The Benefits of Workplace Diversity

In the article “The Myriad Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace” published by Entrepreneur on 8 December 2014, recruiting trends analyst, Kim Abreu states that with more companies operating within a diverse marketplace and with the growing diversity in our neighborhoods, it has become essential for companies to employ a diverse workforce. The author further states that establishing such a diverse workforce allows the company to represent the world and better address the needs of the whole marketplace. The author argues that companies that put forth the effort to look like their communities are more likely to be profitable in a diverse marketplace because they are able to take advantage of the following 5 key benefits resulting from a diverse workforce:

The first key benefit resulting from a diverse workforce is the drive of innovation, argues Abreu. Successful companies benefit from leaders who possess “two-dimensional diversity.” These are leaders who have at least three inborn diversity traits as well as three acquired traits. A 2D diverse company will harness inherent diversity in their workforce and acquired diversity in leadership. The acquired diversity in leadership creates the best base for an inclusive speak-up culture, which unlocks the potential of innovation in the inherent diverse workforce. The author explains that working in another country can one appreciate cultural differences, for example, while selling to female consumers can give you gender smarts. By connecting diversity to leadership companies with 2-D diversity out-innovate and out-perform companies that lack this two dimensional diversity.  

The second benefit of diversity listed by the author is an increase in creativity. The author points out that teams which include workers from a different background and experiences are able to come up with more creative ideas and methods of finding solutions to solving problems. The author further argues that the more of a team’s make-up consists...