What is Your Rainbow Score? (A Simple Calculation to Realize the Success of D&I Initiatives)

INTERNATIONAL WATERS

STRATEGY

What is

your Rainbow Score?

Use this simple calculation to realise the success of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

By Murad Salman Mirza

T

here is an increasing trend among progressive organisations to invest in productive Diversity and Inclusion measures that can provide a competitive edge in an unforgiving business environment. However, these well-meaning initiatives often fall prey to an imbalance between Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, which dilutes any benefits accrued from engaging in such endeavours. One of the key success factors (KSFs) in avoiding this fate is ensuring timely management reviews supported by effective execution of incisive corrective/preventive actions that can avert the derailing of the whole exercise. This article introduces a metric, i.e., The Rainbow Score (TRS), which can be used to provide an effective input to the timely management review in gauging the success of Diversity and Inclusion initiatives for informed decision making.

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06 | 2016 | www.hrfuture.net

The Rainbow Score

The Rainbow Score (TRS) is a simple formula that is the product of three primary factors: Diversity, Inclusion and RAPID (an acronym for significant factors of Senior Management/Top Leadership commitment). This has been depicted as a product since Diversity is meaningless if there is no Inclusion and support from the top. It also highlights the amplification aspect that emanates from the synergistic collaboration of all the three primary factors. Its mathematical version is as follows: TRS = (D) * (I) * (RAPID)

• D = Diversity = Sum of all scores pertaining to significant factors impacting Diversity;

• I = Inclusion = Sum of all scores pertaining to significant factors impacting Inclusion; and

• RAPID = Sum of all scores pertaining to

significant factors of Senior Management/Top Leadership commitment, that is, R = Judicious Allocation of Necessary Resources, A = Aligned Behaviour for Reinforcing Personal Engagement, P = Passionately Discernible Advocacy for Diversity and Inclusion, I = Invigorating Leadership for Employee Morale and Motivation, D = Dogged Focus on Achieving Success.

The significant factors impacting Diversity and Inclusion are given in the following table:

STRATEGY

INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Significant factors Diversity (D)

Inclusion (I)

1. Is Diversity a defined goal for the organisation?

1. Is Inclusion a defined goal for the organisation?

2. Does the organisation have clearly defined

2. Does the organisation have clearly defined

documented policies/procedures/practices that reflect an inclination towards the hiring and maintaining of a diverse workforce?

3. Is the organisation using the principle of Diversity in terms of promoting a strong ‘employer’ brand?

4. Have the internal/external recruiters received sensitivity training?

5. Are the recruiters actively engaged in inducting a diverse workforce?

6. Does the talent pool generally reflect an

accommodation for Diversity in terms of hiring the desired talent?

7. Does the Induction orientation include significant coverage on Diversity?

8. Are there clearly defined documented company policies/procedures/practices pertaining to protecting the rights of a diverse workforce?

9. Is there strict adherence to the applicable laws, rules and regulations?

10. Is sensitivity training mandatory for all employees on Diversity?

11. Are training/workshops mandatory for

development of future leaders/HIPOs on various aspects of Diversity?

12. Do the performance appraisals include a focus

on the ability of an employee to sustain healthy working relationship with peers from a diverse background?

13. Does the senior management reflect a healthy proportion of diversity in numbers?

14. Does the management communicate the significance of Diversity in open forums?

15. Are cultural events/programmes a regular feature in the social calendar of the organisation?

16. Are there visual signs of respecting observance and/or celebration of religious occasions within the organisation?

17. Is there a provision within the organisation for granting leave in case of a cultural/religious occasion?

18. Is formal communication done through various

mediums for inculcating the significance of Diversity within the employees at all levels of the organisation?

documented policies/procedures/practices that reflect deliberate Inclusion of a diverse workforce in all its business activities/ processes?

3. Is the organisation using the principle of

Inclusion in terms of promoting a strong ‘employer’ brand?

4. Are the relevant functions actively engaged in

providing judicious opportunities for Inclusion of a diverse workforce?

5. Do employees from diverse backgrounds

generally express contentment with the element of ‘organisational justice’ in terms of Inclusion?

6. Does the induction orientation clarify ‘Inclusion‘ for employees from diverse backgrounds?

7. Are there clearly defined documented company policies/procedures/practices pertaining to deploying ‘Inclusion‘ for a diverse workforce?

8. Is there strict adherence to the applicable laws, rules and regulations?

9. Is awareness training mandatory for all employees on Inclusion?

10. Are training/workshops mandatory for the

development of future leaders/HIPOs on various aspects of Inclusion?

11. Are employees from diverse backgrounds

given equal access to learning and development opportunities for strengthening their professional; credentials and gaining the necessary grooming for leadership positions?

12. Are workshops/programmes designed to foster Inclusion in the workplace a regular feature of the annual training plan?

13. Are succession plans designed to ensure

Inclusion of potential successors from diverse backgrounds within the talent pipelines?

14. Do the performance appraisals include a

focus on the ability of a supervisor to ensure significant Inclusion for team members from a diverse background in various activities/ assignments?

