The advantages of building a diverse workplace extend well beyond the philosophical good of promoting ideals of equality and inclusion. Research consistently shows diverse workplaces have a competitive edge in their markets, whatever their field or industry.
What We Think About When We Think About Diversity
The forms and definitions diversity can take in a workplace are…well…diverse. Racial and cultural diversity may be the first areas that come to mind, but including different gender and age groups is also important. Depending on the scope of our businesses, we may think about national and regional differences, as well as variations in religious and political backgrounds. Where we focus our attention will depend on our organizations’ goals and priorities.
How Diversity Helps Our Organizations
One of the most pronounced benefits of a diverse workplace is an increase in creative thinking and improved problem-solving strategies. An expanded range of perspectives and experiences at the table leads to an influx of fresh ideas, which creates the innovation that keeps an organization competitive. For example, a recent study from cloud-based service Cloverpop reveals better decision-making among gender-diverse groups than single-gender groups.
The variety of perspectives and experience found in a diverse workforce can also increase profits because the organization knows how to locate and address new market areas and speak to customers and clients we weren’t reaching before. Customers and clients also respond positively to working with organizations they feel reflect their identities and values.
Diversity is also self-perpetuating in the recruitment and retention process. More workers than ever want to be part of a diverse workplace because they see the personal and professional benefits of an inclusive work climate. A focused effort to build diversity will naturally lead to recruiting from larger pools of candidates, allowing us to find larger numbers of talented candidates. In a time when worker retention is an ongoing concern for organizations, workers want to work in an environment where they feel they fit in, which leads to greater personal investment in the company. This allows us to keep the talent we have as happy and productive members of the team.
Breaking Patterns and Creating Change
Despite the documented benefits of a diverse workforce we often settle into patterns that lead to hiring staff who are just like ourselves or our existing staff members. We don’t set out to exclude anyone, we just settle into the comfort of established patterns and recruitment pools.
Building diversity in the workplace may require an assessment of hiring patterns and looking to different recruitment methods. For example, job postings and ads may need different language to appeal to different demographics. It may be useful to advertise in different publications and on websites geared toward specific groups. Looking to different institutions or recruitment events can further broaden the hiring pool. It’s important to remember diversifying a workplace doesn’t happen overnight. This is an ongoing process that requires flexibility in recruitment practices and strategies.