Diversity in Work place

 What is the definition of diversity in the workplace? Most people understand the general equality and diversity definition; but what do these mean within the context of the workplace?

Put very simply, diversity in the workplace means that a company hires a wide range of diverse individuals. Diversity is often misconceived as solely multicultural matters, however it also applies to diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, language, educational, background, and so on.

But in 2019, workplace diversity doesn't just extend to hiring diverse individuals, but also making sure that the participation of these employees is equal.

Given that a study by The University of Michigan found that people hired for 'diversity purposes' were sometimes seen as less qualified, employers have increasingly recognized that symbolically hiring a diverse range of people just isn't enough.

In recent years, the topic of diversity and inclusion in the workplace has extended to ensuring that companies increasing the participation, performance and compensation of minorities, not just symbolic hiring in order to 'tick a box'.

More importantly, companies have recognized the huge value that hiring a diverse range of individuals and personalities can add for their business.

What is the importance of diversity in the workplace?

 

So why is workplace diversity important?

Diversity and inclusion are a vital part of workplace culture; not only are they important for the well-being of a company's employees, but will also benefit the business itself.

Below are two lists, detailing the benefits of workplace diversity for employees and employers.

What are the benefits of diversity in the workplace for employees?

• Conflict reduction

Within a diverse workplace, employees can better understand each other's differences. This will often help to reduce conflicts between even the most different team members; and will often unite people with a common purpose rather than divide them.

• Increased confidence

​When employees' recognise that differences are embraced and celebrated in an organization, they are likely to also be more confident in their own unique qualities.

Encouraging diversity can help to boost confidence and performance from individual team members, who may be more easily able to express their ideas, become closer to their colleagues and enjoy and take pride in their work.

• Boosting employee engagement

​Employees are far more likely to perform well in an environment where diversity and inclusion are top priority.

The whole point of diversity & inclusion that it is about everyone, not just underrepresented groups - so encouraging everyone to be confident in their ability will only help to boost morale and employee engagement across the entire team.

What are the benefits of diversity in the workplace for employers?

• Increased range of ideas

​One of the key benefits of diversity in society is the vast range of ideas that can be explored.

Diversity in the workplace will often result in a much broader spectrum of creativity, from people with different backgrounds, skills and experiences.

A wider range of different perspectives will be highly beneficial across all teams; from marketing to finance.

• Increased employee engagement

​Generally speaking, employees who feel included and wanted will be more engaged and motivated to do well.

In turn, a more engaged team will often yield better team performance; making it a win-win for employers.

• Boosts company reputation & simplifies recruitment processes

​Diversity in the workplace will help to build a great reputation for the company; especially important when you are looking to hire and retain talent.

Especially in terms of graduate recruitment, D&I can play a huge role in attracting candidates to your business; if done well, it can also help you stand out from the bigger firms.

• Wider talent pool to choose from

​Companies that only hire men, for example, are limiting themselves to the skills of half the population, this is just one of the many benefits of gender diversity in the workplace.

• Helps you to understand your customers better

​Having a more diverse team will help your company gain a broader understanding of your customers, what they want and what they look for.

Who knows? Your company could be missing out on a huge group of potential customers that could be explored by hiring more diversely.

• Reduce employee turnover

​Companies with a diverse workforce will tend to retain employees for longer, because ultimately employees who feel accepted and valued will be much less likely to leave.

Likewise, companies who clearly value career development, and really care about their employees, will tend to have a much higher retention rate than those who don't.

Benefits of diversity in the workplace statistics

 

Still not convinced of the importance of diversity in the workplace? Here are some key statistics that indicate the value and benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

• 67% of job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. Glassdoor
• 83% of millennials are more engaged when they think their company fosters an inclusive culture. Deloitte
• Companies in the top quartile of gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns that were above their national industry median. Companies in the top quartile of racial/ ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their national industry median. McKinsey
• Companies reporting the highest levels of racial diversity brought in nearly 15 times more sales revenue on average than those with the lowest levels of racial diversity. Science Daily

 

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Diversity in the workplace examples

 

Companies across the board are taking steps to create an equality and diversity strategy. Some of the best diversity and inclusion in the workplace examples are:

• AT&T
  Industry: Technology

AT&T took the prestigious top spot on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity In 2019.

The award commended the behavior of CEO and Chairman Randall Stephenson, who is a big advocate for inclusion and diversity management in corporate companies.

AT&T has been applauded for its unbiased approach to both graduate recruitment and more senior hiring - allowing managers to recommend individuals through their own app.

They also encourage their employees to speak openly about race, sexuality, religion etc, to increase mutual understanding of their colleagues.

How to promote diversity in the workplace?

 

We have established there are some workplace diversity challenges employers face, but they are not impossible for companies of any size to overcome.

Now we explore some potential solutions to these diversity challenges in the workplace:

1. Identify the problems

Make the challenges of diversity an urgent topic of conversation; whether they are discussed in a weekly senior management meeting or shared amongst the whole team for feedback.

Frequently assess and evaluate your diversity processes and make improvements accordingly.

2. D&I strategy for success

Develop a clear D&I strategy. We recommend you seek advice and feedback from a diverse range of people in the business when it comes to your diversity and inclusion in the workplace strategy, individuals from different departments are likely to have different opinions!

3. Involve the whole team

When launching your diversity and inclusion strategy, it is a good idea to get input elsewhere across the business wherever possible.

You could consider starting a diversity and inclusion team internally to ensure you are meeting the standards, aims and objectives you've set out.

It might also be a good idea to do a regular 'desk swap' whereby you move individuals around, helping to prevent 'cliques' from being formed.

4. Initiate mentoring schemes

Initiating a mentoring scheme can help to increase employee satisfaction and retain top talent and is one of the least costly diversity strategies that can be implemented to ensure all employees feel included and have a voice.

Find out more about how a mentoring scheme could benefit your business.

5. Offer training programmes

Offer a clear, professional development structure to all employees.

Bridge the digital skills gap between generations by offering computer learning training or offer language training for employees that are non-native English speakers.

It might also be a good idea to offer diversity training to certain team members, particularly within management or the HR department, helping to ensure they show compassion to colleagues in distress.

Reffrence:

https://www.giveagradago.com/news/2020/12/what-is-diversity-in-the-workplace/424