Diversity Talks 2024: Turning challenges into change

With notably slower progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — and an all-out ‘woke backlash’ in some markets, it may seem that diversity programmes are no longer the imperative that they were just four years ago. 

But against a milieu of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever to ensure that less-visible aspects of DEI such as neurodiversity, mental wellbeing, social class, and generational diversity, do not fall by the wayside.

In the fourth annual edition of Diversity Talks, Campaign Asia-Pacific reunited with EssenceMediacom to discuss how companies must evolve their DEI practices to meet the needs of the time and turn challenges into positive change.

Watch the on-demand sessions here.

Taking an intersectional approach to socioeconomic class in APAC

(Clockwise from top-left) Wendy Siew, managing director, Japan, EssenceMediacom; Apoorva Bapna, chief culture officer, WPP; Robert Sawatzky, editorial director, Campaign Asia-Pacific; Reynold D'Silva, CEO, Chope

Despite being tied to how people perceive and engage with the world, socioeconomic disparity has historically received less attention than gender and racial diversity or sexual orientation. 

According to Wendy Siew, managing director, Japan, EssenceMediacom it was because of the subtlety of class-based prejudice, when compared to gender expression or race, which are defined with greater clarity within companies’ policy books or culture. 

But to examine class in isolation would be to miss the forest for the trees. Apoorva Bapna, chief culture officer, WPP, outlined how India’s foundational class system has led to “a class distinction that manifests in work, education, and the general social fabric,” as well as the urban-rural divide and division between cities of different tiers. 

Panellists believed technological advancements could help with socioeconomic diversity in workplaces. The post-pandemic shift towards remote work lowered entry barriers for those based outside metros. Reynold D’Silva, CEO, Chope Group commended regionally-founded businesses for being more “hungry for diverse talent” compared to MNCs, which skewed towards headquarters’ geographies as well as “education, language, and class” when hiring. “You need to find ways to not only recruit, but also include and leverage talent from across these barriers,” said D’Silva. He singled out a recently launched feature in Google Meet that auto-generates captions for people speaking different languages as an example of progress towards facilitating a “free flow of business communication.”  

EssenceMediacom is now making a conscious effort to diverge from the “big recruitment exercise” practised by most firms in Japan. It aims to advertise roles on global platforms, reaching applicants with an international life view. Even briefing documents were due for a re-examination. Siew said, “How often do you have a brief aimed at high-net-worth individuals or upwardly mobile target audiences?” Growing awareness paired with advancements in adtech could allow advertisers to listen better and “really challenge some of these opening assumptions in categorisations and planning for target audience.” 

Though socioeconomic diversity is not a specific focus for WPP’s messaging, Bapna recognised the role of advertising in shaping social narratives. She called for “progressive portrayals” and within an organisational context, urged companies to take “extreme care” to minimise socioeconomic discrimination. This could be done by developing “inclusion as a skill” through employee training.

Bridging the gap between mental health and neurodiversity in the workplace

The advantages that neurodiversity brings to the workforce are well-documented — provided neurodivergent employees are given the right conditions to thrive: an open and supportive workplace that does not shy away from discussing mental health or potential triggers. 

At Mable, an Australian platform that connects people with disabilities to support workers, inclusivity is a core value said head of marketing and communications Guillaume Papillon. Understanding the importance of first impressions, candidates are asked if they need any accommodations at the interview stage. Managers discuss mental health with team members during regular check-ins. Instead of framing mental health as a crisis, it is included in holistic wellbeing. Such a positioning helps soften discussions around mental health, especially when taking “cultural norms and sensitivities in each market” into consideration, said Gordon Geraghty, performance manager, Australia, EssenceMediacom. He hoped that the stigma around mental wellbeing can be reduced to the point where people “talk about going to therapy, just as we would about physiotherapy.”

However, this cannot take place in a void of information. Pippa Berlocher, CEO, ANZ,  EssenceMediacom underscored the importance of surveys and audits to gain a better understanding. A mental health audit conducted by the Black Dog Institute gave EssenceMediacom a baseline of staff mental health to determine “the right strategies and approach on how we move forward.”

