Building a compelling and impactful story around the themes of diversity and inclusion requires a deliberate, intentional and genuine approach. It involves identifying the main issues and challenges that exist in society and in the workplace, highlighting the experiences and perspectives of minority/marginalized groups, demonstrating all their value and importance.
In companies, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion is essential to attract and retain talent, drive systemic innovation and, above all, achieve business success. And what brings this information is a McKinsey study where it also says that more diverse companies have results such as:
Sensedia is step-by-step achieving significant advances to create a more inclusive workplace, starting for example with the formation of the PertenSER squad - which has been working on diversity and inclusion issues since 2020 and extending to the creation of the Groups of Affinity and holding the plurality week in 2023 - now in its third edition.
Squad or Grupo PertenSER, offers a safe and voluntary support space for Sensediers, who are or identify with any of the minority/marginalized groups, to share their experiences, connect with each other and advocate for change. By doing this, it is possible to break down barriers and promote greater understanding and empathy within the organization, in addition to increasing dialogues inside and outside the company.
Another work we have is the Plurality Week (Plural Week), an initiative that involves the entire company, in addition to people who are not at Sensedia - including external guests, with the aim of raising awareness and promoting dialogue around diversity and inclusion issues. It results from a series of internal activities and events and results in lectures, workshops and panels, which encourage our Sensediers to get involved and learn from each other - and helps to demystify issues that are not discussed in the day-to-day rush.
Participating in these initiatives and earning a new Great Place To Work certification, of course, not only demonstrates Sensedia's commitment to the theme of diversity and inclusion, but also shows that we are walking in the right path and puts us on a higher level of reference to be followed by other companies - and that is a great pride.
To make a positive difference in the corporate world and to contribute to a fairer and more equitable society is our goal. And we are in this process - not so far ahead, not so far behind and as I said before: we must bring this into the companies as something genuine and that needs the spotlight within the executive discussions - with leaders who also embrace, study and really promote the theme.
Building an effective story and strategy around this theme requires a strategic and reflective approach - it's no small effort and requires strong, consistent and inclusive leadership, but the benefits are immeasurable.
Through initiatives such as the PertenSER group, the Affinity groups and the Plurality Week, Sensedia is taking significant steps to make a real difference in the lives of its Sensediers and the community in general. By prioritizing topics related to diversity and inclusion, we can create a world where everyone feels valued, respected, included and belonging.
For me, understanding myself as a gay man and looking at all the other letters that go beyond an acronym, brings me the possibility of understanding that there is a future of coexistence, intersections and an increasingly diverse and humane world.