Historically, Finland has been considered a pioneer in terms of equality and Finnish organizations have a lot of knowledge about the importance and benefits of inclusion, diversity and equity. But what has actually been done at the operational and practical level?
KPMG wanted to examine how successful organizations in Finland are currently taking inclusion, diversity and equity into account in their operations. Our goal is to raise public awareness of the phenomena of equity in corporate governance culture.
—We wanted to identify, highlight and learn from good practices in promoting inclusion, diversity and equity. The study was conducted by KPMG IMPACT Influencer Community that aims at advancing sustainability and ESG topics in our organization, says Minna Tuominen-Thuesen, Advisory Partner Impact & Change.
The journey towards a more inclusive society has begun – observations from the interviews
In the majority of the 22 participating organizations, the journey towards an inclusive, diverse and equal workplace has already begun, and these themes are expected to be an important part of future practice. However, organizational maturity varies widely, with some organizations only at an early stage of promoting the themes.
Motives for change
In organizations that are further along in their journey, investing in inclusion, diversity and equity is a key component of improving employee experience and ensuring well-being at work. Diversity is also recognized as introducing new perspectives, networks, and cultural empathy to the workplace.
Barriers to progress
Organizations have actively raised diversity and related issues in public debate but embedding these values in their everyday life has remained a challenge. In addition, the capacity of organizations to monitor and verify progress on diversity and related issues is still mostly underdeveloped.
Leadership matters
The role and importance of leadership in building an inclusive, diverse and equal culture in organizations is crucial.
