Workplace diversity is a term that most people have been familiar with for a long time now. In general, it refers to the differences in people who work in a given organization. These differences may be noticeable, as in gender and ethnic background, or more subtle, as in sexual orientation, faith, or level of education. The definition can even be stretched to include the diversity of employees’ problem-solving styles, the languages they speak, and the culture they were brought up in.
Clearly, a company that wants to appeal to a wide range of customers will need to pool a wide variety of employees together. By forming teams of people who have various backgrounds, products can be developed which will serve a wider market. Variety truly is the spice of life, so a workplace with a number of people from all walks of it can make a company more productive, more progressive, and more fun.
If diversity in the workplace came naturally, it wouldn’t be a topic that gets attention, much less have laws in place to enforce it. With every good thing comes challenges, but for every challenge there is a solution. Read on for a brief overview of the advantages, difficulties, and best ways to implement diversity and inclusion in companies today.
The Advantages of Diversity
Hiring people of both genders, all ethnic backgrounds, and every other criteria for diversity can lead to greater success in your company. Starting at the top, if your management is diverse, with varying leadership styles, the people who work under them get to experience a company culture which encourages freedom of thinking. When everyone feels valued, work ethic can improve, more work gets done, and people are happier.
The variety of viewpoints that are a natural result of a diverse workforce allows for increased adaptability to changes in your customer base, and can help your company be more flexible. Just imagine a room full of men trying to create a marketing slogan for women’s clothing. Without the viewpoint of at least one woman, it would be nearly impossible to come up with an angle that would appeal to female customers.
In the case of international companies, it is critical to employ people from around the globe. Obvious barriers, such as language and cultural differences, can be addressed by teams of people who know how customers in other countries experience life on a daily basis. For instance, fashion in Europe and Asia is different than it is in the USA. In order to sell a line of clothing there, it would be in a company’s best interests to hire marketing experts from those places.
What Makes Diversity Difficult?
On paper, diversity in the workplace sounds great. Diversity at work should be as natural as diversity at the grocery store, school, or the ballfield. However, humans tend to flock together with other people who are similar to, not different from, themselves, which can lead to misunderstandings and worse.
Companies that have always had white, male leadership, for example, may be loath to hire a woman of color as a manager. However, if that woman is the best person for the job, the company will miss out on having a great leader. When qualified individuals are overlooked and undervalued, feelings get hurt, work ethic suffers, and productivity goes through the floor. Consequently, profits can plunge. In some cases, lawsuits might occur.
Since the mid-twentieth century, Western culture has slowly come around to being more accepting of people who are different from themselves. Sadly, there is still a long way to go before everyone views one another as equals. The workplace is a great place to nurture the idea of equality and embrace each other’s differences as pieces to one big puzzle called humanity.
How to Implement Diversity
In order to implement diversity effectively, you need to know how your company stacks up right now. Consider taking a company-wide survey that focuses not on how people categorize themselves, but how they rate the company in the area of diversity. Ask leading questions and encourage employees to share how they truly feel. Do they feel recognized? Valued? Worthy? Allow people to feel engaged in the solution, as described by Luke Visconti, a leading champion of diversity. Let the survey answers be viewed by a diverse team, so that discussion resulting from mixed viewpoints can occur.
Once you know how your company rates in its employees’ eyes, you can start to make progressive changes as needed. You may find that you need to promote a wider range of people to management, or mix up your existing teams in order to be more productive. In some cases, you may need to hire an outside consultant to evaluate your current level of diversity and help you make changes.
Fostering a culture of caring in your company, with a wide variety of viewpoints, is good for your people, your customers, and your bottom line. By taking a close look at your current level of diversity, you can begin to make the changes that will cause your company to be admired around the world.
