LET’S TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Posted on Tuesday, 5th April - 2022, in INSIGHTS, by Saki Mimura

Diversity Is A Big Word. What Does It Mean At Our Workplace And What Can We Gain From It?

In the era of rapid globalisation, you may have heard the word ‘diversity’ in a lot of places. It is often associated with a variety of races, cultures, languages, and personal backgrounds that we can find in people. However, the idea of diversity can be more than that. Let’s explore this concept from the perspective of your workplace and your fellow employees. 

What Do You Gain From A Diverse Workplace?

Diversity is important. But why? Simply put, it is great for your company. To be more specific, being diverse at your workplace, especially in the management team, has positive effects on your corporation’s performance. 

MORE DIVERSITY, MORE INNOVATIVE IDEAS

There is a couple of strong pieces of evidence behind this. A study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group in 2017 indicates that corporations that scored above average in diversity reported higher innovation revenue by 19% than the ones with the lower average in diversity. 

Also, a report published by McKinsey in 2019 shows that corporations in the top quartile for ethnic diversity in executive teams had higher financial outperformance by 36% than the ones in the bottom quartile. These statistics suggest that the more diverse the leaders are, the more innovative and creative ideas a company can gain. Hence, being diverse is very beneficial for a corporation. 

MORE DIVERSITY, MORE PERSPECTIVES

Furthermore, diversity can refer to more than just a variety of ethnicities and cultures in people. It is about you, and me. Think about telling your colleagues your personal stories. You will never find a person who has the exact same stories as yours because every person is different. Your employees are no exception. Each of your staff has their own perspectives which are unique and deserve to be heard. 

Therefore, achieving diversity means not only revising the current recruiting process not to cause inequality, but also acknowledging that your employees are already diverse. It also includes recognising your own biases that exist in the workplace. Once you realise those biases, you can tackle them to become a more diverse team as a company.  

How Can You Create A More Diverse Workplace?

Here are some strategies you can start today to ensure diversity in your office. 

• Encourage daily communication among your staff
• Welcome different opinions and discussions
• Make your staff’s voice heard
• Adopt flexible working styles

CONCLUSION

Diversity is like a very reliable friend to you and your company. It can give you various ideas and perspectives that strongly associate with your company’s profit. In other words, diversity can provide your company with many different pairs of eyes to see your customers’ wants and needs, because your customers are diverse too.    

For more diversity, make use of team building activities that we provide at Unique Team Building. We can arrange programs that specialise in cultural understanding, differences in opinions, creativity exercises, and so many more. We are here to help you design unique experiences just for you and your team to understand the importance of diversity and exchange your own perspectives with one another. Those activities will be your chance to make your staff feel respected and heard by exploring diverse stories and ideas of themselves. 

Contact us today to acknowledge the existing diversity in your workplace and create an atmosphere of inclusion for a further diverse working environment. 

Email us or call 07 3186 1026.