Going for Jobs and Growth: D&I and Europe’s Economic Future
A high-level programme in Torino explored Europe’s competitiveness, reforms and growth strategies. In this context, Diversity & Inclusion was presented as a strategic driver of jobs, productivity and innovation.
The European context of jobs and growth
In July 2018, the Employers’ Young Professionals Academy brought 30 emerging leaders from across Europe to Turin for three intense days of debate and learning. Hosted at the ITCILO campus and organised with BusinessEurope and EU support, the Academy’s second workshop revolved around the timely theme: Going for jobs and growth.
The agenda included economic briefings from Fabian Zuleeg (European Policy Centre), analyses of labour market reforms and competitiveness, and a high-level panel with perspectives from across Europe’s employer organisations. The participants – future managers and lobbyists of employer associations – worked through macroeconomic indicators, case studies of reforms and the implications of fiscal and labour market policies.
From macroeconomics to micro-foundations of growth
Against this backdrop, my session introduced Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) as a core economic driver. Instead of positioning D&I merely as a compliance or HR topic, I argued that leveraging differences is fundamental to Europe’s long-term economic success and global resilience.
The workshop explored how D&I fuels performance through openness, engagement, collaboration and inclusive leadership. This effect or outcome is not only aligned with but firmly connected to the overall programme theme: A pyramid model demonstrated how well-managed D&I practices ultimately strengthen jobs and growth – by widening labour market access, increasing organisational agility and unlocking productivity.
The fundamental need for D&I
In order to explain why D&I had become a priority only since the 2000s, I presented the long-term transformation of the economy, as we know it. A shift from past success factors – linear structures, national cultures, material resources – to the requirements of the future: networks, projects, knowledge, internationalism, emotional intelligence. In this future, D&I is not an option but a necessity. Agility, adaptability and intercultural competence are essential in anticipating disruption and transformation.
Why doesn’t D&I happen automatically?
I discussed the barriers to D&I with the participants: unconscious biases, organisational monocultures, micro-messaging and more. These invisible norms can undermine even well-designed reforms. Recognising these obstacles is the first step towards building inclusive growth strategies.
Implementation: From checklist to cultural change
Another key content was the presentation of the EU Commission’s Diversity Management Implementation Checklist, which I had the pleasure of authoring as part of my role in the EU level Diversity Charter platform. Far from a theoretical tool, the checklist provides a structured approach to embedding D&I: from HR processes to corporate communication, from leadership accountability to bottom-up engagement.
We looked at the “magic triangle” of organisational development – leadership, HR and culture – as the crucial alignment point. Leadership must provide purpose and role-modelling; HR ensures meritocratic and inclusive processes; culture anchors the values in daily practice.
Making D&I tangible
I emphasised that success requires consistency: applying inclusive values in everyday work, challenging unwritten rules, and enabling new ways of collaboration. We also examined the ROI of D&I, citing robust evidence from 205 international studies: Heterogeneous teams, when inclusively managed, deliver higher decision quality and innovation.
Insights for Europe’s future leaders
The Torino participants – future shapers of employer organisations – engaged with D&I not as a soft add-on but as a decisive growth lever. They recognised that implementing diversity requires more than statements: it demands governance, accountability, and integration into processes and leadership behaviour.
In the end, the message was clear: If Europe wants to secure jobs and growth, it must embrace Diversity & Inclusion as a strategic necessity. The next generation of employer leaders must not only understand economic indicators, but also master the dynamics of diverse workforces, societies and markets.
