Inclusive organizational culture: The power of "and" versus "or"

"Young people no longer want to work in large companies because they are bureaucratic; they prefer startups because they can innovate and be entrepreneurial there." I recently heard this strong statement (which I find unfortunate and debatable) from one of the most successful Spanish startup entrepreneurs. 

What this reflection hides is a worrying, non-inclusive mentality, and it surprised me because it came from someone with a significant aura of modernity. I believe the labor reality is fortunately more complex and rich: not all startups are professional paradises, nor are all large companies dinosaurs. 

As an example, I share my experience managing early career programs at Sanofi Iberia. Each year, thousands of young people continue to want to work with us worldwide. We are a large company that has made efforts to adapt to the new times and labor market demands. 

Collaborative mindset

I am convinced that there is talent for all types of organizations, as long as they have a good employee proposition and, beyond their origin, sector, or size, are unafraid to communicate this honestly and inspiringly, both internally and externally. 

Today the best startups and large corporations have a collaborative mindset

Society and the workplace need people and organizations that think in terms of "and" rather than "or." Those that foster comprehensive diversity: young and experienced individuals, women and men, as well as emerging and positive dynamics involving different abilities, sexual orientations, ethnic origins, and religious beliefs. 

This requires a mindset that avoids easy labels, which cause so much harm, impoverish us, and are often profoundly incorrect and unfair. 

In fact, today the best startups and large corporations have a collaborative mindset. Their vision of open innovation incorporates any collaboration that makes sense within their strategy and adds value, regardless of the type of company. They operate with a growth mindset, not a fixed one. 

They believe in the added value that those "different" from them can bring and aim to avoid conscious or unconscious biases that limit innovation and the capture of opportunities. They focus on avoiding the temptation of corporate or sectoral endogamy, which is so human. 

Inclusive companies

Organizations, regardless of their size, revenue, or time in the market, are made up of people and have their own cultures and strategies. This is what can indeed make synergies difficult and complicate the fit between a person and a company. This goes far beyond and is much deeper than whether you are a large or small company or what "surname" your type of organization has. 

Let us overcome generalizations, be inclusive, adopt a broad vision, and commit to overcoming clichés and labels of all kinds. This mentality neither benefits us nor contributes to collective wealth and progress. Let us be humble, curious, collaborative, and explore the available talent without too many prior filters. 

This is how the most advanced societies operate, where the boundaries between government, companies, universities, and the third sector—or between types of companies—are more blurred. This gives them competitive advantages, more collaboration, more growth, and a better future.