Appreciating the multidimensionality of each person helps to build truly inclusive workplaces – ones where we feel safe and can fulfill our potential, which also contributes to the success of the organization.
On May 9, 2023, the nationwide social campaign #PowiedzCześćRóżnorodności was launched. Its initiators – the DEI Alliance Foundation and Better – joined forces with over 20 partners to jointly show the value that companies, organizations and all of society derive from diversity. As people, we create an innumerable set of diverse experiences and perspectives of seeing the world, we complement and enrich each other. It’s worth taking advantage of them all.
The aim of the campaign is to promote the positive power of diversity – which connects, inspires, and is the driving force of an organization.
Let’s appreciate diversity
We live in a hugely diverse world, and the scale of this diversity is increasingly reaching social consciousness. It’s time to treat this as an opportunity, to appreciate the enormous wealth that comes with the phenomenon of diversity.
Companies that base their strategies and initiatives on diversity and inclusion build workplaces where employees feel valued, where they are supported in realizing their potential.
“Some 92% of young Poles would choose an employer who cares about diversity and builds an inclusive organizational culture*, while 83% of employees are open to working in a diverse and multicultural team**. Research clearly shows the expectations of employees and is undoubtedly a motivation to implement strategies and activities for diversity and inclusion,” says Paweł Niziński, President of Better – one of the initiators of the Campaign.
Ewa Leśnowolska, Operations Director of the DEI Alliance Foundation, adds: “It is increasingly emphasized that diversity, equal opportunities and a culture of inclusion are three fundamental values for the future development of modern organizations, and perhaps even their continued existence. We need jobs that are genuinely open to people; those in which employees are approached holistically, in which their multidimensionality is noticed and their needs are met.”
The power of personal stories in the workplace
#PowiedzHiRóżnorodności is a social campaign that is a testimony to this approach in business. It gives voice to the employees of specific companies. It invites them to express themselves, to show what is important to them, but also to share how personal experiences build jobs. Does this translate into the atmosphere in the team and mutual willingness to cooperate? Do employers – knowing their employees better – respond to their needs more effectively?
Olga from CD PROJEKT RED, Ania, Gosia and Pierre from Philip Morris, Alisa from Deloitte, Krzysztof from Leże i Pracujemy, Anita from Grupa ANG, Anna from Sharebee, Omaid from Inclusive.Buzz invite us into their world and share their stories. They also show that their experiences and the multidimensionality of their identities are welcome in the workplace. The campaign’s strategic partners – companies where the heroes and heroines work – prove that valuing diversity, as well as genuinely building an inclusive culture, strengthens the entire organization. They are also happy to share their practices and show how to do it every day.
“The fact that such campaigns are being created means that we still have a lot to say and, above all, to do when it comes to diversity. We are glad that business, whose activities in this area are of great importance, is joining the debate on the importance of building an equal working environment. At Philip Morris, we are transforming our business, e.g. based on the values resulting from our I&D (Inclusion & Diversity) strategy. We know that diversity is our strength, so we are happy to be part of this campaign,” says Ewa Sobiech, Employee Engagement, Inclusiveness and Diversity Manager at Philip Morris in Poland.
A man cannot be described in one word
This motto accompanies the #SayHelloDiversity campaign. The identity of all of us is made up of numerous elements, and reducing a person to one feature is always incomplete and sometimes harmful. The campaign aims to show the multidimensionality of diversity and encourage a holistic approach to employees. This approach makes it possible to understand different perspectives and experiences, but also barriers and opportunities for development in the workplace. This, in turn, allows us to build truly open, safe and fair organizations.
“Fostering inclusion is one of Deloitte’s values, which is why participation in this campaign is particularly important to us. At the same time, I dream of a reality in which initiatives in the field of DEI will not be needed, because society and workplaces will be friendly and open to everyone, regardless of gender, age, psychosexual orientation, nationality or degree of disability,” says Maja Zabawska, partner in the Tax Advisory Department, leader of Diversity Equity Inclusion at Deloitte.
Every workplace can (and should) be open to diversity
“The organizers and partners of the campaign come from various sectors (business, non-governmental organizations, universities), represent various industries (creative, production, service) and organization sizes (employ from several to several thousand people). By joining together in the campaign, they show that recognizing diversity and building inclusive workplaces is absolutely for everyone. In this way, they also invite other organizations and companies to join the celebration of diversity – which opens us up, teaches respect and empathy for others, and enriches our teams. Joining the #SayHiDiversity campaign is another step in our efforts to promote openness in the video game industry. Our greatest strength is people and their diversity, which is why we strongly focus on nurturing this diversity by creating safe and friendly working conditions. We believe that the inclusive environment of CD PROJEKT RED supports the development not only of our employees, but also of the entire industry,” says Agnieszka Szamałek-Michalska, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Director at CD PROJEKT RED.
Join the Campaign! Your story is important too
It is not only organizations that can celebrate, individuals can too. That is why the #DiverStory tool was created on a specially dedicated campaign website www.czescroznorodnosci.pl, thanks to which each and every one of us can talk about ourselves: create our own poster, tell our story in a few words and show the world who we are. Each such story carries the great power of a personal message.
Thanks to Screen Network – a strategic partner – the campaign will be present in the outdoor space in Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, Poznań and Szczecin. Until mid-July, it will also be hosted on social media.
Activities related to the campaign can be found on a dedicated website www.czescroznorodnosci.pl
