Why workplace diversity and inclusion should not be a numbers game

1. This article is part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

2. There's a business case for workplace diversity and gender parity.To foster inclusivity, companies must make meaningful cultural change.Companies can take steps to remove unconscious bias in hiring and in the workplace as well as remove physical barriers to inclusivity. In today’s numbers-driven economy, it’s all too easy to think of diversity and inclusion as just another target to meet. But within an organization, having a balance of gender, ethnicity or ages (for example) does not automatically result in inclusivity. Illustrating the economy’s failure to be diverse and inclusive through numbers is a powerful visualization of today’s stark reality. Hard numbers – such as the 99.5 years that it will take to close the global gender gap – draw attention to the scale of the problem. But in searching for a solution, we must do more than just try to balance up the figures.