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DELIVERING ON DIVERSITY, GENDER EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

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In this issue, we look at a notable change in how Twitter addresses Arabic-speaking users and consider a group that many organizations overlook in their efforts to make the workplace more welcoming for LGBTQ+ employees.

THE ZEITGEIST

Terms of address

Hey, you. That “you” we just used isn’t gendered, but in Arabic, it would be. In recent weeks, some Twitter users have switched it up. Arabic-speaking users now have the option to be addressed in the feminine—a welcome change for those tired of getting greeted with terms typically used to address men.

It’s a small but important change that took place against a broader backdrop: getting more women online and using digital platforms is a key area of economic opportunity in the Middle East. While the Gulf states have largely achieved gender parity in internet use, digital inclusion remains a challenge in the region; across the Arab states, less than half of women use the internet, compared with more than 60 percent of men. Similarly, only half of women in the Middle East and North Africa use mobile internet, and the gender gap in mobile-internet use stands at 17 percent.

Meanwhile, new digital roles are opening up across the Middle East, and women are at high risk of job displacement if they lack digital skills. As it stands, less than a quarter of women in the Middle East participate in the workforce; that’s half the global average. Bridging the digital divide—and helping women boost their tech skills—will enable more women to take up the professional and technical jobs of the future. The end result? Powerful economic growth in a region that will be profoundly marked by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

THE TAKEAWAY

Here’s a chance to hear directly from LGBTQ+ business leaders: in “LGBTQ+ voices: Speaking out and looking ahead,” six leaders lay out a vision for better, more inclusive workplaces where LGBTQ+ people can be their authentic selves, contribute to their full potential, and take their seats at the leadership table.

What does it take to create the kind of atmosphere where LGBTQ+ employees can thrive? Company policies are part of the picture. Also critical: addressing bias among employees, particularly managers. As one executive explained, “The sweet spot—and I think this is where some organizations fall short—is middle management, which [in Western countries] is historically made up of able-bodied, straight white men who are responsible for hiring, promoting, and firing.”

In addition to making personnel decisions, managers directly shape employees’ everyday experiences. Another executive put it in perspective: “When I talk to our people, I ask, ‘Hey, why don’t you feel comfortable coming out?’ Quite often, the response is, ‘I know you’re supportive, but you don’t spend the day with me. I spend the whole day with my team and my project manager.’ The support of that project manager on a day-to-day level matters a lot, but we haven’t really worked on that yet. There’s still quite a bit of unconscious bias at that level.”

Employee training can help root out such bias and ensure that commitments are lived out on a daily basis throughout the organization. A note for companies looking to hire: nearly 40 percent of all respondents in a McKinsey Global Survey said they had rejected a job offer or decided not to pursue a position because they felt that the hiring company was not inclusive.

— Edited by Julia Arnous, an editor in McKinsey’s Boston office

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