EssenceMediacom’s partnership with autism advocacy organisation Amaze has helped establish more inclusive processes within the company. Geraghty — who sits on Amaze’s board — spoke of how the organisation is working with corporations to reshape how they hire and make jobs “immediately more accessible to neurodiverse people,” as well as training managers and HR to get the most out of neurodiverse staff. While this was a massive undertaking, it was also critical since, as Geraghty observed, neurodivergent people are “three times more likely to be unemployed than neurotypical people,” while neurodiverse staff tend to be “undervalued and under-resourced” across sectors.

Papillon saw the pandemic as a watershed moment in understanding that a standard “9-to-5 job” does not work for many, including the neuroatypical. Some of the neurodiverse-friendly practices Mable has in place include fully hybrid working, not requiring employees to be on-camera during calls, and renovating office spaces based on employee input. 

With higher rates of anxiety and depression recorded among neurodivergent people, Geraghty emphasised that colleagues and managers can make a world of difference by simply “showing up” and providing appropriate support. Citing a Harvard Business Review article which stated that a neurodivergent person can be “140% more productive than the average neurotypical person” in the right environment, Geraghty said, “We can do that by supporting them the way they want support. It starts from the grassroots all the way through policy, but as managers, we contribute every single day in those micro-moments.”

Managers also need to prepare themselves for an ongoing learning process. “Leadership is a learned skill,” Berlocher concluded, “You don’t always get it right because different people respond to different management styles.” 

What does DEI mean to Gen X?

(Clockwise from top-left) Rupert McPetrie, CEO APAC, EssenceMediacom; Gordon Geraghty, performance manager, Australia, EssenceMediacom; Rahat Kapur, editor, Campaign Asia-Pacific; Stephanie Ng, global head of marketing, HSBC

Gen Xers are now the predominant cohort within leadership teams. They have a front-row seat to change in work culture: the rise of the internet, the advancement of social progress, and the shift to remote work. 

Reflecting on how DEI has evolved through his near three-decade long career, Rupert McPetrie, CEO APAC, EssenceMediacom said that when he first began working, companies would have deemed DEI as a “secondary consideration.” In addition, he recalled how DEI efforts tended to be “very linear.” He added, “Today, DEI is a foundational element of not just businesses, but across society. The scope is multifaceted, and society more attuned to intersectionality of those aspects of DEI.”

In observing the differences between age groups, McPetrie expressed admiration for the “fearlessness” of younger generations. He said, “There are issues that I would not have put on the table 25 years ago, even if I felt quite passionately. But regardless of your title, Gen Z will approach you and ask that things be fixed.” That culture of demanding better is “good for people, communities, and business,” he enthused.

It’s a culture that McPetrie believes needs to be “both top down and bottom up” to ensure the business “becomes a reflection of the entire team.” Internal events such as EssenceMediacom’s recent Futures Fest, which engaged employees from younger generations to share “what makes them tick; what’s interesting and motivational to them” are instrumental in facilitating intergenerational understanding and collaboration. McPetrie opined that such forums, in their versatility, could provide an “absolutely critical” feedback loop for organisations to take the temperature on topics from “agile working all the way through to sustainability and the various facets of DEI.” 

Acknowledging that DEI progress is a “continuous journey,” Stephanie Ng, global head of marketing, HSBC, underscored the importance of making “active efforts to put structure and programmes in place to address issues.” At HSBC, she participated in creating a female mentorship programme where emerging women leaders collaborate with senior leaders for a year of one-to-one mentorship. With such initiatives, Ng advised that companies “build trust and transparency” by connecting results to key metrics.

Looking towards the future, McPetrie believed successful organisations would meet the current and future generations’ “high level of expectation on continued progress.” He concluded, “We have to consciously drive action, awareness, and advocacy, because our talent pipeline makes a choice to come to us or not.”