Many organizations are taking efforts to establish a more inclusive workplace, and one of those steps is to hire individuals who can help create a culture where all employees are treated equally and feel welcome.

Diversity guarantees that people from various backgrounds are represented, while inclusion ensures that those people are appreciated for their contributions and viewpoints.

In the workplace, diversity and inclusion include providing equal chances to all employees, regardless of age, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, Physical ability, nationality, education, and status socioeconomic.

D&I management strives to create a work atmosphere in which workers feel free to be themselves without fear of prejudice. These executives assist businesses in creating a fair playing field for all employees to achieve their full potential.

Diversity and inclusion officers’ responsibilities, or even the existence of the position, are not well known. As a result, candidates may have to fight for the creation of a D&I job themselves in some situations, but the benefits are apparent.

D&I creates better understanding amongst workers and a better working atmosphere from a social standpoint, while a more diversified workforce leads to greater economic success for firms and improved employee retention.

“I believe we’ve seen an increase in these jobs across all industries because we’ve all gotten more self-aware,” says Rejess Marshall, Iron Galaxy’s head of diversity and inclusion. “Businesses have become more deliberate in leveling the playing field and providing a safe environment for their employees.”

Because the responsibilities of a diversity and inclusion officer change from business to organization, you’ll do best if you have a diverse set of talents. While this may appear overwhelming, all of the respondents for this article agreed that the ability to learn and communicate is the most crucial factor.

How Diversity and Inclusion influence the Workplace?

It’s all about producing value through feeling appreciated, which is what diversity and inclusion are all about.

Diversity and inclusion are prevalent because they impact our social interactions, and this is also matters in the workplace as well as elsewhere. Measurable benefits of diversity and inclusion, such as increased productivity and more engaging games, may be used to persuade businesses to hire diversity and inclusion specialists, but it’s vital to remember that D&I isn’t only about profits.

The best firms for diversity are aware of the consequences. According to McKinsey & Company research, firms with more racial and gender diversity outperform those that are predominantly white and male.

According to studies, the following are some of the advantages of a varied workplace:

• Encouraging higher levels of employee participation
• Recruiting and retaining top talent
• Increasing a brand’s or company’s public impression

“D&I begins with making people feel welcome — do you feel at ease here or do you feel out of place? Are people friendly? It’s just fundamental human values like being polite and kind to others that some companies overlook “Marshall continues. “We all deserve to work in a safe and equitable environment, and part of that is appreciating our differences and diversity.”

“D&I is crucial because it shifts the company’s focus from the financial line to the human potential,” explains Toni Ligons, Ph.D., director of diversity and inclusion at 2K. “Innovative firms utilize D&I as a competitive advantage to produce better solutions, reach more consumers, and establish long-term enterprises.”

In short, a desire to sell things does not need to sacrifice the human aspect. Rather, it should embrace the variety of its employees to foster a stronger workplace culture.

Daily Responsibilities of Diversity and Inclusion Officer:

Diversity managers have a wide variety of responsibilities and can be employed by human resources. The following are some of their responsibilities:

• Review the company’s present procedures and policies to see whether they help or impede the company’s diversity and inclusion goals.
• Diverse programs and methods should be planned, developed, and implemented with ease.
• Work collaboratively with corporate executives to create an inclusive culture.
• Guide the creation and implementation of diversity recruiting, retention, and promotion policies.
• To drive external and internal diversity-related messages, collaborate with the communications team and recruiters.

Your everyday responsibilities are determined by your company’s requirements.

Talking and, more importantly, listening to individuals is at the heart of diversity and inclusion work. Only when you understand how employees feel and what their requirements are can you develop methods to help them achieve their full potential.

“Listening to people is an important aspect of my profession. Our team can create solutions that meet people where they are and help them perform better by knowing their individuality “According to Ligons.

This might include doing research about the studio’s atmosphere, as well as identifying and resolving issues of concern, such as via policy changes, but it can also include encouraging employee discourse, event work, and company-wide training programs.

“Our diversity strategy for 2K is broken down into three focus areas: empowering employees to support one another in building community and a sense of belonging; accelerating the hiring, development, and retention of African Americans, Latinx, and women around the world; and enabling an inclusive work environment for all through training and knowledge sharing activities. My days are spent developing, planning, and implementing activities that advance each of these priority areas.”

Conversation, conversation, conversation

Recruitment and corporate communications are both important aspects of D&I work since they demand inclusive language and respond to current workers’ input on what it’s like to work for a firm. According to Ligons, D&I officials collaborate with HR on topics such as recruiting and retention. Whatever responsibilities you have, will be completed collaboratively, whether with corporate leadership, HR, or your D&I network.

While it isn’t a formal obligation, many D&I leaders also take the time to speak publicly about diversity and inclusion to increase awareness.

