The Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) is the exemplary, not-for-profit peak body advocating for workplace diversity and inclusion in Australia.1 It has over 1000 member employers who collectively employ approximately one fifth of Australia’s workforce. In 2022, the DCA was categorising diversity and the risks of exclusionary practices on the following variables flowing in and out of organisational culture: COVID-19 (Flexibility & Inclusion), Inclusion, Gender, Culture & Religion, Disability & Accessibility, Age, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, LGBTIQ+, Flexibility, Family & Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Parental Leave. In other words, there are numerous areas for organisations to focus upon to ensure work culture is inclusive, thus minimising staff turnover. With the huge disruptions of COVID-19, the trend of people changing careers (the Great Resignation), and the staff shortages being felt in many industries, it makes good economic sense to be more inclusive of otherwise marginalised workers. Inclusive practices are also the morally and legally correct approach for managing the culture of an organisation. The DCA published research in its Inclusion @ Work Index 2021–20222 showing that workers in inclusive teams are 10 times more likely to experience job satisfaction, four times less likely to experience related mental health issues, five times less likely to experience discrimination and/or harassment, 11 times more likely to be highly effective, 10 times more likely to be innovative, six times more likely to provide excellent customer service, and four times more likely to work extra hard. Those multipliers are gold stars when it comes to organisational culture and the positive effects that culture can have on organisational performance.
Question:
Think of heavy industries like road construction or mining and challenge any stereotypical thinking about the workforce culture being influenced by gender or any other distinguishing human characteristics. Consider the various strategies you could implement as an employer in such heavy industries to enable the inclusion of a more diverse range of workers.