The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Diversity and inclusion should be at the core of every company. Discussion about it must take place regularly throughout the workplace.
Diverse teams allow new perspectives to be brought to the table, which helps solve problems more efficiently and creatively – leading to increased profits in turn.
Diversity and Innovation
Bring together people of different backgrounds, views and beliefs is the gateway to innovation. Teams gain an opportunity to approach problems differently and develop novel solutions with potential to transform industries.
Studies conducted by Harvard Business Review indicate that cognitively diverse teams solve problems faster and more efficiently than homogenous teams, according to research conducted. Leaders who prioritize diversity by cultivating an inclusive culture are nearly twice as likely to unlock value-driving insights than those who don’t prioritize diversity as much.
Diverse environments foster creativity by giving employees freedom to express ideas and viewpoints they might otherwise go unheard. Younger employees can learn from experienced veterans, high achievers can teach junior team members, and fresh perspectives can help older workers understand new trends and technologies better – leading to a more creative and productive work atmosphere that encourages blue-sky innovation, leading to revenue growth and company performance enhancement.
Diversity and Retention
Diversity and inclusion require time and energy to foster. Leaders must recognize their true meaning, making an active effort to emphasize them across all levels of their company.
Employees who feel respected and included are more likely to stick around, allowing a company to retain top talent while decreasing employee turnover by working to promote diversity and inclusion at every level of its operation.
Companies can foster diversity both during the hiring process and by creating employee resource groups – which offer support and camaraderie to employees with specific identities – as well as by informing all team members on the importance of an inclusive workplace environment.
Diversity and Customer Service
Diversity within customer service teams allows employees to understand the unique needs of different customers, which leads to better solutions and provides for an all-around more welcoming customer experience. Furthermore, having such teams makes communication with multicultural customers much simpler–particularly at international companies.
Employees from marginalized groups appreciate working for businesses that place emphasis on diversity and inclusion, as they will feel appreciated within an organization that recognizes their individual experiences. Furthermore, such employees will feel assured that no discrimination will take place due to race, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability status.
Companies that embrace diversity are 35% more likely to outshone their rivals. Diverse businesses can attract more sales and profits. Businesses should embrace diversity to remain competitive while drawing in new talent.
Diversity and Employee Engagement
Diversity can have an immense benefit on employee engagement in the workplace. When people feel accepted and free to be their authentic selves at work, their engagement increases significantly and they become more invested in their jobs and thus more likely to excel at what they’re doing.
Bringing together people from diverse backgrounds can bring fresh perspectives to any issue under discussion; each member brings with them life experience and knowledge that may give rise to unique solutions and products. When assembled as one team to address a matter, everyone brings different insights. These clashes of perspectives often lead to creative solutions or breakthroughs.
Diversity makes a business more attractive to customers. They will feel as if their needs are understood; customers come in all forms: races, ages, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) should be integrated throughout an employee’s entire employee lifecycle – from recruitment through training, evaluation, promotions and exit interviews. To achieve this goal, DEI requires setting up diverse interview panels, providing training on unconscious bias for managers hiring employees as well as making it clear that employees are valued regardless of their background or identity.
