There is no refuting that the most successful organisations are innovative, excellent at decision making, and able to recruit and retain talented staff. Evidence shows that the secret to unlocking success is diversity and inclusion at all levels of an organisation. Yet higher education providers (HEPS) continue to struggle to make real progress in this area. In this blog I explore why social inclusion is essential for successful HEPs and offer some practical steps you can take to make a difference.
As a sector, we value innovation and critical thinking deeply, we strive to protect the time and freedom to be able to explore the world through different perspectives. Research now shows that when a team consists of people from different races, genders, sexualities, abilities, identities and ages, and work in a culture that values and supports difference, it leads to a 20% increase in innovation, and improved problem solving and decision making (Deloitte 2021).
