Diversity is a hot topic these days, it seems like everywhere you look issues of race, culture and equality are popping up. Yet the numbers tell a different story. In corporate America, most offices are populated by white males with very little resources allocated to hiring people of color or women. Harvard Business Review reports that diverse hiring practices have only increased less than 5% in the last 20 years.
While companies are taking measures to include diversity training in their best practices, it seems on the hiring front things are moving very slowly.
Yet the latest statistics show that diverse offices improve skill level and enhance creativity when solving problems. Hiring people from varied backgrounds and experience levels can also set up the playing field for new attitudes and greater innovation and agility in the workplace.
Further benefits include:
Increased synergy
Teams rely on synergy to improve workflow. Teamwork amongst different perspectives builds new attitudes and encourages equitable processes to develop. This leads to improved communication and heightens interpersonal connectivity.
Employee Engagement
Having equal footing with your peers instigates a sense of loyalty and belonging. This naturally leads to higher employee engagement. Not only does this keep current staff committed, but it also increases the company’s ability to attract and retain top talent.
Innovation
Diverse minds encourage diverse solutions. Diversity propels creative problem solving and enhances the ability to see an issue from all sides. Distinct ideas often arise when minds remain open, and nothing broadens perspective like a team from differing backgrounds and experience.
With more women in the workforce than ever before and a population boom of minorities in the US, diverse workplaces are fast becoming the norm. Organizations who want to prosper in the new business model should be looking to grow their diversity awareness. If a team is going to be capable of top-shelf creative innovation, it must include employees with varying points of view.
