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Tokenism or true inclusion: Time to introspect
Tokenism or true inclusion: Time to introspect

September 29, 2022

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How often do you hear the term “woman leader”? Often enough, I presume. How about the term “men leaders”? Not as common, isn’t it? Many times, we see someone being invited to a conference or panel based on their diverse identity rather than their role. I can personally recount multiple instances when I was included solely for my gender instead of my professional competence. Far from gratification, such token gestures made me feel slighted and undervalued. Over the years, these experiences have hardened my stand against tokenism.

Tokenism is a symbolic effort to include someone in a group purely for the sake of sounding or looking diverse. Tokenism happens when organizations resort to superficial gestures to demonstrate inclusion without being genuinely invested in the notion. With diversity and inclusion becoming a business imperative in the recent times, organizations are keen to showcase that they are equitable employers. But sometimes, the pursuit of diversity ends up in tokenism.

Tokenism can exist in multiple levels – individual, organizational, and societal. Intentional or otherwise, it is a dangerous trap that can lead to complacency leading to a false sense of fulfilment. In the journey of inclusion, it hence becomes imperative to constantly self-reflect and ask ourselves these hard, and sometimes uncomfortable, questions:

  • Am I a passionate ally or a performative ally? Allyship is the foundation of inclusion. But when it is done to increase one's social capital rather than passion for the cause, it becomes performative allyship. Believe in the cause when you pledge to be an ally. It is never enough to just state that “I am supportive”; demonstrate your intent by calling out bad behavior. Make use of allyship trainings and tools to understand how effectively you can play your role. All the time, keep an ear to the ground for it is as important to listen as it is to speak up.
  • Does my organization look beyond perfunctory numbers? Employees are not numbers, they are people. Hiring or promoting individuals to prevent criticism or meet a diversity quota can be counter-productive, resulting in the token employees feeling unappreciated and pressurized. Devise your hiring policies to give equal opportunities. Focus on leadership training in addition to the traditional upskilling. Remember, being an equitable employer is more than just ticking the boxes.
  • Are my organization’s diverse leaders empowered to influence decisions? A diverse leadership is more than a decorative agenda; it is a responsibility. In some cases, members who don't have the necessary skills and experience are elevated to leadership roles just to represent diversity. In some others, diverse leaders work with their hands tied with no say in crucial decisions. Both the scenarios represent a regressive attitude. Organizations should stop looking at diverse leaders as the ‘face’ of inclusion; rather they should be recognized as the ‘voice’.
  • Is my workforce ready to embrace inclusion? A diverse workforce is one that has individuals from a variety of backgrounds including gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity and race. Until employees are conditioned to acknowledge and appreciate each other’s differences, true inclusion will remain a far cry. Organize training programs with a razor-sharp focus on improving employees’ awareness and maturity (and not your metrics around trainings). The trainings should educate employees to inculcate cultural appreciation, avoid unconscious bias, use inclusive language and foster a growth mindset. Do your male colleagues participate in Women’s Day celebrations? Does your Pride Month involve the general workforce beyond the active allies? Think out of the box to engage your employees in meaningful commemorations.
  • Is my workplace ready to welcome diversity? Intent matters. More so does action. Some organizations may be well-meaning, but their inclusion initiatives could be lacking. For instance, an organization might aggressively hire persons with disabilities, but basic facilities such as ramps, Braille signs and accessible restrooms could be left wanting. Plug the logistic loopholes first; they are low-hanging fruits. At the human level, craft employee assistance programs to promote the mental wellbeing of employees. A safe space, both physical and emotional, can go a long way in making employees feel that they belong.

Leaders play a critical role in influencing behavior and driving an inclusive mindset among their workforces. A study by Harvard Business Review found that teams with inclusive leaders were 17% more likely to report that they are high performing, 20% more likely to say they make high-quality decisions, and 29% more likely to report behaving collaboratively. More importantly, it was found that a 10% improvement in perceptions of inclusion increased work attendance by almost one day a year per employee, reducing the cost of absenteeism. Ganesh Kalyanaraman, Senior Vice President at Cognizant, emphasizes the role of leaders. He says, “Inclusion is a key behavior that every leader needs to possess and develop on an ongoing basis. It is not a good-to-have trait, rather it is a behavior that is mandatory to enrich our business model. It is the leaders’ responsibility to ensure that the initiatives are well thought-through and implemented with passion and ownership. We need to have metrics in place to track progress at the executive level – that is the best way to avoid tokenism.”

It is encouraging to see business leaders not just walk the talk but take measurable action. After all, inclusion is not a program; it is a mindset. Taking actions beyond token gestures can have the strongest impact on employee feelings of belonging and trust. And when organizations win trust, they win the power to overcome any and every challenge that comes their way.


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Global Inclusion Lead - Cognizant

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