Workplace Diversity Can Be a Valuable Resource

Diversity in the workplace is a hot topic. With so many benefits to be gained by having a diverse workforce, it's no wonder that businesses are working harder than ever to make their workplaces more inclusive. 

But What Exactly Does Workplace Diversity Mean?

Diversity is the word we use to describe a mixture of people, ideas and cultures.
It's not a new idea. In fact, it's been around for centuries. But it has become more important than ever as we live and work together in ever-changing societies.

Workplace diversity’ is the goal of making a workplace representative of the community it serves. Diversity can be based on gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and other characteristics. At work, diversity can be defined as the variety of backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives that exist among employees.

Workplace Diversity is all about inclusion and acceptance of all people, regardless of their differences, including: -

●    Demographic diversity
●    Cultural diversity
●    Functional/experiential diversities
●    Diversity of thought
●    Diversity of skills

Benefits of Diversity in The Workplace

Diversity in the workplace can be beneficial to all aspects of your business. It allows you to tap into a wealth of ideas, perspectives, and experiences that would be lost if everyone were exactly the same.

The workplace diversity benefits include:

Improves Performance and Productivity

According to a recent McKinsey &Company report, corporations that embrace diversity and inclusion outperform their competitors by 35%. Studies like these and HR analytical insights don't just tell us what we already know — namely that diverse teams can be more innovative and productive — they also provide evidence that there's a correlation between workplace diversity and financial performance.

Fosters Creativity and Innovation 

The World Economic Forum’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 4.0 report suggests that companies with diverse employees have “up to 20% higher innovation rates and 19% higher revenues from innovation.”—a difference so significant that it might make the CEO rethink his or her decision to invest in diversity training.

By bringing together people from different backgrounds and cultures, companies can develop products and services that appeal to a wider range of consumers or clients than they would otherwise be able to reach with their existing customer base alone. 

Diversity leads to Better Problem-Solving Skills

When you have people from different backgrounds working together on projects, they bring different perspectives to the table. This leads to better solutions for problems at hand because there are more ideas at play when everyone has different backgrounds, experiences and expertise to draw upon. 

The diversity of thought processes also leads to better problem solving methods overall, because there are so many ways of approaching any given issue or project rather than just one way that might not be applicable in all situations (or even most).

Attracts Top Talent

The best way to attract top talent is by showing that your company is committed to diversity. HR insights have shown that when people feel like there's no place for them at work, they leave or aren't as productive as they could be. That's why it's important for companies to create a culture where everyone feels welcome and valued.  In fact, a study from Deloitte found that companies with more diverse workforce shave better recruitment rates.

Diversity Improves Retention

If you want your employees to stay with your company, they need to feel like they are part of something bigger than just their job description. When you create a diverse workplace environment where everyone feels welcome, it creates a sense of community that makes workers feel like they belong there and want to stay long term. 

This leads to better retention rates and lower employee turnover overall, because employees want to work in a place where they feel accepted for who they are as individuals instead of just another number on paper.

Better Decision Making 

The best decisions are made when everyone involved has a chance to contribute their ideas freely. This will lead to better decision making overall because it increases the likelihood that all possible solutions will be considered before acting on any one solution alone.

Better Employee Engagement and Collaboration

When everyone in an organization has something unique to offer, they're able to come together and find better solutions for the issues they face than if everyone were just like them. Diversity also encourages people from different backgrounds to share their knowledge with one another, leading to improved collaboration among coworkers —something that isn't possible when everyone thinks exactly alike.

‍Top 9 Workplace Diversity Ideas to Get You Started

Here are some workplace diversity ideas that you might be able to use in your organization; -

1.    Ensure that hiring managers are trained on how to interview effectively and fairly
2.    Hire people from different backgrounds. 
3.    Talk and clear the air about gender equality in the workplace
4.    Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinions
5.    Be intentional about your language choices, tone and body language
6.    Be proactive about unconscious bias training
7.    Take action on feedback from employees who aren't in power positions
8.    Enable your organization to be more accessible to people with disabilities
9.    Stop using terms that might offend people

Conclusion

In a world that is growing more diverse everyday, businesses are recognizing the importance of maintaining a worker-force that reflects the face of the world around them. Diversity creates stronger teams, improves the overall business culture, increases employee satisfaction and reduces turnover rates. These benefits exist for any organization that puts in the effort to create a culture of diversity, and its worth striving towards creating a more diverse workforce for these simple reasons. In the end, workplace diversity can bring many benefits to everyone involved—the organizations themselves, their employees, and the customers.