Diverse Customer: Shoutout: Iceland and, Should Rooney Rule become a Rule of Law?

Diversity comes from within, regardless of religion, skin colour, sex, age or any other factor that makes different seem different. While many organisations today broadly support efforts to create a more diverse workforce by recruiting and nurturing diverse talent with an unchallenging open door policy to certain demographics who are perceived to be different and less favored, the word itself is losing its simplicity in view of all the myriad complexities it has been subjected to from time to time.

The whole notion of "being inclusive", "being diverse to the core of one's dna" is inherently flawed - it's based on the premise that people who are different must think themselves to be different because of it. And so, because of the perceived difference, they ought to be protected from untoward discrimination. The point is these complexities still matter, albeit in mysterious ways. 

More on this discussion of Diversity Fatigue in our next few posts.

Today, we at Diverse Customer hoot for Iceland from bringing in a rule of law, by the way of Equal Pay Act to oppose a persistent, stubborn and oppressive pay gap issue that many women around the world still continue to bear because of the traditionalistic conditioning that men are the de facto breadwinners.

Many companies are now adopting the "Rooney Rule" with their own interpretation and adaption, in short, it requires them as a rule, but not by the law, to at least have minority and women professionals to be included in the interview funnel for top jobs, ideally at mid-senior level or a role that entails considerable influence and power in an organisation. We are glad to see that it may be partly the reason we are beginning to see some definite outcomes. In a way, how these outcomes now manifest by allowing people to exercise their right to equality, were once unthinkable:

Women, Minorities Capture Most New Board Seats for First Time

The football loving world may know about the Rooney Rule. Regrettably, it isn't something that the majority of the world would know of. 

Anyhow, we at Diverse Customer would love to hear from organisations that are adopting Rooney Rule and we would be happy to carry a piece in our blog and across our social media channels and reach out to diversity and inclusion role models, allies and influencers that make 100% of our 20K followers!

Please inbox the brand creative Amit, at
diversecustomer@gmail.com 

Thank you!