NSA Communications

Why workplace diversity is much richer than diverse faces on websites and social media. It must be anti-racist.

In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have gained significant traction in Australian workplaces.

What is DEI?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are interconnected concepts that aim to create a fair, respectful, and supportive environment for all individuals in an organization or society.

Diversity refers to the presence of a wide range of human differences within a group. This includes, but is not limited to, variations in:

• race
• ethnicity
• gender
• age
• sexual orientation
• socioeconomic status
• physical abilities
• religious beliefs
• political beliefs
• and other ideologies.

Diversity acknowledges and celebrates the unique characteristics that make individuals different from one another.

Equity involves ensuring:

• fair treatment
• access
• opportunity
• advancement for all people while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.

Unlike equality, which provides the same resources to everyone, equity recognizes that different individuals may need different levels of support to achieve similar outcomes.

Inclusion is the practice of creating environments where any individual or group feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate.

It involves embracing and leveraging the diversity of:

• people’s backgrounds
• experiences
• and perspectives to create a culture of belonging where all individuals can thrive.

Together, these three concepts form a framework for creating workplaces and societies that are more representative, fair, and welcoming to all individuals, regardless of their background or identity.

What is anti-racism?

There is no DEI without an anti-racist approach.

According to The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Racism. Nobody Wins: Definitions of Key Terms, below are three types of racism:

• Interpersonal racism – this refers to behaviours between individuals such as negative comments and name-calling about a particular ethnic group, bullying, harassing and/or intimidating others due to their race. Casual racism masked as ‘jokes’ also qualify as interpersonal racism. This can occur in workplaces, online and in public.
• Systemic or structural racism – this refers to how institutions and structures fail to provide equity of opportunity and power to individuals due to their race. Systemic racism can manifest as less pathways to leadership due to racially determined ‘cultural fit’ which limits representation on boards and leadership teams. An example may include being invited to or engaging in particular activities such as golf that may disadvantage certain groups without access or exposure. This can result in perpetual social, socioeconomic and professional disadvantage for those impacted.
• Institutional racism – this refers to policies, practices and procedures in organizations and businesses that prevents and excludes participation of culturally diverse individuals. This may include hijab-bans in sports which excludes Muslim women athletes from competing.

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022, a National Anti-Racism Framework provides a guideline on the implementation of anti-racist standards and initiatives for:

• government
• organization
• businesses
• communities

Anti-racism zeroes in on systemic racism, which is fundamental for DEI efforts to be successful in workplaces.

What is cultural and linguistic diversity?

Cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) refers to the variety of different cultures and languages that exist within a society or organization.

Also known in the discourse as “people of colour”, cultural diversity recognizes and values the presence of multiple:  

• cultural backgrounds
• traditions
• beliefs
• and languages among individuals in a given population.

It acknowledges that people from various ethnic, racial, and geographic backgrounds contribute unique perspectives and experiences to society.

Linguistic diversity refers to the presence of multiple languages and dialects within a population. It includes not only different spoken languages but also sign languages and various forms of communication used by different groups.

Recognizing and embracing cultural and linguistic diversity is crucial for creating inclusive workplace environments, fostering mutual understanding, and leveraging the strengths that come from varied perspectives.

It plays a significant role in:

• shaping policies in education
• workplace practices
• social integration strategies in multicultural societies.

The Australian DEI context: CALD identities

According to the 2021 Census, just over 7 million people in Australia were born overseas, representing 27.6% of the population.

Research by McKinsey & Company in 2020 found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 36% more likely to have above-average profitability.

Diverse decision-making is also crucial in combating groupthink, a phenomenon where team members conform to a single perspective, often leading to suboptimal decisions.

In Australia, where 48% of the population has at least one parent born overseas, embracing diverse viewpoints can significantly enhance decision quality.

Is true diversity only something we can see?

When defining anti-racist DEI, it’s important to examine how diversity can manifest within organizations.

On a superficial level, many organizations may demonstrate active visual representation of diverse identities on:

• websites: images of CALD employees or teams within the organization
• social media posts: as above, with culturally inclusive language and emojis
• advertising collateral: using culturally diverse stock imagery, GIFs or video

In my experience, I have also seen organizations engage in seasonal celebration of diversity on culturally significant days such as:

• Harmony Day
• NAIDOC Week
• Lunar New Year
• Ramadan
• Diwali

While visual representation and events are key to elevating and celebrating cultural identities and awareness, they can also reinforce the novelty and tokenistic approaches to celebrating difference.

Elevating the diverse voice

Within popular culture, diverse identities tend to be represented on the axes of silent model minorities or radicalised public enemies.

My experience of inclusion in film and television during the 90s and 00s depicted ‘model’ culturally-diverse minorities as educated, respected (yet silent), professionals such as doctors.

To ensure workplace DEI isn’t simplified to diverse faces and amplifying the silent, model minority, consultation with a diversity of voices must be a fundamental part of any presiding policy and decision-making.

True diversity is in decision-making

According to the Governance Institute of Australia’s 2024 Board Diversity Index, 91% of board seats are held by people from an Anglo-Celtic background.

The study also found the overall percentage of board seats held by directors from culturally diverse backgrounds sits at 9%, which is unchanged from the year before.

It’s a simple equation.

If structural racism is not addressed and boards/leadership teams do not reflect diversity,

= diversity is not present at all levels

= diversity of voices are not heard

= diversity of decisions cannot be made.

Therefore, true DEI cannot exist and anti-racism standards have not been achieved.