Adopting a diversity and inclusion policy in companies , in addition to being an ethical issue, is a measure that only brings benefits to everyone involved. Recent research has shown that when diversity exceeds 30%, companies have higher profits . Another survey showed that the shares of companies with more gender diversity rise more . Therefore, encouraging inclusion and diversity should also be understood by managers and leaders as a business strategy.
Considering the fact that a perspective of a variety of subjects is required for an institution to perform efficiently, it means functioning with a diverse team promotes the chances of innovation to a high degree.
In this post, we talk about the benefits of diversity in the workplace and how you can encourage it in your organisation. Sound interesting? Keep reading!
Advantages of having a diversified workforce
As we stated, there are countless gains, which arise from promoting the diversity and inclusivity of the employees across the organisation – and most importantly, these gains are not restricted only to the ‘top’ hierarchy of the employees. We will tell you how it works in the progress below.
Conflict reduction
Conflicts tend to be fewer in organizations that respect diversity. This is because there is a much healthier policy of coexistence regarding differences, making it easier for teams and their members to deal with the differences that may arise on a daily basis.
This way, different points of view will not cause disagreements or friction. Depending on the situation, these differences become a source of greater synergy in the work environment, which improves the organizational climate and reduces employee turnover in the company.
Improved employer branding
Recently, social movements demanding equality for minorities have gained momentum around the world. Promoting inclusion in the corporate world involves understanding the importance of respecting and valuing diversity.
This is where one of the main benefits of this positioning for companies comes in: optimizing employer branding — the way the employer is seen, their reputation.
Employee attraction and retention
This aspect is precisely related to employer branding. More and more people from different backgrounds are interested in joining a company recognized for its diversity. This makes it easier to attract and retain talent , as there will be many options for candidates to fill the vacancies.
Keeping these professionals in the company is easier as well since the internal culture of respect and diversity is beneficial. As a result, employees are more content with their jobs, and everyday skirmishes decrease, raising efficiency.
Best results
The consequence of all the advantages mentioned so far is the achievement of better overall results. The reason is quite simple: in an enterprise in which diversity is promoted, the atmosphere becomes welcoming, collaborative and stimulating.
Professionals feel more enthusiastic and involved in carrying out their tasks. With the improvement in the quality of life of employees , tasks will be delivered more effectively.
Ways to work on diversity and inclusion in your company
There is no standard way to encourage diversity and inclusion in your company. You need to adapt your strategy to your already established processes — and this varies greatly depending on the industry and size of the business.
However, there are some measures that have already proven effective in this regard. Below, we have gathered some to inspire you. Check them out!
Inclusion programs
It is not enough to encourage diversity: it is necessary to know how to include people and encourage respect among them. The inclusion of people with disabilities, for example, is a way for organizations to fulfill a social function, offering these people the opportunity to carry out paid work with guaranteed rights and dignity.
It is worth remembering that every company with one hundred or more employees, according to the Quota Law, must fill 2% to 5% of its positions with people with disabilities.
Conversation circles
It is essential to create or intensify internal communication channels to deal with specific issues, such as those related to diversity, in order to propagate the ideas and values of a culture of inclusion in the workplace.
Therefore, it is important to adopt technological and digital resources to facilitate dialogue within the team, so that professionals can have the freedom to present criticisms and suggestions that favor the adoption of this culture.
One possibility is the use of tools that enable the exchange of experiences and dialogue, such as creating a group on social media to share texts and ideas that contribute to valuing diversity in the workplace.
Committees
Many organizations form committees to promote diversity. This type of action can be an excellent option for raising awareness among staff about racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equality. This is expected to increase levels of empathy and respect among employees, caused by a greater understanding of these causes.
These diversity support committees must be permanent and must also have the support of the Human Resources department in order to develop efficient actions. Training with leaders, lectures and themed weeks are some of the activities that the committee can promote.
Business image improvement
Valuing diversity and fulfilling its social role is extremely important for building a good image for a business. In today’s world, where social media provides instant and far-reaching exposure, organizations that want to be well-regarded must adopt a conscious and responsible stance towards society.
Smart recruitment
Support for diversity should begin during the selection process. From the beginning, recruiters should look for professionals with diverse profiles, preventing a team from being formed with only people who share the same mindset.
A great way to do this is to conduct a blind selection process and remove details from the resumes that do not match the professional’s qualifications, such as name, age, gender, marital status, etc. This way, it becomes easier to choose the candidate based on what they have to offer in relation to the role they will perform.
Inclusive culture should be demonstrated in the first interviews so that HR can assess whether the candidate is capable of interacting with different people. There is now software that links candidate data with the profiles of current employees to see who is best prepared to be part of the team.
Finally, now that you understand the importance of diversity in the workplace and how to implement it, all you need to do is apply these tips to your organization’s day-to-day activities. Remember that, in addition to improving the organizational climate, the sum of all the benefits also guarantees better results for the business. So, let’s get to work!
