Every forward-thinking business knows they need to build a diverse workforce if they’re going to thrive long-term. Everyone deserves equal opportunities, but aside from diversifying being the right thing to do, there are so many benefits of equality and diversity in the workplace.
Time and time again, diverse teams have been proven to be smarter and higher performing than their non-diverse competitors. Racially and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform their respective national industry medians.
However, diversity in the workplace remains an issue, with many companies failing to diversify. Discrimination and unconscious bias mean those from ethnic, religious, gender and sexuality minorities and minority persons with disabilities aren’t being given equal opportunities at work.
When applying for roles, candidates from the BME population are more likely to be overqualified than those from white ethnic groups, but they’re less likely to be promoted. The underemployment rate for the BME population is also significantly higher than for white workers.
As for gender inequality, in the UK, men are almost twice more likely than women to become managers, directors or senior officials. And for every £1 that a man earns, a woman earns 81p.
But things are changing for the better and your business can help to make a difference. So how can you improve diversity in your workplace? How can you ensure your efforts are effective and have an impact? In this article, we explain five practical and proven steps.
Why You Should Be Prioritising Workplace Diversity
Firstly, let’s take a look at why diversity should be a priority for your business. Everyone should have access to the same opportunities, and all employees deserve to be treated equally.
With a diverse workforce, you benefit from a range of perspectives, ideas and skills. You can also improve employee engagement, satisfaction and retention by ensuring your work environment is somewhere that everyone feels comfortable and is treated equally.
Diverse workforces also attract a wider talent pool and can help you enter new markets by appealing to conscious customers who are committed to supporting inclusive businesses.
5 Steps to Improve Diversity In Your Workplace
A diverse workforce should be the goal for all modern, forward-thinking businesses. But how can you achieve that? We’ve outlined five of the best steps you can take to make a difference. These actions can help you not just tick boxes but make a real impact and create a culturally diverse and fully inclusive company culture.
1: Be Open to Acknowledging a Lack of Diversity
The first step to making a change is acknowledging that something was wrong in the first place. If there’s a lack of diversity in your company, accept that and communicate with your employees about the issue and how you plan to change it.
When you’re open with your team about a lack of diversity, you show understanding and accountability. But most importantly, you show that you’re ready to make a change.
Speaking openly about issues can help you create a more inclusive workplace culture and invite thoughts and feedback from employees who want to be involved.
2: Change the Way You Hire
Lots of companies offer referral schemes when recruiting for a new position. It’s a great way to find suitable candidates quickly and cheaply, but it could be stopping you from diversifying your team.
If you’re facing a lack of diversity, it’s best to post jobs on a range of online job boards to reach a wide range of people. As well as helping you attract diverse talent, spreading the word about your job openings can help you ensure you’re offering equal opportunities to people from all backgrounds, not just those with connections to your employees.
You could also go one step further and hold blind applications to prevent unconscious bias in your recruitment processes and ensure fair opportunities for all.
3: Celebrate Employees Differences, Religions and Cultures
In the UK, many organisations will celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter, hosting parties, events and giving employees time off to be with families.
Recognising non-Christian holidays and other cultural events can help you support employees from all backgrounds and celebrate cultural differences. Similarly, acknowledging and accommodating different cultural practices can be vital in creating an inclusive work environment.
Invite employees to share their traditions, backgrounds, holidays and cultural practices so that you can better support them. What’s important to your employees should be important to your business.
You could commemorate special occasions outside of Christian holidays, offer flexible annual leave so that employees can take time off when it matters most to them, and show team members that you value their differences.
By appreciating all religions and cultures, you can create an inclusive and comfortable workplace for all employees.
4: Hire a Diversity Manager or Put Together a Diversity Team
The chances are, your executives and decision-makers will want to be part of your diversity efforts but may not have the time to give diversity campaigns the time and attention they deserve. As workloads build up, diversity and inclusivity endeavours are likely to be pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.
But if you’re able to hire a diversity manager or put together a team consisting of employee volunteers, you can ensure diversity remains a priority for your business.
With someone (or a group of people) dedicated to leading the change in your organisation, you’re more likely to make a difference sooner rather than later.
Employees and prospective talent are also more likely to take your diversity efforts seriously if they can see you’ve assigned people to lead the change. Plus, employees may feel more comfortable opening up about their personal experiences or sharing their thoughts with a diversity manager or team who aren’t part of your general leadership team.
5: Showcase Your Commitment to Diversity
Tell your employees, customers, stakeholders and investors that you’re committed to diversity. By shouting about your efforts, you can show that you’re proud of your company, even if you still have a way to go.
You’re more likely to encourage your employees to participate in diversity campaigns and you could attract a more diverse talent pool by being open about your efforts.
Alex Minett is the Head of Product & Markets at CHAS, the UK’s leading health and safety assessment scheme and provider of risk mitigation, compliance and supply chain management services. With a working history in the audit and management consulting industry, Alex is experienced in implementing visions and strategies. Skilled in negotiation, management and business development, he is passionate about driving CHAS in its mission to safeguard organisations from risk in the UK. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-minett-hd2018/
