Diversity has proven to be a huge benefit for not only the business, but for the workforce as a whole. Globalization and access to education have resulted in top talent coming from places that would not have been expected only 10 or 20 years ago. Minorities, such as women and Asians, are becoming key players in business.
Diversity is broader than many people realize. Including different groups of people requires more than just looking for different nationalities or genders. Cultivating real diversity means that you are considering peoples’ differing abilities, religions, cultures, age, socio-economic status, working style and sexual orientation. When you consider people of all different types and backgrounds, you gather an enormous amount of different experiences that can each be individually valuable to your company.
But, creating a diverse work environment is not just about making sure you hire enough people from each minority group. A diverse work environment highlights and celebrates the difference in opinions and perspectives that new faces bring to a team.
Creating a successful environment is about creating an inclusive environment. When all of your employees are valued, they will contribute more and perform better every day. The positive returns of an inclusive environment are almost limitless.
If you are unsure where to start building diversity, you might enlist the help of nonprofits dedicated to improving diversity in the workforce. There are many local and national organizations that are devoted to helping groups of minorities advance at work. They also provide coaching for companies who want to improve their workplace environments.
Another good place to start is with the job advertisements you post. If you want to attract a diverse talent, you need to write a job listing that reflects this. To do this, you need to make sure that you use open and inclusive language. You might ask people of different backgrounds to read it and give feedback on how they interpreted it to understand how many different ways a job posting can be read.
You might also consider writing a job description that describes what the candidate needs to do rather than the qualifications they must possess. This encourages high performers without a specific qualification to apply for jobs they might not otherwise consider.
Creating a diverse work space is important not only for your business but for the global economy. It does not need to be difficult. It requires only a culture of inclusiveness that values each individual for who they are and what they bring to the job.