The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off

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Unconscious and Unintentional Bias

Mark vividly recalls a conversation with a senior-level hiring manager, Phil, who leads a sales team. The company where Phil worked was very profitable and was located in a part of the country that was quite diverse in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age. Mark was working on a project to increase the sales division’s ability to acquire and develop more diverse talent and a more diverse customer base. Phil was resistant, however; he didn’t feel it was necessary, felt business was good, and didn’t see a lot of value to be unlocked by increasing the diversity of the talent pool and client base.

Mark and Phil had several meetings, at the urging of the divisional executive. Mark recalls ...