The finance function, including finance professionals and their roles, has been evolving to keep up with the changes in the market and business world.
To this regard, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) identified ways for professional accountants to make a positive impact in tackling issues such as climate change, social inequality, and a widespread lack of trust. For as finance professionals, they too can help in building a better and more sustainable world.
ACCA says innovation will be the route to growth and competitive advantage for the organisations of the future. This is why organisations must be able to tap the talents of a broad pool of people – people with different backgrounds, capabilities, experiences, knowledge and skills.
The only way that they will be able to achieve this is by creating a culture that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).
According to ACCA's Global Talent Trends Survey 2024, nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents said that a strong diversity and inclusion culture is a key factor in deciding to work at an organisation.
The study also revealed that employers need to think more broadly about inclusivity since 41% of employees believe that their organisation focuses more on some aspects of diversity compared with others.
Make a difference
Finance professionals can make a difference in advancing an inclusive workplace culture within their organisations by recruiting from a diverse talent pool, in every sense – including age, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.
In addition to recruitment, it’s also important to factor DE&I into promotion and retention strategies and to think about how you practise inclusivity in your day-to-day interactions with others.
Another way to promote inclusivity, ACCA says, is by collaborating with other functions within the organisation--deliberately seeking out the perspectives of people with different roles, responsibilities, and levels of seniority.
