ESG
“ UNCONSCIOUS BIASES SHAPE WORKPLACE CULTURES , AND , IF LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES , CAN FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CERTAIN GROUPS FEEL EXCLUDED OR UNDERVALUED ”
CLARE STEPHENS VP OF DIVERSITY , EQUITY & INCLUSION , NTT DATA
leaders to ensure all candidates receive fair and equal treatment – starting from the way in which the job description is written .
Supporting this , Stephens shares the need to encourage inclusive hiring practices to ensure that diverse perspectives are included in the decision-making processes . “ At NTT DATA , we champion internal Employee Resource Groups ,” she comments . “ These groups bring together both individuals with shared characteristics or backgrounds and those who may not share these things , but still wish to champion inclusion and foster support and understanding in the workplace .
“ We are also proud to support our Women in Business , Neurodiversity , LGBT +, Parents , Culture & Ethnicity , and Health & Wellbeing Networks . We are constantly looking for ways to improve and work across networks to foster inclusion and consider intersectionality across groups . We also partner with external organisations across these groups to ensure that we are benefiting from best practices and taking guidance , both internally and externally , as we look to be an even better employer .”
Two specific types of bias should be understood too – affinity bias , which is when individuals tend to favour others who share similar interests , backgrounds and experiences as they do , and confirmation bias , which is when individuals process information by looking for or interpreting information that is consistent with their existing beliefs . Both of these biases needed to be thoroughly understood by hiring managers , to ensure they don ’ t impact candidates .
“ These are a subject that is close to my heart ,” Stephens shares , “ and at NTT DATA , we want to promote a recruitment process that is both inclusive and accessible . To reduce biases , we ’ ve just completed a review of all our job descriptions , considering their language and tone , with the aim of reflecting a more inclusive environment .
“ We want to create an environment that encourages people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply . This is why we have removed the mandatory degree qualification requirement from all roles without an explicit need for this level of formal education . We have also just obtained the UK Government ’ s Disability Confident certification as part of our desire to ensure accessibility for all .” sustainabilitymag . com 85