Talking Diversity & Inclusion with Dr Parul Pandey at Oxford University Press

Dr Parul R Pandey

 

I started the journey of leading diversity and inclusion at Oxford University Press globally over a year ago. While I have significant experience in this field, I have found, as I always have, that despite the fact there is so much research to find on diversity and so many resources readily available, hearing first-hand lived experiences from your colleagues from all backgrounds is the very best way to implement processes and programmes that champion diversity and inclusion for all in the workplace. Using these insights to help formulate a culture at work where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves and belong and thrive is absolutely critical in every company’s D&I strategy.

When I first took on the role of leading D&I, I focused on our current business operations and performance, building a business case for why we needed to be more diverse, not only to benefit our employees and customers, but also to benefit OUP as business. The most valuable part of this process was the listening sessions, which were pivotal in formulating a diversity and inclusion strategy and a five-year plan at Oxford University Press, detailing the steps we would take to progress further.

But the listening sessions were not just helpful for understanding what diversity and inclusion means for everyone at OUP, they also helped me reflect on my own experiences and note that, in many ways, I have been privileged. Colleagues gave me real, honest insights into the experiences of how they feel vulnerable, with experiences from people all over the world taking part. It really made me reflect further on my journey and how I can further contribute to D&I at work.

Taking time to reflect on my journey

I consider myself an educated professional with a privileged economic background, a woman who has voice to influence. In simple terms, my contribution to my purpose has come from a position of comfort. Of course, I am not naïve in knowing that so many people in my country do not have the same opportunities, and while I lead the global agenda of equal opportunities for underrepresented people at Oxford University Press, I am aware that in my own country there are critical issues of socio- economic disparity, religion and caste divisions that are only getting deeper.  

Furthermore, being cis gender as female and a straight woman with children, this does afford a level of privilege which some people with different gender identities and sexual orientations may not feel they have. I did question, if I haven’t been through so many lived experiences like this, how can I ensure that all voices are truly heard? These paradoxes really became acutely apparent to me during the sessions, and I did slightly question my own purpose in this newly discovered discomfort.

Once the dust settled and I processed the experiences of my colleagues, of course I know I cannot live through all of them, and nobody leading a D&I programme can, I worked to find the answer to the key question on how to best champion inclusivity in the workplace that talks to everyone. To do that, you literally need to talk to everyone who feels empowered enough to share their insights, while acknowledging many don’t.

What really matters to employees?

Through this experience of talking with my colleagues and understanding how diverse perceptions and perspectives are essential in understanding our own identity, I gained amazing insights on how a robust diversity and inclusion programme needs to engage colleagues. We all understand the process of engagement and designing of policies, but what we often miss out on is HOW to listen, HOW to articulate, and HOW to connect with people who identify themselves (whether disclosed or undisclosed) with different identity groups.

Along with understanding their experiences, the following elements really did shine out as particularly important elements which we must prioritize as a business:

1.  Everyone, including people in the majority groups, wants their ‘uniqueness’ recognized in all they do

Research on ‘Colorblind vs. multi-cultural ideology’ talks about how inclusion for all, (meaning we don’t see the differences), can undermine minorities and isolate the underrepresented. However, multicultural ideology tables these differences and celebrates them and has proven to be more effective. After all, OUP is a place where we want you to come as you are, be who you are, and celebrate each person’s individual background.

2.  The biggest challenge in creating an inclusive organization is to ‘translate intent to lived experience’

Each colleague, particularly managers and leaders, need to be a part of creating inclusive experiences, and if the managers themselves don’t feel included or safe to voice their authentic selves, there is no way the employee experience will be as intended. What’s needed is a holistic approach with sustained action to codify the right behaviours and make them part of an organization’s DNA.

 3.  Meanings are in people and people live within their cultural contexts

In my conversations with colleagues, I saw that people from one country or region, irrespective of their identity, were more similar with their identity groups than in another country. For example, the issue of representation of women was not as critical in Hong Kong as it was in India and Pakistan, whereas the issue of racial equality was clearly more prominent in the US and the UK. While of course I expected significant differences for each country, the stark differences of the pivotal issues in each market shone a light on the importance of cultural nuances and incorporating this into business operations.

What this highlights is that we are all unique, and by embracing and celebrating our differences, we can work towards a truly diverse and inclusive workplace. Ideally everybody, not just people working in diversity and inclusion, need to talk with colleagues, hear their stories, and understand their lived experiences. From this, we can learn so much more.