THE corporate world of today is adjusting to the idea of diversity hiring. With increased advocacy and recognition from across the globe, it’s been more popular than ever now. Many organisations and agencies are now making diversity hiring a priority. Unfortunately, while some companies and employers may be genuine about their need for a diverse workplace, others are not. With diversity hiring, there might be unfair and unjust recruitment. Companies may want only to hire a certain amount of workers from disadvantaged social groups to look “diversified” when that isn’t the case. I find it quite shallow and disrespectful whenever I see the blatant intentions of certain employers in Guyana and around the world. They simply hire certain people, just because they want to “save face” for their company.

Some companies will pretend they’re colour-blind, and hire people simply for their qualifications. They’ll argue that said job does not have candidates available from certain disadvantaged groups; they might even go as far as to say that the said group doesn’t have qualified persons for said job position to begin with. This begs you to wonder, shouldn’t the job go to the most suited academic or qualified person that fits the criteria? Yes! It should be! However, that is not the end of the conversation. If, by chance, there aren’t enough women, people of colour, persons living with disabilities, or LGBTQI+ members within a specific profession, then the correct thing to do would be to ask: “Why?” And then, “How can we increase their cases of becoming professionals in this field?” For reference, the United States’ population is approximately made up of 50 per cent of people of colour (POC). Unfortunately, about 80 per cent of the labour force is made up of white men and women.

I can’t imagine how or why people don’t see a need for inclusivity and diversity. Wouldn’t you rather a rich blend of varying perspectives, thought processes, and backgrounds work together to create the best results for your company or agency? Research has shown that work environments with diversity show the most innovation and better decision-making outcomes, ultimately earning more income. It must be noted that people of minority backgrounds should also be respected and feel valued when they are hired. Nobody should be made to feel as if they were hired out of necessity, or pity for their background and circumstances. Hiring to simply fill up the quota is unjust; it’s a way of cheating the system of fairness, and will only further victimise and ridicule minority populations. Simply adding a woman on the Board of Directors with men who don’t view her as nothing more than the “diversity hire” is disgusting, and should not be tolerated.

I urge all companies, agencies, corporations, and the rest of Guyana as a whole that is directly or indirectly related to the labour force to ensure that everyone understands diversity, and why it’s important at all levels. All companies should be working to promote a culture that allows everyone to work and feel safe and comfortable. The company should encourage everyone: Service users and employees alike to understand and respect everyone’s educational level, cultural background, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic background. Diversity should be shown within a company’s structure from the very bottom to its peak at the top. A company can say we have a high employment rate of a specific minority group, but only at a lower-paying job, whereas the higher-paying jobs and administrative titles are mostly given to people within an advantageous or a specific social group. Everyone deserves a fair chance to do and be better, and I hope that this article brought forward a topic of concern within our labour force today in Guyana. We should allow everyone to participate, and when opportunities aren’t available for them, then find ways to create a way for them to thrive.