Unlocking Success: The Importance of Diversity in Today's Workforce

If everyone looked the same, we’d get tired of looking at each other. This may be the refrain of a dancefloor hit by British electronic duo Groove Armada from the turn of the millennium, but it’s also a phrase that rings true. Diversity, as they say, is the spice of life, but it can also give a company a competitive advantage. Let us take a look at diversity in the workforce.

We are more connected today than ever before, which means we know more about other lifestyles. More and more of us know someone who has a different cultural background, a different gender identity or even just a different aesthetic to us.

The world is diverse, and we know this now more than ever before in history, but how does this affect the workplace? What is diversity in the workplace? Why is it important? How can you maintain it to get the best out of your employees? Read on to find out all this and more.

What is Workforce Diversity? 

Workplace diversity is about embracing the difference between individuals. It’s about recognising that your workplace has a variety of people within it and making sure that diverse individual characteristics are valued. 

A successfully diverse workforce hires a range of employees and enables them to participate in all facets of their employment equally. 

There are different types of diversity in the workplace, but the three best-known examples are cognitive diversity, lifestyle diversity and brand and reputation diversity.

Cognitive Diversity

This is the case when there are employees in a workplace who differ in the way they think and the way they solve problems.

In the past, we have focused on categorising these people into two groups: Left-brain thinkers and right-brain thinkers. Today, however, we know that there are many different strengths when it comes to ideas and problem solving.

For example, some people are excellent at communicating, others have incredible empathy. Some people have impeccable critical thinking skills, while others are very good at visualizing potential problems.

For example, some people are excellent at communication, others have incredible empathy. Some people have impeccable critical thinking skills, while others are good at imagining potential problems.

Lifestyle Diversity

This is probably what most people think of when they hear the term ‘Workforce Diversity.’ This is about the individual factors of employees’ lives outside of the workplace. Lifestyle diversity refers to cultural background, religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, and many other factors. 

Workplace lifestyle diversity is about understanding that every employee is unique and has a different life that has led them to their current job, as well as a different life outside of the workplace.

Brand and Reputation Diversity

Brand and reputation diversity is where a workplace actively aims to be more inclusive when hiring staff. They will strive to make sure their teams are diverse, and usually, this can have the side effect of attracting even more diverse employees and clientele. 

A Brief History of Diversity in Workforce

The journey of diversity in the workplace has been long and, at times, a bit embarrassing when you look back on it with your modern eyes. 

Since the industrial revolution, there have been several times when workplaces became more inclusive.

After the second world war in countries like America, there was still segregation. Non-white people were generally forbidden from working in industries or businesses that were deemed as ‘white.’ 

During this time, even the US Army was segregated by ethnicity. This was until executive order 9981 removed this segregation in 1948.

By the 1960s, the civil rights movement was in full swing. Eventually, it led to ethnically diverse people joining the workforce in the same capacity as their white countrymen.

Over in Europe during this time, segregation might not have been identical, but there was still a lack of diverse backgrounds at the forefront of business.

Women were also underrepresented in the workforce throughout most of the developed world well into the early 2000s. 

In the UK, America, Australia and most of the English speaking world, the 70s and 80s were a time when people were beginning to experience some small freedoms in regards to sexual orientation, but in most cases, had to remain in the closet if they wanted to keep their jobs. 

In the 2020s, diversity has become a hot topic.

To put it simply, the world as a whole seems to be a lot more ‘woke’ now. Smart businesses are embracing that and doing everything they can to become more inclusive, more diverse and more sensitive to the issues of their employees. 

This is not to say that we are done.

There is still a long way to go, but the fact that diversity is a "hot topic" is a good sign that we are getting closer to a more inclusive workplace every day.

What is the Difference Between Equality and Diversity? 

Although they are often linked, equality and diversity are, in fact, different. So it’s essential if you are looking at diversity in the workplace not to confuse it with equality. 

Equality in the workplace is about ensuring that all people are treated equally in the workplace. This means that all employees have the same career opportunities, regardless of their gender, background, religion or other determining factors.

Diversity is more about the specific differences between people and what makes them unique.

Why is it Important to Have Diversity in the Workplace?

If you have diversity in your workplace, you foster an environment that respects and understands different perspectives. This, in turn, helps to create an open-minded attitude for all. 

Diversity means that you have employees with different backgrounds, each with their own specific knowledge, interests and perspectives. The lived experience of each individual employee is invaluable to a workplace, even more so when that lived experience affects a wider section of society.

Diverse workplaces encourage the development of your employees’ unique talents and provide companies with new, innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to a company's success.

What Are the Main Workforce Diversity Benefits?

Apart from the obvious benefit of making the work environment more interesting, there are many benefits that businesses can take advantage of when they diversify their workforces. 

Conflict Reduction

Generally speaking, employees who understand each other are less likely to have conflicts.

Diversity within the workplace encourages all workers to gain a better understanding of their differences.

Diversity often leads to greater unity within a workspace. A profound understanding of each other helps staff focus on their common goals rather than be divided by their differences. 

Boosting Employee Engagement

Humans have an innate need to both belong and to feel like they matter.

When we have both of these things, we are more likely to engage in situations, activities or work. Having a diverse team can help to make all feel included. 

The entire point of inclusion is about making sure it reaches everyone. Diverse workplaces establish confidence in all staff members’ abilities, which helps give ownership and boost overall morale.

Wider Range of Ideas Introduced

Different skills, life experiences, and ways of thinking can all increase creativity in any team or business.

This will lead to a broader range of ideas, innovation and perspectives that can all be exploited in a positive way.

There are a thousand ways to skin a cat, and if you only have staff from one particular walk of life, you’re only ever going to know about 20 of them. 

