Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity in the Workplace.

A diverse workforce is important because the organisation can offer a wider range of resources, skills, ideas and energy to the business, which provides a competitive edge. This can be achieved in any organisation by hiring and promoting a workforce of people with differences.

These differences include race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical abilities and economic backgrounds. The premise of a diverse workplace is that employees are brought together to create a culture of inclusiveness where all employees are valued.

The benefits to employers of having a motivated and valued workforce are plentiful and they can include:

A Reduction in Lawsuits

Any organisation truly committed to diversity in the workplace is likely to receive very few discrimination claims. An employee pursuing legal action against a company can only claim discrimination if he or she has been terminated or victimised for a difference that they possess from their co-workers. If the company retains a diverse group of employees at every level there should never be cause for any such claims.

Increased Candidate Pool

A company that embraces workplace diversity immediately attracts a wider pool of candidates for its job vacancies. Higher educated candidates who experience diversity while at university may feel that a diverse company is more progressive and therefore will want to work there while candidates from all walks of life, especially minority groups, will be far more likely to apply for positions at a diverse company.

Increased Productivity

A diverse company can lead to greater productivity. The company will also gain from each employee learning from each other’s experiences and applying this new found knowledge to their work. Employees from different backgrounds see processes and practices from different perspectives and therefore are able to bring fresh ideas to the table. Morale also leads to higher productivity levels and organisations that are...