Hiring diverse teams is selfish—and that's a good thing

CANNES, France – Rob Delaney wants you to be selfish.

"If you want your thing to be good," the "Catastrophe" co-creator said today at Cannes Lions, "You have to put people of diverse backgrounds into it. Don't be stupid." 

For Delaney, as well as panelists Rashida Jones and Keegan-Michael Key, diversity is a no-brainer — and not just for creativity, but for the bottom line. 

A recent legislative proposal in New York, for example, would have provided financial incentives to companies hiring minority directors and writers. Delaney commented that the bill (which was just rejected) shouldn't have been the real carrot for television productions: the best reason to have a diverse group of people on- and off-camera is that you get funnier — and more successful — shows. 

NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino made a similar point earlier this week at a panel on gender equality. When she started in the entertainment industry, "a female-led drama had much less of a chance of becoming a hit than a male-led drama." Shows like "Scandal" and "Blind Spot" have toppled that narrative, while the cultural powerhouse of "Saturday Night Live" is in the midst of a resurgence — and it has more female cast members than ever before.

One crucial contributor to increased inclusion is corporate leadership. 

Delaney, Jones, and Key all acknowledged the very real power that comes from being in the room: "A bunch of executives go through a door and your power's gone," said Jones. "Having that voice in the room, it just further advocates for that voice."

"The only reason old white men have been in charge for so long is because old white men have been in charge for so long," she continued.

For Yaccarino, the more she's in boardrooms or meetings, the more she realizes inclusion is still elusive.

Key summed up the struggle well: "I believe we're all wearing blinders of bias that we don't know we're wearing. The way you take off the blinders is by hiring people of completely different backgrounds."

Photo: Credit: Steve Mack / Larry Busacca  and Steve Granitz / Getty Images. Design: LinkedIn