Building a Diverse Future: Reflections from Directions EMEA 2023

A few weeks ago, I was lucky to be selected by 4PS to be part of the team going to Lyon to attend Directions EMEA 2023, a conference for the partners of Microsoft Dynamics. Whilst there, I had the opportunity to share insights and strategies in a presentation on a topic that is increasingly crucial for the success of businesses today – addressing the challenges posed by a skills shortage in the SaaS industry and specifically in the context of Business Central and how promoting diversity is integral to the future.

My presentation began by acknowledging the existing challenges businesses face – the scarcity of young talent, a significant gender imbalance, and a general skills shortage. Recognising these issues is the first step toward formulating effective strategies – understanding where the gaps are and focusing on current skills and those required for growth in the future. Many skills are also transferable or trainable from other industries. Fostering a culture of continuous learning is a must for each business in the Microsoft Dynamics environment if they expect to succeed.

We then switched to the reasons for focusing on diversity, sharing statistics of how there is a huge pool of talent that many are not engaging with at all: women, the young or neurodiverse, and the unemployed, to name but a few. Research by McKinsey, amongst many others, shows that businesses that embrace diversity do better – with better innovation revenue, more productive and efficient teams and better employee retention.

What are actionable strategies for positive change? The impact of senior management on workforce attraction and retention cannot be overstated. The leadership team’s role in building an environment and reputation for diversity, inclusion, and employee development is critical and has to be underpinned with transparent and clear communication.

Nurturing a culture of inclusion should be the long-term objective. To achieve this, a business has various levers at its disposal: internal steering groups and revamped recruitment processes through the introduction of Diversity and Inclusion champions; the focus is the creation of a workplace that values and celebrates diversity.

Thankfully, there were questions and comments throughout the presentation. It took an interesting offshoot to discuss mental health and how important it is to create an atmosphere of openness and acceptance that takes time to put in place but cement inclusivity.

In conclusion, the journey toward a more inclusive and skilled workforce is undoubtedly challenging. Still, the rewards in terms of innovation, employee satisfaction, and sustained growth make it an endeavour worth pursuing. It is now time for Dynamics businesses to adapt and lead the way in shaping a diverse and dynamic future.

Sounding out our 4PS UK team about Directions post-event, there are some positives to take away; the consensus was that there was undoubtedly more diversity than even a few years ago, especially with a higher representation of women and young people. Interestingly, we know that roughly 47% of the workforce are women, but only 26% in our industry.

Only approximately 15-20% of speakers at Directions were women; we still have a long way to go to reflect our current workforce landscape and must strive further to encourage more representation from every diverse group as a community.

About Directions 4 Partners

Directions 4 Partners is the independent community for Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners from the ERP and CRM channels. It is organised for partners by partners. Directions EMEA is one of the highlights of the Microsoft Dynamics year, and it’s the place where Microsoft present new releases and partners can connect, share knowledge, and grow together.

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