‘Diversity’ is on every organisation’s checklist when it comes to recruiting. We take it for granted that it’s now an integral part of every company’s ethos and mantra. But do we really know what it means? Is HR simply looking for a range of genders, ethnicities and educational backgrounds to ensure political correctness or have companies discovered that diversity brings with it a whole swag of benefits?
Diversity at Equiem goes beyond the surface level. The team at HQ identifies with no less than sixteen different nationalities, ranging from our Brexit Neighbours in the UK, to German, Filipino and Iranian. However, it is not the occasional lunchtime bratwurst or kebab that keeps office functionality at its peak. It is both the gene pool and the talent that demands miscellany. Equiem CEO Gab McMillan explains that the most “high-performing teams typically include a diverse cross-section of people and skills - different cultures, backgrounds and genders, as well as different ways of communicating and thinking”. Equiem’s cultural melting-pot offers a broad range of attitudes, experiences and language competencies that enhance creativity and complex thought processes.
Entrepreneur and investor Faisal Butt explains that traditional homogenous teams are currently being abandoned for diverse, multi-disciplinary compositions. Put simply, kindred people have similar strengths and weaknesses. In today’s competitive landscape, companies are striving to disrupt the market in order to better meet customer needs. Equiem maintains a competitive advantage and exemplifies this disruptive approach by placing value on composite team structures. CFO Steve Leong explains that “a lot of courage and thinking outside the box [is required at Equiem] to go against the norm, to create something that is unique...and to convince [consumers] to adopt it by changing their behaviours and habits.” Deloitte’s research underscores how diverse thinkers help guard against ‘groupthink’ and expert overconfidence and companies should harness the ‘diversity of thought’ (Diaz-Uda 2013).
Intrinsically, Equiem calls for divergent thinking capabilities. Homogeneous teams typically offer narrow perspectives when addressing multi-dimensional issues. As Steven explains, experimentation and collaboration are integral to Equiem’s forward-thinking culture. Its diverse, multi-disciplinary teams are more equipped to tackle market challenges from creative perspectives and are able to solve company issues that are complex and multifaceted by nature. For example, Equiem’s world-first integrated technology is managed by a Product Team comprised of disciplines ranging from psychology, to engineering to graphic design. According to research from McKinsey & Co, “gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers and ethnically-diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same” (Hunt 2015).
Justin Trudeau, everyone’s favourite world leader, recognises diversity as a source of strength. He believes that when people from different cultures interact, it opens the door to a truly integrated and high-functioning society. And he believes that this spirit should be embraced at school, university and the workplace to establish a society that deeply values collaborative thinking. This is because “strength lies in differences, not in similarities" (Stephen Covey 2014). International Food Day at Equiem Headquarters was a great opportunity to celebrate differences and multiculturalism. With over 15 countries represented, the team acknowledged its miscellany whilst cultivating a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace. Harvard Business School research explains that the more a network includes individuals from different cultural backgrounds, the more a company will be creatively stimulated by different ideas and perspectives (Chua 2011).
For Equiem, fostering a diverse environment was never about being a ‘good corporate citizen.’ It was about gathering together the brightest, best and most passionate regardless of gender or nationality. A team that has proven they can disrupt the market and promote novel ideas and concepts. So it seems that it is not diversity per se that has breathed new life into organisational structure; it is the diversity of thinking that has really boosted company performance.
As Google has demonstrated at their HQ, poets and philosophers are equally valued for their thinking skills as scientists and technologists. Throw in an assortment of ethnicities and educational backgrounds and you have a holistic approach, made up of multiple perspectives, to problem solving that reaches new stratospheres in innovative thinking. Ultimately, it is the diverse thinking power of its people that drives Equiem’s success.
References
Chua, R (2011) ‘Sharpening Your Skills: Organizational Design’ Harvard Business School
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/sharpening-your-skills-organizational-design
Covey, S (2014) ‘Reaping The Benefits Of Diversity For Modern Business Innovation’ Forbes
www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2014/01/14/reaping-the-benefits-of-diversity-for-modern-business-innovation/#2e13916c6476
Diaz-Uda, A (2013) ‘Diversity's New Frontier’ Deloitte University Press
http://dupress.com/articles/diversitys-new-frontier
Hunt, V (2015) ‘Why Diversity Matters’ McKinsey & Company
www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters
Thank you! Please check your email to confirm.
Something's not right - please try again.
An exploration of why building managers should be garnering data about their building community if they want to please their current (and attractive prospective) tenants: including what you could learn from this data, and how to capture it with innovative technology and communication strategies.
Exploring the evolution of co-working in the 21st century, and how Equiem can help enable co-working through online skillshare, networking and transforming empty rooms into truly collaborative co-working spaces in your building.
Salta Properties’ business precinct in Melbourne’s Mulgrave, Nexus Corporate, will offer property management platform Equiem to its tenants, making it the first ever business precinct in Australia to adopt the software.
Investa Office Management (‘Investa’) has partnered with Proptech specialist Equiem to deliver a tenant engagement program nationally, expanding its role as an office manager and paving the way for a more connected and convenient workplace for the thousands who work in Investa buildings.
We’re delighted to present the newest addition to Equiem’s family, Natalie Clark! As Senior Platform Performance Manager, Natalie ensures our customers are satisfied with their experience in their buildings, which suit their workplace environment along with offer a sense of community to improve work/life balance.
Equiem now has a 10-desk private office in the newly opened WeWork 5 Martin Place, one of the only two WeWork locations so far in Australia. WeWork, a “platform for creators”, provides beautiful, collaborative workspaces with a big focus on fostering an active community - making it a perfect new home for our Sydney team.
Having a vibrant, engaged community in your building is important, as engaged tenants are more likely to stay and recommend your building to others. Building a community, however, doesn’t happen overnight. Learn the fundamental steps to engaging tenants in our guide.
All around the globe, technology is becoming more than just a tool that connects people - it's adding new levels of convenience and amenity to people's lives. It's more than just a network - it's a service provider. The big companies are finally catching up to the idea that the…
In 2014 we published over 4000 news posts and 6000 event posts. We also sent out over 680 newsletters. If content is king, going from three Equiem Portals to 20 in less than a year truly ended up in an epic Game of Thrones-like bloody battle. But, as in all…
As a company, Equiem provides various services - we activate buildings with an expert team of content creators and editors; we source retailers and manage the Portal Store; we work with our clients to help them help us shape our product and use our services; we run around telling people…
Bringing health and wellness into the workplace At Equiem Engage, what drives us is enriching the lives of tenants, solving their problems; being useful. We treat it as a privilege to be able to engage directly with thousands of these hard-working people every day.