Embracing diversity: The catalyst of workplace success

Considering March is Women’s History Month in Australia, our team at On the Same Page Consulting (OTSPC) is reflecting on the diversity of our workplace, and the impact that it has on us.  

The reason it is relevant is that we only have women working in this business.

We think this is a strength, but to make sure, we did some research and discovered some interesting facts about the impact of diversity on the productivity and success of businesses.  

We learned about the value of having female employees to create gender diversity, and we investigated the impact that male employees can have on a business’s ability to achieve diversity. We also looked at the intersectionality of other problems connected to gender diversity, including age and race.

Here we share our findings with you. 

Gender diversity in our business 

OTSPC is currently a completely female operated business.

Yes, we have a male co-director, but he doesn’t do any real work and is only involved strategically and when asked. Sometimes our I wonder why he is even involved.... Maybe this blog will help to clear it up. 

Apparently, a completely female business is a rarity in the business world. According to the Australian Workplace gender equality agency - 22.3% of boards and governing bodies have no female directors, but in contrast, only 0.6% had no male directors.  

Some of the OTSPC team have noted the differences between working here, and working at our past jobs which mostly had a much more diverse team and we have spent time as a team talking about what women bring to the table when at work. Because it interested us, we did some research.  

Did you know that according to a report by Forbes Insights, Diversity is a key driver of innovation and is a critical component of being successful on a global scale.  

This is a result of the kinds of qualities different genders are more likely to possess, such as empathy, passion, and strategic thinking skills.  

But what is interesting, is that when these valuable qualities are mixed in with all the skills and qualities that men bring to the table, businesses often see more innovation and problem solving from teams.

Therefore, having an array of life experiences and perspectives in a team is super important for both the culture of a business and the financial success. 

So, whilst we think that adding women into the picture is invaluable for a business's success, we also now know it is important to recognise that men play a role in the success that can be fostered with diversity.  

Men, who are leaders (in other organisations), can also provide opportunities for up-and-coming women, and it is important for them to stop and actively support their female co-workers.

When men put real effort into creating an inclusive environment, the ability for a team to succeed can skyrocket.  

Men as partners

Men also play an invaluable role in the ability of their wives and partners to be successful in their own fields.

In the results of a survey published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics , it was found that women spent approximately an hour and 15 minutes more on housework than men every day and less than half of males (42 per cent) spent time on housework, compared to 70 per cent of females.  

These statistics were presented side by side with another set, which showed that women spent approximately an hour less time than men, doing employment related work.  

So, surely - if more men were encouraged to take on more of the load of housework, we could see increases in success for women in their respective fields.  

This idea is strongly supported by some of our team who agree that sharing the load when it comes to domestic responsibilities is hugely important for everyone’s career success. We have lived experience of how that can work well.  

But what about history you ask?  

As an organisation that values equality, we don’t want to look backwards too much or simplify all of the injustices experienced by women under the umbrella of ‘sexism’.  

We think it’s important that the specific injustices people experience day to day in the office and at home are taken apart and analysed. So… we looked at the idea of intersectionality. 

Intersectionality, according to the Oxford dictionary, is the interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. 

Women and ageism 

Ageism is an issue in today’s corporate world. It has been found to unfairly target women.  

There is a misguided view held by society that as people age (usually women) they become incompetent in their jobs, and that they should just quietly step back and let the younger generation take the reins. 

Is this logical? Surely age equals competency?

This perspective suggests that people shouldn’t get jobs until they have many years of experience in their field.

But how can that be a thing if only young women are competent? 

 So how do we (women) win?  

 With the current standards, we can’t. 

How can you advance your career if you are too young before 40, and too old after 50?  

Some of our team have personal experiences of feeling like we have to change or be someone different to meet society’s contradictions of expecting a youthful appearance but a mature experience.

Not at OTSPC, we want it all – we want youth and experience and everything in between... We want diversity.  

More intersectionality 

The concept of intersectionality also strongly applies to sex and race.  

A study done in 2021 by the Australian Workplace gender equality agency found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are one of the most underrepresented groups in the Australian workforce. The study also noted that this concept was worsened if an individual was also a mother or carer.  

This is just plain disappointing!

At OTSPC, we feel strongly that there needs to be change in this space.  

In the Northern Territory, where we are based, the population is 26.3% or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ABS). That means our workforce must be equivalent to that if we ever hope to Close the Gap and improve outcomes for this part of our community.  

That is why we have a lot of values-based policy at OTSPC.

We have an Aboriginal Employment Policy with a target of increasing “the representation of Aboriginal people in our team to at least 15% of full-time equivalent employment” and a procurement policy that gives priority to local and Aboriginal suppliers and service providers.  

Since this article is about gender though, I have just realised that our policies don’t include a gender priority. Oops – a revision will need to be started. 

So, what can be done?  

We can't fix everything – we know that! But by sharing our perspectives, we hope to provoke a conversation about these issues....

We think - organisations need to seriously consider how they can best promote diversity and inclusion in their hiring and promoting practices and create strategies for creating culturally safe workplaces that allow diverse groups to thrive.   

We also think - a good way to achieve this is to take inspiration from big companies who have succeeded as diversifying and creating a more supportive workplace for employees.  

An example of this is the Commonwealth Bank, a brand name most Australians are very familiar with. Commonwealth Bank is included in the Bloomberg Bender- Equality Index (GEI), and has been for five consecutive years. The GEI is the primary gender equality benchmarking source to measure performance against global best.

As one of the first organisations to be certified as a family friendly Workplace, Commonwealth Bank are proud to provide a multitude of family support not common in most businesses, including domestic violence, LGBTI families, infant loss, stillbirth and miscarriage care and support, and aged care leave.

Commonwealth Bank also holds impressive levels of gender diversity compared to most businesses in Australia, with 54.4% of their overall workforce being female, compared to 55.2% as of 30 June 2022, and the national average of 46% according to the Australian Human Rights Commission. 

We also think - diversity is a cornerstone of the modern workplace. But unfortunately, it isn’t recognised in many Australian businesses.

At OTSPC, we pride ourselves on our open mindedness to change, diversity and creating a culturally safe workplace for minority groups.  

We want to radiate acceptance and inclusivity into our community and put active effort into reflecting this in our actions as a business.  

We do this by:  

• Actively choosing to work with small businesses owned by women and Aboriginal people 

• Supporting our employees with leave requirements 

• Practicing kindness and humility for people of all genders, ages, races and people of all walks of life

• Explicitly stating our organisational values 

• Practicing anti-racism, anti-discrimination, kindness, compassion and clarity with our team members so that we are on the same page about expectations and values.

So, in honour if Women’s History Month, we want to encourage any business owners reading this to strive toward a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the future and take meaningful action toward creating that change in your policies, procedures and most importantly - practices.