Allied Brazil

Daniela Pereira

Fortunately, advances in the diversity and inclusion agenda in the business environment, which had already been growing in recent years, were even more expressive in 2021. If, on the one hand, the pandemic brought many restrictions and indescribable impacts for everyone, on the other hand, there was also a profound revision in the way we relate: with the other and with ourselves. In this context, themes such as purpose, belonging, and valuing differences come to occupy a prominent place in the strategic agendas of the business world.

A recent heating up in the job market (which remained retracted during the most intense years of the pandemic), associated with the new relationships conquered, made people rethink: what do they do? why them? How can they contribute by being themselves and seeking increasingly inclusive and healthy environments? Keeping the focus on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion will help to tread a path of success in the coming years, and I could already observe some trends for the theme, among them:

1- Post-pandemic inclusive thinking: The pandemic presented us with the need to bring new, fast and disruptive solutions. The diversity of profiles, thoughts, and experiences was fundamental for us to adapt to changes. In the post-COVID-19, it is noted that senior leaders bring to companies a more inclusive, humane, and empathetic thinking toward people. And this thinking continues as a trend, as it is essential to attract, mobilize and engage talents.

Inclusive thinking and a flexible mind make the people of the organization feel welcomed and represented within the corporate environment, generating better results and greater engagement.

2- Minority representation on boards of directors: in 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the US stock market regulator, passed a measure that requires companies listed on Nasdaq to have two leaders considered different on their boards of directors, one being a woman and the other from a minority group. The adaptation period is two to five years.

And this trend should come to Brazil! The CVM published new guidelines for public companies at the end of December. From now on, they need to declare gender, race, and age representation by rung in the hierarchy.

This measure is the kick-off of a major structural change that is to come in companies, and its degree of importance is maximum since the new generations do not admit the lack of representation in corporations.

“Disruptive thinking and more diversified boards are part of the expectation for the year 2022”

In this sense, companies begin to structure programs with increasingly effective actions, governance, and indicators, not only to eliminate bottlenecks but also to intentionally promote the inclusion of minority groups and reduce differences.

3 - Women in technology: the area of ​​technology has been growing exponentially in recent years, but it has always been a place dominated by the presence of men. According to data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed (CAGED), women represent only 20 percent of these professionals in the country. But this scenario has been changing in the last five years there has been a 60 percent growth in the participation of women in the IT area.

For this and the next few years, a substantial increase in female technology is expected. According to the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea), in 10 years, female participation in the Brazilian labor market should grow more than male participation in several segments – and technology is one of them.

4 – People management: in recent years, the focus of companies has been on the employee's journey, with their experience at the center of decisions. As a trend, the management of individual needs stands out. People started to be perceived as integral beings, vulnerable, and with many potentialities and individualities. As a result, companies started to create plans that respect expectations and unique potentialities. Other points are the search for equity in the processes, new ways of retaining talent, development with a focus on strengths as drivers of results, and satisfaction and happiness at work.

5 - Focus on the safe environment: in addition to psychological safety, the safe environment became the focus of this year's actions. More and more companies feel the need to provide a safe and healthy environment for their employees, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the growing cases of burnout.

According to the ISMA-BR, International Stress Management Association, Brazil is the second country with the highest number of workers affected by burnout. In addition, Brazil leads the ranking of people with anxiety and when it comes to depression, we are in 5th, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

With this in mind, investing in the continuous training of leaders, as well as identifying needs and creating programs that support the health of employees and guarantee a safe environment, become fundamental roles for companies, as a way of strengthening the culture and protecting the relationships built.