The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

Similar to life, workplaces need diversity too. Different individuals with unique characteristics make working in an organisation interesting and inclusive.

When you hire employees from varying age groups, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, culture, languages, sexual orientation, education, and skills, they will help your business evolve. Also, creating a more accepting culture positively impacts individuals and connects one person to another.

In this post, we will exclusively talk about the importance of diversity in the workplace.

Why is Diversity Important in the Workplace?

Cultural diversity is a crucial element that plays a foundational role in allowing organisations to adapt fast and achieve greater success.

PwC’s Global Culture Survey 2021 report in Malaysia, comprising 258 participants across various industries shows the following results:

• Nearly 63 per cent of Malaysian participants think their organisation has a unique culture that makes them stand out from competitors.
• Around 86 per cent of respondents said their organisational culture should evolve in the next 3 to 5 years to succeed, grow, and retain the best talents.
• The culture can influence employee motivation, efficiency, and productivity.
• Organisations should be able to identify and focus on a few ‘critical’ behaviours to enable the desired change in the workplace in achieving business goals.
• Assessing the strength of culture in an organisation is important. It helps to fix problem areas and unleash the full potential of their diverse workforce.

The PwC report further states that by activating the right behaviours, an organisation can shape a distinct culture that can work as a competitive advantage.

5 Key Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace

The key benefits of diversity in the workplace are below:

1. Improves Cultural Awareness: Diverse cultures within the workplace enable organisations to deal with the various aspects in a global marketplace. For example, if a Malaysian company does business with Spain, having employees who speak Spanish will be assets and can enhance workplace relations.
2. Boosts Productivity: Organisations’ diversity helps generate more ideas and processes. A diverse workforce means a broader range of employee skills and experiences that can potentially increase productivity.
3. Brings in Innovation: When people from different cultures and backgrounds work together, the scope for innovation increases. People with different perspectives and creativity improve the chance of workable solutions to workplace problems.
4. Creates a Sense of Security: Companies with a diverse workplace have a higher reputation as better employers. They create a secure working environment for all employees without bias or prejudices and provide equal opportunities.
5. Improves Marketing Opportunities: When the workforce of an organisation depicts cultural diversity, it encourages other people to be a part of it. Diversity also improves the scope of marketing/ advertising to show the world, increases marketplace awareness, and attracts more diverse clients.

Ways to Improve Diversity in the Workplace  

Integrate Diversity with Your Core Business Strategy

The first step towards improving diversity in the workplace is integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with the core business strategy of your organisation.

A transparent diversity and inclusion strategy should not just stop at hiring and retaining employees from a diverse group. After the hiring process, there must be adequate ongoing support, or your employees will eventually quit.

Your High-Level Executives Should be DEI Accountable

Formal accountability of top executives within an organisation for diversity and inclusion outcomes is a great way to encourage awareness and participation. It also reminds people within the organisation that DEI is not a mere HR concern.

Eliminate Implicit Bias from the Workplace

A study by Princeton University shows every human has implicit biases. This is why an individual has an unconscious positive/ negative reaction or perception to someone or something.

The existence of implicit bias can even interfere with hiring a diverse workforce. An organisation needs to work consciously to eliminate or mitigate it.

Acknowledge Different Religious/ Cultural Practices

This is particularly important for multinational enterprises. Acknowledging and respecting different holidays and celebrations of different countries and cultures can show inclusiveness.

Close The Gender Pay Gap

According to Statista, wage equality between men and women in Malaysia is 0.75. It means, women make RM0.75 for every RM1.00 that men make. However, it is still higher than countries such as China and Japan. Companies need to work more on this aspect by providing complete transparency in wages and pay hikes.

In conclusion, diversity in the workplace is important to ensure an inclusive and productive workplace for all employees.
 

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This is a guest post contributed by GoGet. GoGet is shaping the future of work in the gig economy, where businesses can instantly hire multi-skilled part timers for their operational needs.

Photo credit: RODNAE Productions from Pexel.