What are the 5 reasons why workforce diversity is good for your workplace?

When you think about diversity, what springs to mind? The first things that people usually think of are factors such as age, gender, race, cultural background, etc., but there is far more to creating a diverse workplace than hiring people who fit into different age brackets or creating the perfect male to female ratio.

Though we may share things in common with other individuals, at the end of the day, everyone is their own person and can bring different things to the table, which is why diversity is so important among a team. Hiring people with different personalities and at varying stages of their careers can help to foster creativity and offer a range of perspectives and ideas.

Here are a few of the top benefits of diversity in the workplace.

1] Talents, skills, and experiences

Individuals from diverse backgrounds can offer a selection of different talents, skills, and experiences, that may be of benefit to the organization and their work performance. Though some crossover of skills can be beneficial when it comes to assisting each other, it’s important to hire people with the appropriate skills to fit each of the roles within the company. A variety of skills and experiences among the team also means that employees can learn from each other

2] It creates innovation

By working alongside people of different backgrounds, experiences, and working styles, creative concepts can be born from bouncing ideas off of each other and offering feedback and suggestions. Whereas one person may be great at generating exciting, out-of-the-box ideas, another individual may have the necessary experience to execute it; so it is essential to play on each individual’s strengths and collaborate with others in the team.

3] Language skills can open doors for a business

Language barriers and cultural differences can often act as a bit of an obstacle for a company that wants to expand their business over shores; however, hiring employees who speak different languages can make it possible for a company to work on a global basis and interact with a broader client base. Representing a number of nationalities within your company can also help to make it more relatable

4] It grows your talent pool

A company that embraces diversity will attract a wider range of candidates to their vacancies, as it will be viewed as a more progressive organization and will appeal to individuals from all walks of life. Naturally, as the number of applicants for each vacancy rises, the chances of finding an exceptional candidate increase too! It can also help with employee retention, as people want to work in an environment that is accepting of all backgrounds and promote equality.

5] Improves employee performance

Employees are more likely to feel comfortable and happy in an environment where inclusivity is a priority. Equality in the workplace is important for encouraging workers from all backgrounds to feel confident in their abilities and achieve their best. The higher the team morale, the more productive employees are.

Pride month is underway but we should always think about diversity and inclusion, in particular in the workplace.

Here are 5 reasons why employers and businesses should care about diversity and inclusion.

Reason 1: Innovation

As the saying goes, ‘Birds of a feather, flock together’. Groups of people from similar backgrounds are more likely to come up with similar ways to approach a problem. A diverse group of people may offer different perspectives and solutions to problem solving. Diverse teams have shown to be more productive and creative than those of similar demographics.

Reason 2: Global opportunities

To become a leader in an industry you have to think globally. You may already conduct business with vendors or clients abroad. Diversity in a workplace can bring unique skills from different people that can be transferred to the global platform. Employees with different language skills, an understanding of different cultures or knowledge of local marketplaces can bring advantages to your business.

Reason 3: Brand recognition

Societal values are changing and becoming more open and inclusive. Creating a diverse workforce and organisation can improve your customers’ opinion of you.

Your customers aren’t just people who buy your products or services. They are people who look at businesses’ with qualities and morals that align with their own views. If you can show your business is diverse and inclusive, it’s more likely to be favoured over companies that aren’t. But remember that it’s not just about passively promoting diversity, you have to create and support initiatives to ensure diversity is maintained.

Reason 4: Understanding customers better

Following on reason 3, having a diverse business means you can understand your customers’ needs better. If you only employ people from a certain demographic, you could be inadvertently alienating an entire customer base. Your customers want to speak to people that understand their problems, experiences, grievances and can recommend solutions that work for them. Being able to relate to your customer base will offer better customer service.

Reason 5: Recruiting talent

Potential employees consider cultural fit, inclusivity and commitments to diversity when job searching.  Job satisfaction is as important as salary and perks.

According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018, it’s found that, “Even at the most diverse of companies, employees will disengage and leave if they don’t feel included and accepted”. It also added that, “Belonging is the feeling of psychological safety that allows employees to be their best selves at work.”. This shows that businesses who support specific demographic groups have better employee retention and engagement.

Final thoughts

Creating a diverse and inclusive business has many benefits, but it does come with it’s own challenges. Careful planning is needed and a robust strategy must be implemented.

Consider creating an Equal opportunities policy to show a commitment to equal opportunity and diversity within the workplace. Create other HR policies such as a Maternity policy, a Paternity policy or even a Flexible working policy to accommodate your employees.

It is our individual differences that make every single person unique and special. Let me end this piece with one of my favourite childhood quotes about diversity from Dr. Seuss – ‘Why fit in when you were born to stand out?’.