To have a diverse and inclusive workplace has become an ever more pressing need, as communities and individuals become increasingly aware of their rights and employers of their responsibilities. This isn’t a tick-box to be completed or a buzzword bandwagon to jump on, but an intrinsic part of the fabric that makes up an open-minded and progressive company.
But what does it actually mean to be diverse and inclusive?
What are workplace diversity and inclusion (D&I)?
Valuing all employees as individuals demonstrates effective D&I. UK businesses are legislated to cover age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation, among others, in their D&I strategies. But a truly effective strategy goes further than legal compliance – seeking to add value and human experience to an organisation, contributing to employee wellbeing and engagement [1].
Benefits of diversity
Better ideas and more innovation
Companies and employees alike can reap the rewards of considered and contemporary diversity and inclusion efforts. Benefits can be both tangible and strategic with businesses better able to respond to changing circumstances, able to scale into new markets and develop more channels to do business, thanks to the richness and opportunity diversity provides [2]. Variety in any aspect of life can lead to a richer wealth of knowledge that breeds better ideas and more innovative work as a result.
Talent
From a hiring and retention perspective, the talent pool in and outside of an organisation increases significantly when D&I is a driving factor. And with this talent comes a variety of lived experiences, opinions and insights that a company is starved of when only focussing on one channel of talent or characteristics.
Commitment and value
D&I helps to form and inform other key strategies within an organisation, such as retention. When employees feel valued, that they can bring their whole self to work without fear or discrimination and feel that their contributions are reciprocally well-balanced with what they receive back from their employer, they demonstrate higher levels of commitment and productivity, as a result [3].
Positive employer brand
While this must never be the sole purpose of D&I there is no denying that an honest and effective strategy will naturally boost a business’ external brand. But, it must be genuine. A disingenuous strategy will be found out quickly and met with derision by those who experience it, with workers likely to respond with their feet at the very least.
Challenges when implementing D&I within the workplace
One size doesn’t fit all
It feels important to say that D&I is for the long-term too – it isn’t a quick scheme to put in place with a focus on strict targets and rigid metrics. This fluidity can be troublesome for some businesses, especially if no previous effort has been made and the business is suffering as a result in the here and now. Those businesses must take a step back to look at the ways in which they can adapt and improve that will make long-lasting change; not a quick fix which only papers over the cracks.
Resistance to change
Diversity affects organisational norms by creating the need for flexibility and evolution towards a broader culture — a need that is sometimes met with resistance. And the adage of ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ doesn’t work here either. Companies need to embrace change and see the significant value in D&I so that those employees can be true to themselves and bring the value to the workplace for which they are hired. If a workplace is resistant to change and employees hired have to do all the acclimating into a new environment, then the D&I purpose and objective is lost [4].
Communication
A practical challenge, communication can be an issue when a workforce is made up of various demographics. From native language barriers to age or gender related misunderstandings and colloquialisms, there is certainly opportunity for agitation. There are ways that organisations can counter this, however. For example, implementing a company-wide tone of voice and investing in internal communications. These can go some way to ensuring that demographic differences can instead be a point of engagement and bonding rather than friction.
Bias
Bias can present itself with even the best intentions. Where hostility is present due to bias, and the pre-judged belief that someone cannot do or understand something due to their demographic background, management must be quick to address it and rectify the situation to maintain and develop an inclusive workforce [5]. This scenario can be avoided altogether with effective communication and diversity training for existing staff and new hires as they come in.
How to increase and promote diversity in the workplace
Where diversity and inclusion needs implementing or improvement, it must start with the very people it sets out to serve – the employees.
Audit
Communicating with employees and encouraging their contribution helps to identify where skills, experience and insight are lacking. A diversity audit of the business in tandem will give employers a varied outlook on the current state of play and help identify where they need to make adjustments and D&I improvements. While D&I is very much a human strategy that needs to be approached with fluidity, an audit will give some infrastructure and metrics to help guide the process.
Education
A truly diverse and inclusive workforce has to start from within. Celebrating differences with team-building exercises, workshops and dedicated D&I training are just some of the ways to attract talent and engage and develop existing employees. Providing a safe space that encourages employees to express their cultures and unique wants and needs is critical to continuous positive engagement within a diverse workforce [6].
Accessibility
Non-English first languages, flexible working, ageism, disability and mental health are just a few of the factions within D&I to consider. A workplace – and working culture – needs to be accessible to all of these groups, and more – from bilingual signage to flexible working patterns and implementing access routes for those less-able.
Repeating the most important point to remember: one size does not fit all. Gaining the required knowledge regarding diversity and inclusion – and taking consequent action on the specific needs within a business now and for the future – will have countless benefits for any organisation.
[1] https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/diversity/factsheet#gref
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/07/26/the-how-and-why-of-building-a-diverse-workforce/?sh=67ad1c714cb1
[3] https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/employees/psychological-factsheet
[4] https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/chapter/challenges-to-achieving-diversity/
[5] https://www.enei.org.uk/training-consultancy/unconscious-bias-training/?gclid=CjwKCAjwzOqKBhAWEiwArQGwaNQMY4wsTqOOj_NjRKfUayR0aMBrKjr_3HHvIrKxCI8b8LPJB1rcUhoCLUUQAvD_BwE
[6] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/07/26/the-how-and-why-of-building-a-diverse-workforce/?sh=67ad1c714cb1