Even though policies on diversity in the workplace have been in place in companies for over 10 years,  they still struggle at applying them. Anxiety in the face of change or fear of demotion in favor of a more “skilled”colleague halts leaders and managers, whose involvement at this level is fundamental …

Learning to manage with confidence

Fear – this is what we are dealing with. After all, why choose to hire a new employee that is not a perfect replica of its predecessor? It would be much to risky, and it would force us to tread in unknown waters… And this candidate who is perfect for the position, is he not excessively intelligent? Will he not prove to be too powerful and therefore not risk becoming a manager in my stead?

This primal need for security, this desire to reassure oneself by constantly choosing the “same” and conformity, unfortunately drag companies down. The activation of these defense mechanisms prevent companies from the process of diversification.

Being sure of oneself and of one’s legitimacy in terms of manager, also means that you have to give a chance to a variety of profiles.

Therefore, management should be filled to the brim with confidence: self-confidence (not have fear of the unknown or of another’s superiority) and trust in others (in their ability to integrate and evolve). By adopting this perspective, it is often realized that to grow a talent is probably the most rewarding managerial act …

Valuing differences

And the notion of “diversity” is to be understood here in its entirety, namely “all persons who differ from each other, [1]whether by their ethnicity, sex, age, IQ, unusual career path or the originality of their way of thinking. In this context, managing diversity means “thinking about how to optimize multiple potential employees within the company,” as defined by the Young Business Leaders Center[2].

Differences are assets to facilitate innovation and change while encouraging the creativity of teams.

Without taking into account the fact that these differences build motivation, cohesion, the sense of belonging and thus, in time, efficiency. And as a fallout, by playing on the attractiveness of the company and the loyalty of its members, it improves its brand image.

Goodwill Management carried out a study for IMS-Entreprendre for the City using data from four large companies (AXA, L’Oreal, Orange and Vinci). The result: well managed diversity can increase profitability up to 15%. This same study highlights that the most diverse teams are the ones with the best performance

[1]Larousse definition.

[2]CJD, 2006

 Betting on skills

In France we still too often favor candidates coming from the most prestigious universities, who nevertheless are work horses, but also conformists. Research has long shown that diplomas are not an indicator for performance!

In addition, the assumption is often made that a person must remain in their career field of their activity sector in order to be effective. This observation is all the more incomprehensible in a context where transversal (and therefore transferable) skills are more and more sought after and acclaimed!

A skills management allows us to really focus on the key elements of performance. It also invites us to rethink the managerial culture of the company and therefore what is expected of managers at all levels of the organization.

The gap between yesterday’s practices and today’s needs continues to widen. The world is constantly changing, and it really becomes critical to know how to attract and retain people who think outside the box, who are true champions of transformation. Ready to take on this challenge? We are at your disposal to help you build recruitment and development strategies for your employees based on the identification and mastery of skills.

Sources

– « La diversité en entreprise, source de richesses et levier de performance », Fonds social européen en France, 27/04/2017, http://www.fse.gouv.fr/dossiers-thematiques/la-diversite-en-entreprise-source-de-richesses-et-levier-de-performance-0

– « La diversité en entreprise, source de performance ? », Le Monde.fr, 01/10/2015, https://www.lemonde.fr/emploi/article/2015/10/01/la-diversite-en-entreprise-peut-elle-etre-un-levier-de-performance_4779893_1698637.html

– « Être trop doué, un frein pour sa carrière », Capital avec Management, 26/08/2014, https://www-capital-fr.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.capital.fr/votre-carriere/etre-trop-doue-un-frein-pour-sa-carriere-957288?amp

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