Tag: diversity and inclusion

The good news is: the digital marketing revolution is far from over and it’s providing new and exciting opportunities for marketing professionals to raise brand awareness and expand market share. Last year's important trend, personalisation, continues to be relevant as customers demand that their brands understand them better.

The world has changed irrevocably and a new way of life and work in every aspect is now a reality. This requires HR to review its priorities and place renewed emphasis on 'being human' and building effective human systems and human organisations.

OVID-19 has shone a sharp spotlight on diversity and inclusion (D&I) in our organisations. The pandemic has had a harder impact on many diverse groups, including women, working parents and LGBTQ+ employees, with magnified challenges around caring for family and working. As we ponder what our future world of work will look like, there’s never been a better time for us to make our D&I initiatives even more inclusive, by encouraging dialogue across all hierarchical levels and enabling creativity and innovation.

The unique perspective and benefits that women leaders bring to the businesses, communities and countries that they head is well-known. There is a growing body of research showcasing the evidence of these advantages: from better market share, to lower levels of job stress, burnout, anxiety and depression, and even better handling of the outbreak of the pandemic.

With South Africa’s BPO industry voted the most favoured offshore CX delivery location in 2021 in the annual Ryan Strategic Advisory BPO Omnibus Survey, the burgeoning sector is well positioned to play a critical role in ‘Impact Sourcing’. 

Rapid technological adoption offers possibilities alongside the responsibility to ensure that it is inclusive, not manipulated by bad actors and that it is used for the greater good of society. Today, the global pandemic has brought our inter-connectedness and humanity to the fore.

I asked the only woman to have made it to the senior ranks of a leading bank to what she attributed her success. “I was fortunate,” she said. “The bank hired a coach to teach me how to act and react like a man. I was even taught techniques to stop tears when I felt emotional.” Today this practice would be unacceptable, but the attitude still manifests in other ways.