Improves Company Reputation & Supports Recruitment

In a post COVID world, most companies are now wanting to maintain a good reputation, not just with their customers but also with their employees. The simple fact is that a year living and working from home has made people begin to question the time they spend in an office. 

On average, we spend a full third of our lives at work.

If you never feel included at your workplace, you spend a third of your life in a place where you don’t feel like you belong.

Diversity in the workplace promotes inclusion, which leads to better employee retention and helps companies attract the best possible talent.

Understand Your Customers Better

This is a pretty simple point to explain.

If you have a team of people from various cultures and backgrounds, you instantly have a better chance of understanding more customers. 

Not every potential customer or client has the same needs. Some could say that they are as unique as, well, humans (you thought I was going to say fingerprints). 

Without diversity, your company could be missing out on a large number of potential customers simply because you don’t have the opportunity to connect with them and meet their needs. Diversity in the workplace helps to solve this problem.

Reduce Employee Turnover

Happy people don’t quit their jobs; it’s that simple.

Many employers may think that the only thing employees are looking for in a job is money. While compensation is an important factor in employee turnover, it’s not the only thing that keeps people in a job.

It's becoming increasingly clear that employees are less likely to leave a job if they feel respected, supported and part of a team, even if they do not get the pay rise they want

The bottom line is that more people quit their jobs in today’s workforce to focus on themselves and their mental health than they do for more money.

Diverse workplaces cultivate happiness, inclusion and satisfaction. These qualities will promote a good team dynamic and a united front, which most often leads to better staff retention.

How Can Companies Promote Diversity?

So by now, you might be thinking, ‘Great, how do I jump on this diversity train?’

It’s not hard; you just need to follow a few basic principles. 

Educate & Train Your Hiring Team

To start working towards better diversity, it’s important to take a bit of a look in the ‘metaphorical’ mirror and ask, ‘How diverse is my workplace at the moment?’

Then you need to make sure your HR and Hiring team know how to reach your goals. One way you could do this is to conduct anonymous surveys with the team you already have. You might be surprised by some of the answers you encounter. 

If you discover that your workplace isn’t as diverse as you thought, it’s nothing to stress about. Sometimes you can address needs within your company with sensitivity training.

You also need to be explicit with your hiring policies and make sure they align with your goals to diversify your workforce. A simple start to this could be to include notes about diversity in job descriptions. 

Agree and Implement Diversity Policies

Most companies operating today should have some form of policy about diversity.

It is reasonable to protect both your employees and yourself from the problems caused by discrimination in the workplace.

These policies should also be considered a "living entity", meaning that they are regularly revised and updated.

Support and Promote Open Communication

Nobody can completely understand diversity overnight; it’s a process that is constantly changing and evolving. The most important thing is that you need to be willing to change and evolve with it. One of the ways to do that is to make sure that all staff members are aware of your stance on communication. 

Language is a cornerstone for promoting good diversity. Unfortunately, many of us have learned to refer to things or describe something that could be offensive to someone else. If your employees don’t know this, they will never learn to change their habits, and they may inadvertently offend someone.

Encouraging your staff to use inclusive language at all times will eliminate this. You could also implement an anonymous system like a suggestion box for staff members to feel confident to raise an issue without personally addressing someone. 

Help Your Employees to Connect

Let’s face it, most hiring managers hear the words "team building" and immediately want to run away. It’s hard to find ways to strengthen working relationships within your teams, but we all know it's a critical ingredient for success.

An often overlooked aspect of employees when it comes to team building and working relationships is that they have lives outside of the workplace. 

More and more, employees are working to live instead of living to work.

If you take that into account, you can unlock a hidden treasure trove of information. If you use something like a ‘poll’ to learn more about what makes your staff ‘tick’ in their free time, you might get some insight into improving employee relationships. 

Connection is ultimately what we crave. Even introverts need some level of connection, and the more we are connected, the more likely we are to pick up the slack when someone is feeling a bit down. 

An often overlooked aspect of employees is the fact that they have lives outside of their work.  

Invest in Your Staff

Staff are and will always be an investment. There’s a reason you can claim their salary as a business expense.

If you take the time to invest in mentorship programs and help your staff continue their education, your company will benefit. 

If you aim to offer professional development opportunities to your staff regardless of their gender, race, age, cultural background or sexual orientation, you will strengthen both your team and the loyalty your staff have to you. 

Provide and Promote Benefits that Attract a Diverse Workforce

This is about offering flexibility in benefits. If you can do this, you are more likely to attract a wider variety of applicants for the jobs you advertise.

The past year has taught us that remote working does not hinder performance, in many cases it actually enhances it. This could give students, parents or other geographically restricted workers the opportunity to join your team.

You could also take the time to familiarise yourself with the concept of floating holidays. This is where an employee can substitute a particular vacation period for another time in the year to suit their situation.

For example, the end of the year, ‘Christmas celebration isn’t a holiday period for everyone. A floating holiday means that someone of another religious denomination can continue working during this time if they wish.

In turn, they can take the same amount of time off at another point in the year. 

How Can I Support Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace?

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you include underrepresented people in your workplace.

The first and easiest step is to take the time to address any issues you already have around cultural bias. Then you can take the time to train your employees on inclusion and diversity.

You could mix up your teams or allow ‘free seating for employees. Sometimes it's as simple as listening and responding to what you hear. Maybe not everyone in your team is interested in the European football championships, but if you make such a big fuss about Eurovision, they might join the office pool anyway

Conclusion

Diversity in the workplace is not a foreign concept; it’s not even something we will work towards one day; it’s something you can have right now with minimal effort.

In the modern workplace, diversifying the workplace can only be beneficial, and therefore companies should do everything in their power to promote diversification.