​​To #BreakTheBias ManpowerGroup is calling for more companies to respond to What Women Want at Work – new data shows autonomy, career progression and feeling motivated/passionate about the work they do matters most.

​​New research from ManpowerGroup reveals that while 86% of companies are measuring gender parity, most are looking purely at pay equity (often driven by regulation), with far fewer measuring the number of women in traditionally male-dominated roles and the number of women in senior leadership positions.​

​​Diversity has been a business watchword for many years. However, in 2020  many organizations had to take a hard look at how they defined diversity and practiced inclusion and be honest about their progress, even while they expanded their understanding of the term. Inclusion encompasses a wide variety of aspects in the quest to broaden talent pools, including neurodiversity. In a new episode of The Transform Talent Podcast, hosts Roberta Cucchiaro and Dominika Gałusa talk with Kate Griggs, Founder and CEO of Made By Dyslexia, about closing the growing skills gap for Gen-Z, the generation expected to bear the worst impact of workplace shifts due to the pandemic. Here’s why the link between dyslexia and the in-demand soft skills such as creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability and emotional intelligence is so important now.​The need to think differently As Griggs shared, in an era of automation where facts can be Googled and spelling can be corrected at the touch of the button, it’s creativity, imagination and intuition that sets us apart from machines, and that’s Dyslexic Thinking. Dyslexia is literally a different way of processing information, and with that different way of thinking comes a pattern of strengths; creativity, innovation, and big picture thinking. The latest Future of Jobs Report published by the World Economic Forum highlights how exactly these social and emotional skills are the top in-demand competencies for the next five years. For organizations, understanding and valuing dyslexic thinking and neurodiversity can be an opportunity to bridge the skills gap of the future.​A range of abilities As businesses tackle a variety of problems, they need people who have exceptional skills in certain areas. As Griggs explained, that is true of people with dyslexia, who have “spikes” of skills they have highly developed to succeed in the world. In other words, if some with dyslexia excel in the area of a soft skill like public speaking, he or she may double down in practicing that skill in order to be especially high performing in that area. “What dyslexics also tend to do, if they really focus on their strengths, is hone in and become much better at them,” Griggs said. “So, a lot of people refer to them as superpowers, which is a nice way of thinking about it.” ​Value cognitive diversity Along with neurodiversity –– different ways of processing thought –– Griggs prefers the term cognitive diversity, or diversity of thought. Teams shouldn’t all think the same way. With the recruitment process, inclusion means screening in rather than screening out with standardized barriers to entry. People with dyslexia may have brilliant ideas that will be filtered out at the first step if assessments aren’t rethought to include diversity, which can be overlooked in traditional reviews of resumes. An example of being inclusive for cognitive diversity comes from the UK Government Communications Headquarters, that has been targeting dyslexic and neurodiverse people in their recruitment strategy as the dyslexic workforce is particularly good at connecting the dots, simplification, seeing the bigger picture as well as work as a team.​The Value of Dyslexia report shows how dyslexic thinking produces creativity that won't be able to be replaced by automation. Inclusion is critical because workforces are more productive when people feel like they can bring their talents to a team and belong –– and produce important results. Hear more on the podcast. 

​A commitment to diversity and inclusion takes deliberate steps beyond willingness and words. ​For many years, hiring and maintaining a diverse workforce has become a moral imperative for businesses. Now it’s also an economic necessity as businesses face a record high global talent shortage. In today’s war for talent, the strongest businesses will also be the most diverse and inclusive. ​Fostering a diverse workforce takes more than words and a willingness to grow. It takes deliberate actions and a strategy from business leaders. Below are steps that businesses can take to become more inclusive now and into the future. ​Use assessment for hiring and promoting The traditional ways of building and promoting a workforce based on gut instincts can be riddled with unconscious bias. A more equitable way to level the playing field is to assess candidates with data. “Science-based assessments are the most accurate and reliable tool for placing the right person in the right job,” says Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Chief Talent Scientist at ManpowerGroup. “As well as testing technical skills, assessments measure human strengths that are critical predictors of success such as how rewarding someone is to deal with, their ability to do the job and their willingness to work hard.” Businesses have a long way to go on this front, with only 49% of workers globally have been assessed, according to ManpowerGroup research, Closing the Skills Gap: Know What Workers Want. Furthermore, 81% of those who have been assessed report higher job satisfaction versus 65% of those who have not. ​ Offer schedule flexibility For hiring and promoting women into leadership, this is especially key. Workers want flexibility — and that means all things to all women and men. This can mean nontraditional work hours with flexible start and end times that counter the rush hour, options to Work from Home (WFH) or Work from Wherever (WFW), condensed four-day work weeks or five-hour workdays that peak productivity and preserve the weekend, and parental leave that balances family and care and can be worth more than pay. Especially in the digital age, work can get done in so many ways. Productivity beats presenteeism. Businesses can attract top talent by asking what type of schedule works best for them. ​Provide training for growth The next generation of leaders are already in the workforce. But are businesses training and preparing to create more diversity at the top of their organizations? By 2050, there will be no racial or ethnic majority in the United States—diversity will be the norm. If an organization wants to be competitive in this landscape 30 years from now, they need to start thinking about creating a more inclusive culture through mentorship programs, hiring beyond traditional talent pools and widening their pipelines, and preparing for the new future of jobs. ​Click here for more resources on diversity and inclusion. ​

​​The past year demonstrated that organizations need to deepen their understanding of diversity as well as how to make diversity and inclusion an institutional reality. Organizations that thrive in a fast-changing world will have a workforce with diversity of background, skills and perspectives. Here are ways organizations can approach and foster diversity.   Plan for the future By 2050, the demographic make-up of the United States will look very different than it does today — diversity will be the norm. Talent in all its diversity is the most potent competitive differentiator. If you want your organization to be competitive 30 years from now, start by assessing hiring practices, creating mentorship programs and leveraging diverse talent pools. Use assessment to increase diversity The traditional ways of building and promoting a workforce based on gut instincts can be riddled with unconscious bias. A more equitable way to level the playing field and increase diversity is to assess candidates using data. Businesses have a long way to go on this front, with only 49% of workers globally have been assessed, according to ManpowerGroup research. Furthermore, 81% of those who have been assessed report higher job satisfaction versus 65% of those who have not. Neurodiversity: The need to think differently Creativity, imagination and intuition sets us apart from machines. That’s Dyslexic Thinking. Dyslexia is a different way of processing information, and with that different way of thinking comes a pattern of strengths, creativity, innovation, big picture thinking. For organizations, that means understanding and valuing how dyslexia and neurodive