Diversify business to stay relevant

Most sought-after employers are increasingly recognising that diversity is a key driver of not only performance but a vehicle for revenue generation.
For instance, a media company that presents an employee with more than one alternatives will attract more skilled employees than one with lesser opportunities.
In the media industry, companies, according to Adolf Mbaine, a Makerere University lecturer at the department of Journalism and Communications, are no longer concentrating on a single publishing channel but have diversified into online publishing, broadcasting, print and social media.
A recent research conducted by McKinsey, a global management consulting firm, demonstrates a clear link between diversity and performance, which ultimately gives the company the opportunity to create more revenue generating vehicles.
The research reveals that a number of companies follow recommended best practices for managing diversity and have indeed not only opened up new frontiers but have created opportunities for multitasking employees.
“Diversity is not just black and white – it’s gold. It brings in more revenue, makes for happier customers, and ultimately builds a more sustainable businesses,” the research report reads in part.
Diversity, according to Mbaine, simply put, brings better experiences and broadens the outlook of the company as well as opening up new boundaries that might in a way propel the company to new heights.
“In life we must be able to make impressions and change when we need to. Diversity gives that opportunity to change without many people asking questions,” he says.
Diversity, Mbaine says, is not limited to organisations but also applies to employee skills that support it (diversity) as “a key tenet of good systems” and modernisation.
“If you work in a media company you should be able to write, edit and design your work as well as publish online,” he says, adding “the world is moving at a terrific speed, therefore, with the advent of technology people are able to do so much with minimum energy and in a short period of time.”
According to Billy Elliott, the Africa for the Top Employers Institute country manager, there are five key lessons in diversity management, such as defining and communicating diversity programmes, investing in diversity training, measuring results of diversity programmes, employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds and accepting that education and age are also part of diversity.

key diversity pointers

• Define diversity programmes
Eighty six per cent of Africa’s top employers, according to Elliott have clearly defined and communicated diversity programme.
For instance, publishing houses such as Monitor Publications Limited have diversified businesses, segmented into print and online publishing, broadcasting, courier and self-help programmes such Thought Leaders Forum, Farm Clinic, Full Woman Camp and Top 100 Companies.
Such programmes, according to Mbaine, give employees an advantage to venture widely as well as helping the company to explore more talent within.
• Invest in diversity training
Eighty one per cent of Africa’s top employers have trained specific employee groups regarding relevant diversity practices to enable them build an engaged workforce through authentic and inclusive engagement.
According to the Global Human Capital Trends report 2015 from Deloitte University, employee engagement is a priority both for HR and for the business because has a critical role in business performance.
• Measure diversity results
Around 70 per cent of Africa’s top employers evaluate the impact and effectiveness of diversity programmes regularly.
According to Paul Clegg, the DHL Express human resources vice president for sub-Saharan Africa, participation in the Top Employers Certification Programme is a crucial part of measurement that hepls the company to understand the impact of diversity programmes and how they can be managed better.
• Employ disadvantaged people
According to Elliott, an impressive 80 per cent of Africa’s top employers employ people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This, Mbaine says, helps the company to get a better appreciation of ethnicity as well as building a trusted core of employees that take work seriously.
• Diversify in education and age
Just fewer than 40 per cent of Africa’s top employers ensure that they monitor and manage the differences in employees’ educational backgrounds.
This, according to Elliott, ensures a more diverse way of thinking where by employees can approach challenges with different perspectives.

Advice
People skills. Diversity is not limited to the companies alone but applies to people skills because the company will depend on skilled employees to make good on its deliverables.

[email protected]