World of work: How to unravel prejudices
Especially in the world of work, diverse teams are more successful. Which screw needs to be turned for this.
“As a candidate in the million-dollar show, I don’t choose three lawyers as telephone jokers,” Diana Unterberger puts it in a nutshell, “but try to cover the whole spectrum of life.” Unterberger has been Diversity Manager at Salzburger Sparkasse for more than four years and is also responsible for raising awareness of the extent to which different talents, perspectives and ways of life enrich your company. In today’s highly complex working world, different perspectives are needed, the experience of older people, the innovative drive of young people, Unterberger knows from everyday business life. Incidentally, diversity and openness have a positive effect on the satisfaction of the reasons; they change less.
The numbers speak for themselves, also in economic terms: A McKinsey study from 2018 shows that companies with mixed-gender management teams have a 21 percent higher chance of economic success than those that attach little importance to gender diversity.
courage for self-empowerment
Still the biggest taboo when it comes to diversity: sexual orientation and gender identity. Just under half of all LGBTLIQ* people are open about it at work – for fear of discrimination. For Conny Felice, managing director of the Hosi Salzburg interest group, open dialogue is crucial when it comes to overcoming fears of contact. For her, diversity management is not a one-way street: “Companies are not challenged alone. I also have to break cover, become visible myself, approach people proactively. If I remain victimized, I give others the authority to interpret me.” As a social worker in the municipal building in Vienna, Felice was often confronted with clumsy statements. “The question was: How do I react? With humor? Or do I withdraw offended?” Anyone who feels comfortable with themselves does not perceive questions from others as an attack, but as what they often are: genuine interest or an expression of their own insecurity.
Diversity makes life, Felice is convinced. “But when different values and traditions collide, there is definitely potential for conflict.” How to mitigate this? “By creating spaces that enable an appreciative exchange. In companies, however, there is often a fear that as soon as you make diversity an issue, you will open a barrel.” Felice will take this fear away in a workshop together with the Salzburger Bildungswerk (see below); Hosi Salzburg also encourages dialogue in schools, companies and medical facilities.
Nevertheless, when it comes to diversity and inclusion, there is room for improvement in Austria. A 2020 Stepstone survey shows that diversity management does not play a major role in 60 percent of companies. Only one in three companies actually has equal opportunities in recruiting. One group is particularly affected: those with a migration background – after all, more than two million people. “We are no longer dealing with a shortage of skilled workers, but rather of staff. Especially in systemically relevant areas such as cleaning, storage, logistics. Are people with a migration background or a first language other than German left out in recruiting,” criticizes Oguzhan Köse. With his ethno-marketing agency OK Consult, the Austrian-Turk offers intercultural advice and looks for potential buyers for large corporations and public institutions. For this he uses targeted club newspapers, TV stations or Facebook groups of the individual ethnic communities. “You can’t reach these groups via the classic career platforms. Some don’t speak sufficient German, others have just gotten their first smartphone or don’t even have an email address. You can’t expect them to click through job portals and upload data” , Köse describes the problem. His tip for approaching ethnic groups with respect: “It’s the little things that count. It is nice, for example, when companies express congratulations on cultural festivals and public holidays.”
Steps to Raising Awareness
It was Albert Einstein who said it was easier to split an atomic nucleus than a prejudice. “In the world of work, this means that our experiences and influences influence who we hire, how we evaluate people, how we promote them,” says Diana Unterberger. “Even if we don’t want to admit it.” One of her tasks as an organizational developer is to make decision-makers aware of exactly this. Even simple means such as gender-neutral formulations can make the recruiting process more inclusive. At the Salzburger Sparkasse, there are separate training courses for HR managers to avoid making instinctive decisions and to ensure more objectivity. “The most important thing is to address and discuss things that may go wrong. This is the only way they can be lived differently another time. An open, appreciative corporate culture doesn’t just happen.”
TRAINING TIPS
The Methods Academy is a further training track of the Salzburger Bildungswerk, which is primarily aimed at volunteers from cultural work and community development. “But all other interested parties can also benefit from it,” Brigitte Singer, head of the Methods Academy, is convinced.
The special approach of the academy: “We want to create spaces that are as non-discriminatory as possible, in which an open exchange is possible. That is the basis for any community building,” explains the educator and social worker. Groups are deliberately kept small, limited to a maximum of 18 people. Empathetic, curious and not afraid of judgement, those willing to learn can exchange ideas with each other, learn from each other how projects can be successfully implemented and methodically strengthen their soft skills. The workshops are easily accessible, pick people up where they are and give them skills that they can put to good use in their voluntary work or other activities. The speakers come from a wide variety of disciplines, have different backgrounds of experience and invite you to get to know various methodical approaches. They also impart working techniques for adult education.
Five workshops each invite interested parties in the fall and spring semesters, each on a Friday afternoon. The topics are wide-ranging: The next item on the program is how to skilfully avoid making mistakes when it comes to diversity. Modules on body language, positive communication and social media await in spring. “Due to Corona, we have greatly expanded the online area. We received individual modules from it,” says Singer. The entire semester package does not have to be booked; Module can be selected individually according to need and interest.
Next appointment: “Afraid of the diversity trap? Avoiding discrimination in everyday life.”
Speaker: Conny Felice.
Friday, January 20, 2023, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
Salzburg educational institute, Strubergasse 18, 5020 Salzburg.
Registration:[email protected]
More info:www.salzburgerbildungswerk.at