Education and Skills for D&I Officer:

Higher education is required, and a degree in human resources offers a strong foundation.

There is currently no set path for a career in diversity and inclusion, but because it is fundamentally a human resources field, education in a human resources-related subject will provide an understanding of the issues employees face at work, the legal framework of organizations, and how to build initiatives that will benefit a company.

Human Resources, Workplace Law, and Organization Psychology are all useful degrees. Additional education in the disciplines of diversity and inclusion, such as Gender Studies, History with an emphasis on minority groups, and Queer Studies, can assist people from various backgrounds to comprehend the challenges they confront.

Diversity and inclusion courses are becoming increasingly common, making it easy to obtain the essential knowledge on the subject even if your degree is unrelated. Even if you’re present school path or employment is irrelevant, your true passion for the issue should shine through.

Don’t overlook the importance of soft skills:

Cinzia Musio, a diversity and inclusion adviser at Splash Damage, has an art degree but has worked in a role where she learned about employment legislation and legal needs. Because Diversity & Inclusion is still a new subject that rapidly changes, she believes that a lifetime commitment to learning is necessary for the job.

“A strong sense of empathy is very essential,” she adds, “since you will frequently be working with people who have been marginalized in some manner.” “You must be able to see that the job you are doing is for them and that it has a real-life influence on the individuals you deal with daily.”

She also considers a data-driven attitude to be quite beneficial. “This job truly begins with a knowledge of the significance of diversity and inclusion, as well as a heart for making things fairer, more inclusive, and striving for a better world,” Heath says. “It’s a cultural position, so you’ll need to know how teams function, what inclusive behaviors are, and how everyone contributes something unique to our culture. It’s all about the people elements of your schooling.”

Rejess Marshall considers volunteering and managing an employee resource group to be valuable experiences in advocating for others, whereas Toni Ligons considers excellent communication skills to be the most crucial tool to have, despite her Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology.

“My work is creating relationships and teaching people about the advantages of inclusiveness,” Ligons explains. “The fact that I am a people person helps. What makes people tick, why they think the way they do, and what can be done to better their way of thinking or their lives, in general, are all topics that interest me. You must be personally committed to bringing about positive change in people’s lives.”

How do you go about becoming a diversity and inclusion officer?

It’s possible that a job as a diversity and inclusion officer will not be advertised.

The path to becoming a diversity and inclusion officer can be various, and depending on whether the job becomes more prevalent in the coming years, it may or may not begin outside of the gaming sector.

“To be active in areas of diversity and inclusion, you don’t need an official job title,” Heath adds. “There’s a lot to study and a lot of publications on the subject. You may volunteer to assist others or create and support your community.”

Almost all of the people who took part in this study found it as a possibility for themselves — this isn’t a junior position, and getting a job in diversity and inclusion right immediately is unlikely.

Make use of your company’s knowledge.

Musio began working for Splash Damage as a live operations manager and was so impressed by the studio’s welcoming culture that he wanted to make other marginalized individuals feel heard as well.

“Splash Damage, and the industry in general, was always really open to criticism and hearing new ideas to improve,” she adds. “This inspired me to look into how we can bring more marginalized people into the games business, and attempt to understand why the games industry isn’t good at it.” This led to a deeper understanding of unconscious prejudice. I saw that most current training and seminars were quite formal and corporate at the time, so I decided to create my own.”

Heath, who began his career in recruiting, served as Rare’s talent ambassador, marketing the company’s job openings, before co-founding the D&I lead position with Rare’s head of studio and senior HR business partner. This demonstrates that if you approach the gaming business through another relevant function, such as HR or marketing and communications, and you are satisfied with your employer’s dedication to diversity and inclusion, it may be worth considering the creation of such a position.

What are some of the challenges that diversity and inclusion officers may face?

It might be tough to have uncomfortable conversations regarding D&I issues, and you must be a pioneer for others.

“These discussions aren’t always easy,” Marshall adds, “but they’re important.” “You have to figure out how to be at ease with discomfort.”

Heath refers to herself as a “positive disrupter,” emphasizing that D&I may be a disruptive force, although a beneficial one, to the way things have been done at a firm for a long time.

“With so many things to consider during my first few months, deciding where to begin was difficult. It’s important to keep in mind that this is a long-term journey that will require consistent effort to achieve lasting, positive change; you won’t be able to hit every point right away.”

Musio further points out that developing D&I roles frequently falls on marginalized people in junior positions.

“[They] take it upon themselves to develop their studio so that they may see things change for themselves and others, implying that the work is done for free.”

“Of course, this isn’t a negative thing because growth is vital, and I would never have earned my job if I hadn’t begun there. However, it places the burden of effort on those who lack the authority to demand significant change.”

Inclusion and diversity Officers must also be tenacious, as the impact of their efforts may not be immediately evident due to the slowness with which business cultures evolve.