15. Does the senior management prioritise

Inclusion in developing and deploying business strategies?

16. Does the management communicate the significance of Inclusion in open forums?

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INTERNATIONAL WATERS

STRATEGY

Significant factors (cont.)

Diversity (D)

Inclusion (I)

19. Are informal channels of communication used to

17. Is encouragement given to employees from

20. Are ‘influential‘ employees actively sought as

18. Are provisions available for peers to take

ingrain the significance of Diversity at all levels of the organisation? facilitators in promoting the virtues of Diversity within the organisation as a buffer against rumours/grapevine?

21. Are periodic employee surveys done to gauge the effectiveness of Diversity initiatives?

22. Do the employees from diverse backgrounds

actively engage in establishment, development, deployment, promotion, review and improvement of Diversity initiatives?

23. Is there periodic benchmarking done with other organisations on Diversity issues?

24. Is their a knowledge bank/resource base within the organisation that can be sources be any employee wishing to enhance their awareness on Diversity?

25. Is there assistance available to employees for

addressing any grievances on Diversity issue?

26. Are ‘Best Practices’ actively sought through

various sources for enhancing the effectiveness of Diversity initiatives?

27. Are customised solutions of Diversity developed and deployed to strengthen the unique work environment of the organisation?

28. Does Diversity figure prominently in terms of the organisation’s engagement with the external community for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives?

29. Are disciplinary issues effectively managed pertaining to Diversity?

30. Are exit interviews done with departing

employees to gauge the effectiveness of Diversity initiatives?

diverse backgrounds to engage their peers in inclusive celebration of cultural events? leave for attending the cultural festivities of a colleague(s)?

19. Is formal communication done through various mediums for inculcating the significance of Inclusion within the employees at all levels of the organisation?

20. Are informal channels of communication used to ingrain the significance of Inclusion at all levels of the organisation?

21. Are ‘influential’ employees actively sought as

facilitators in promoting the virtues of Inclusion within the organisation as a buffer against rumours/grapevine?

22. Are periodic employee surveys done to gauge the effectiveness on Inclusion initiatives?

23. Do the employees from diverse backgrounds

actively engage in establishment, development, deployment, promotion, review and improvement of Inclusion initiatives?

24. Is there periodic benchmarking done with other organisations in Inclusion issues?

25. Is there a knowledge bank/resource base within the organisation that can be sourced by any employee wishing to enhance their awareness on Inclusion.

26. Is there assistance available to employees for

addressing any grievances on Inclusion issues?

27. Are ‘Best Practices‘ actively sought through

various sources for enhancing the effectiveness of Inclusion initiatives?

28. Are customised solutions on Inclusion

developed and deployed to strengthen the unique work environment of the organisation?

29. Are disciplinary issues effectively managed pertaining to Inclusion?

30. Are exit interviews done with departing

employees to gauge the effectiveness of Inclusion initiatives?

Let’s measure each of the aforementioned significant factors by using a scale from 1 to 5, where: 1 = Need to Revive, 2 = Some Signs of Life, 3 = Getting Warmer, 4 = Feeling Good, 5 = Delightful!

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06 | 2016 | www.hrfuture.net

The maximum score for Diversity (D) is: 30 X 5 = 150; The maximum score for Inclusion (I) is: 30 X 5 = 150; The maximum score for RAPID is: 5 X 5 = 25; and The maximum Rainbow Score is: 150 X 150 X 25 = 562,500 or 100%.

The Rainbow Table 0%-19%

Red

20%-39% Orange 40%-59% Yellow 60%-69% Green 70%-79% Blue 80%-89% Indigo 90%-100% Violet Convert your organisation’s TRS score to the nearest percentage whole number and use the above Rainbow table to identify your organisation’s current status with respect to the success of Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.

The aforementioned exercise should be carried out by an authorised representative of the senior management/leadership team who is given full authority, assistance and access for coming up with the respective metric. Subsequently, he/she should prepare a report with insightful recommendations for senior management/leadership to examine the status quo and decide on a suitable course of action for the foreseeable future. One of the forums for examining and adjudicating on such a report can be the periodic Senior Corporate Management (SCM) meeting.

Additionally, The Rainbow Score (TRS) can also be harnessed for deployment of several prominent strategic tools, such as the Balanced Scorecard, the McKinsey 7S Framework, a SWOT Analysis, Mintzberg’s 5 Ps of Strategy, Weisbord’s Six-Box Model, Blue Ocean Strategy, and for improving the Triple Bottom Line (TBL/3BL).

Parting thoughts

Diversity and Inclusion are strategic imperatives that embellish an organisation’s core competencies.

Astuteness is required in the development and deployment of relevant initiatives to complement a robust management system that can resist the temptations of apathy, complacency and delusion in good times while buffering against confusion, desperation and bottlenecks in bad times. Here’s to your success! n Murad Salman Mirza is a Committed Organisational Architect, Positive Change Driver, Unrepentant Success Addict and a globally published author based in the United Arab Emirates. www.hr future.net | 06 | 2016

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