Diversity Can be Great For Your Business

Workplace diversity gives your company a modern, forward-thinking image, but the benefits go far beyond public perception. Studies show that diverse teams have a dramatic impact on everything from recruiting to the bottom line. By building a team that includes people from varying genders, age groups, physical abilities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds, you can give your company a distinct competitive advantage.

Increased Creativity and Innovation

One of the biggest benefits of workplace diversity is improved problem solving. When everyone in the room comes from the same background, it can be difficult to overcome — or even recognize — common biases and knowledge gaps. By gathering workers from different cultural, educational and professional backgrounds, you have access to a wider range of ideas and insights, which can lead to more innovative solutions. Varying viewpoints can also provide a creative spark for discussions and brainstorming sessions.

Improved Products and Services

Increased workplace diversity ensures that your team is better able to serve a broader customer base. A diverse workforce ensures broader insider insight into customers' preferences and requirements, making it easier to provide targeted products and services. If all of your employees are millennials, for example, it might be difficult to understand and meet the needs of older clients. With a Baby Boomer on the team, you gain firsthand knowledge and experience that give your company an edge over competitors with a more homogeneous workforce.

Better Employee Engagement

The natural tendency of a group, in both social and professional settings, is to follow the majority. In a business, this can mean that minority opinions and ideas are dismissed or unheard simply because the majority voices are too loud. Workplace diversity upends this pattern by eliminating the obvious majority and creating an environment in which individual ideas are easier to hear. When employees can offer innovative solutions without fear of being drowned out by the crowd, they may be more likely to contribute, which leads to better engagement and more active participation.

Easier Recruiting

Being the minority in a workplace can be challenging, even when the majority is accepting and welcoming. Standing alone in the crowd can be isolating and lonely. As such, new employees often look for companies with established workplace diversity. A team made up of a people from varying races, genders and ages lets jobseekers know that your company is already evolved and open-minded — so employees can focus on their work without fighting to be included. By embracing diversity, you can make it easier for HR to recruit and retain top talent.

Moving from a traditional workforce to a diverse team can be time-consuming, but the benefits are undeniable. By finding ways to increase workplace diversity, you can position your business to succeed in a challenging market.

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