Why Investing in D&I Makes Good Business Sense

What do you picture when you hear the word scientist? A male boffin in a white coat? You’re not alone.

Preconceptions and algorithms perpetuate stereotypes, and few more so than the single narrative of the lone white male scientist.

But Rachel Youngman is challenging, and changing, this.

Born to a single mother in the 1960s, Rachel was put up for adoption and grew up as a mixed race child in a white Home Counties family. She says: “I was incredibly lucky to be adopted into such a happy and loving family, but the challenge was that I looked nothing like them.

“In our small Surrey village, people would stare at me. My mum says that people would look at her, look in the pram, look back at her again and think, sometimes out loud, ‘how did that happen?’ At my christening, one elderly lady said to my dad ‘it’s great what you’ve done, but what are you going to do when she grows up and doesn’t speak English?’. That tells you something about the time.”

A passion for social justice

Given her upbringing – Rachel’s adoptive father and mother were a lawyer and social worker respectively – it’s no wonder social justice and equality run deep through her veins. She currently chairs the board at women’s charity Hibiscus which supports black and minority ethnic women caught up in the criminal justice and immigration system. But for all her image as a social justice warrior, she has a strong business acumen and determination to bring success to organisations. She is well known for not shying away from the difficult decisions, as earning a reputation for successfully restructuring organisations has shown.

As Deputy CEO at the Institute of Physics, Rachel launched the IOP’s first ever influencing campaign – Limit Less – which works to tackle the barriers, stereotypes and myths that stop more girls and students from minority backgrounds into physics. 

The reasons for this are clear – a more diverse pool brings more talent. More people studying physics means more people in vital jobs such as engineering, helping to combat climate change, innovation for a better society or teaching the next generation. 

Campaigning is tough. “It is so unhelpful that the word ‘woke’ has been hijacked by the popular press, rather than the focus being on the enormous value of diversity and inclusion,” says Rachel. “There is so much that is positive in creating awareness and appreciation of our differences as well as what we have in common, and the world around us. Physics needs that as much as any sector.”

Whilst she stresses the moral and ethical importance of inclusion, Rachel is equally keen to show its business value. 

“McKinsey research has shown that diversity of background, experience and thought brings richer contributions to a business and has been proven to build high performing teams and better innovation. This is something we really value at IOP” says Rachel.

And employees are increasingly interested in the issue too. A recent Deloitte survey showed that 69% of millennials and Gen Z-ers would be much more likely to work for an employer for more than five years if it had a diverse workforce. In a survey by a recruitment company 58% of job seekers said a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential when evaluating companies and job offers.

But while diversity makes good business sense, some sectors and employers still struggle to widen their pool.  So what are the answers? 

Achieving D&I in the workplace

“Young people increasingly choose who they want to work for based on a company’s values. To show you are committed to diversity is the first step towards attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.

“From a business point of view, we need to understand who is working for us and to build trends to see progress as well as challenges over time.”

The job of a leader doesn’t stop when we have a more diverse workforce and an HR strategy. 

Rachel says: “It is not enough to put a diverse team in place. Without inclusion, there is no glue for diversity to stick. If people do not feel heard or valued they will move on, it’s as simple as that. 

“Part of a leader’s ethical responsibility is to show that that inclusion is a key part of what makes a business successful. Budget will need to be allocated but also a good time allocation for teams to explore ways to make system changes that can develop an inclusive culture.

“It is important that employees are given a safe space where they can air concerns or raise issues and know their voices are heard.

“One way leaders can show their commitment is by reporting on ethnicity pay. Whilst not a statutory requirement, it is an important way to understand and be transparent about a problem and create the right solutions. Otherwise, the hard work to create a diverse workforce won’t take hold.

“Whether I am speaking to a charity or a corporate audience, I encourage leaders to listen to employees through focus groups, networks or simply one to one. We have to make time to do that. Almost daily at IOP I see that the best solutions are those that are co-created by teams with diverse voices. You have to work with people who are not like you, sound like you or think like you.”

Building on success of D&I achievements

So what next for Rachel?

“For now I’m committed to building on the successes that the Limit Less campaign has already achieved. We are learning what works all the time.  Science is too important, for the good health of society and the global challenges we face, to fail,” she says. 

She adds: “Evidence shows there is a higher impact of climate change on girls and women by exacerbating existing gender inequality. Diversity of science teams creating the solutions is really important.  I’d go as far as saying that without diversity and the inclusion glue, the planet is at greater risk. 

“I’ve been so lucky to have a career spanning three powerful pillars in society. Having worked in the legal profession, social justice and now science, I know it is entirely possible to achieve systemic change to diversity and inclusion and answer difficult ethical questions.  I’m passionate about making that happen. 

“There are difficult decisions to be made with changes to how we all want to live and work and the affordability.  We are already seeing a far greater demand on those of us in leadership roles to think about who we are responsible to and that must include our current and future employees, customers, clients, supporters and broader society as we make complex decisions.

“I want to see lawyers, scientists, business leaders, financial and social justice experts all working together particularly around complex issues of sustainability, and not just my generation but with the younger generations.

“I’m sure whatever I do, it will include all those elements that are so important to me.”

• To learn more about Rachel Youngman’s work on diversity, inclusion and ethics, or to engage her for speaking engagements you can connect with her on LinkedIn here.