - whatever pathway you choose to take. Each set of activities ranges from a short activity which should take no more than 30 minutes, through to portfolio activities, which are longer, project-based tasks. The more time you spend on each activity, the more you'll get out of it, but you should be able to find something each week to fit into your schedule.

Why not start with the short activity first and then work your way through the remaining activities until you’ve completed them all?

Short activity

Write a short pledge on why you think respecting and understanding diversity in the workplace is important and how you will support and respect it when you enter your next phase, whether that is apprenticeships, university or the workplace. 

• Put the pledge in a place where you will see it on a regular basis.

• Check-in with it regularly, see if you’ve kept to your pledge, and if there is anything you can add to it over time.

Main activity

Take a test to measure your unconscious biases

• Reflect on your results. Is there anything that has surprised you?

It's normal for people to jump to a view or conclusion. But it's important that you question whether your opinion or feeling can be proved by fact, and if there are any things that you can do now to address the bias that you have.

• If you have a negative bias, make a conscious effort to learn more about that idea, individual, or group to understand how and why it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Examples on how to do this include:

• Read fiction and non-fiction from a diverse range of authors to hear from a different voice or perspective that you don’t normally get the chance to hear from.

• Watch a subtitled film, TV series or documentary on an idea or culture that you’re less familiar with and want to know more about.

• Make some food from a different culture. Categorise the recipes by geographical location and find out more about the story behind that particular meal for the culture or community that it originates from. This can be a great way to help you learn more about the history of other cultures and discuss what you’ve learnt with friends and family at the dinner table.

Portfolio

Write a journal entry reflecting on a time you found challenging.

• Now, write an entry from someone with a different point of view. Perhaps someone of a different cultural background, age, ethnicity, and so on.

• In what ways are the diary entries similar and in what ways are they different.

• What would be your advice to each person about their situation?

• Is your advice different? If so, why?

• Finally, is there anything that these two people can do to help one another?

Viewing the same situation from a different point of view can help you better understand the experience of others, the challenges they may face and what you can do to support.

PSHE lesson

Draw a person on the whiteboard. Add identifiers to the person. For example, their:

• Gender
• Age
• Race
• Religion
• Sexuality
• Ability

Split the class into groups and assign each group a setting: school, university, the workplace, the media, online platforms.

• Next, ask them to think of the ways that they make this person feel welcome in their setting?
• Have each group present their ideas back to the class.

Through this activity, students will understand the challenges others may face in different settings and what they can do to act as an ally to promote diversity and inclusion.