Diversity Training is a Smart Move for Your Business

Posted by Terrel Walkins on July 12th, 2021

It is smart to achieve diversity in the workplace, given the increasing globalisation of the economy. You should read this if you are a business owner who is not trying to diversify your workforce.

This post will discuss the tangible and intangible advantages of diversity at work, as well as the challenges and how you can get started today on similar initiatives.

A diverse workplace is defined as one that has employees from different races, genders, and ethnicities. This is true but there's more. An organisation that employs diverse workers is one that deliberately uses people of different genders, religions, races, age, ethnicity and education.

Diversity at work can lead to many benefits, both internal and external. But, implementing diversity initiatives at work comes with its own set of challenges. In the following sections, we'll examine both sides of this equation.

People from different backgrounds have unique perspectives, experiences and knowledge. These unique perspectives are crucial in maximising creativity. It is important to celebrate differences in the perspectives and experiences of employees rather than ignoring them. These diverse perspectives are crucial to creating a unique value offering that eventually wins more market share.

It is common to believe that quotas are necessary for the inclusion of certain racial minority workers in a concerted effort. A push for diversity in corporate workforce is about hiring and interviewing people from all walks. Interviewing, screening, and ultimately hiring people from different races and ethnicities does not aim to achieve a diversity target. Rather, the ultimate goal of a workplace diversity program is to improve the company's products and services.

Here are some of the most popular benefits of workplace diversity

  • Many perspectives
  • Creativity increases
  • Increased problem solving Increased profits
  • Employee engagement is improved

Employee engagement is also enhanced by a diverse workforce. Deloitte says that more than 80% millennials feel more engaged at work when their employer offers a diverse workplace culture.

Leaders of Australia need to recognize the intrinsic value of a diverse workforce. Many times, racially homogenous workplaces are plagued by Orwellian groupthink where the majority of employees think the same way.

Companies that encourage diversity in their workforce also benefit from the many experiences and backgrounds of their employees, which can lead to truly heterogeneous thinking. Diverse workforce means diversity in thought, irreverence for convention, and pushing boundaries. Companies need this irreverence for convention to offer a unique value proposition that captures more market share, and ultimately improves the bottom line.

Many diversity programs in the workplace have been focused on bias reduction. Employers who require training in bias reduction can increase hostilities, according to studies. Research shows that participants who choose to participate are already pro-diversity. This is why we need to move beyond trying to reduce bias to put inclusion into practice.

There is no single curriculum that will work for all workplace diversity programs. Facilitators should be flexible with their content, delivery and structure. Every organisation and every participant will have different needs.

Strategic action is key to creating a diverse workplace, especially when your company is just starting to implement diversity initiatives and campaigns. These expert strategies can be used by diversity and inclusion managers, business leaders, and diversity advocates to create an environment where people from underrepresented groups feel valued and heard.

Diversified workforces have many benefits over companies that don't have them. Your company's reputation is not the only benefit of workplace diversity. There are many tangible and direct benefits to workplace diversity.

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Terrel Walkins

About the Author

Terrel Walkins
Joined: June 3rd, 2018
Articles Posted: 48

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