{"id":3825,"date":"2019-02-15T13:42:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T13:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.investorsinpeople.com\/?p=3825"},"modified":"2023-05-31T18:50:11","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T17:50:11","slug":"workplace-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.investorsinpeople.com\/knowledge\/workplace-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Diversity in the workplace: it means more than you think"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diversity in the workplace is a good thing – you won\u2019t find anyone that disagrees. But it\u2019s about much more than hiring people from underrepresented groups.<\/p>\n

So what does workplace diversity mean nowadays? When you know that, you can better understand\u00a0how diversity improves performance.<\/p>\n

Workplace diversity is about\u00a0thriving, not presence<\/em><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to encourage hiring managers to hire more women or ethnic minorities. It increases the overall diversity of the workplace. But diversity is about increasing people’s\u00a0actual participation, not just their symbolic participation.<\/p>\n

So is being granted a position in a company enough to actually achieve equal footing? Well, a study out of the University of Michigan found that people hired for \u2018diversity purposes\u2019 were\u00a0sometimes seen as less qualified for the position they were hired for.<\/a><\/p>\n

This is why we must think about how we can create environments of equal participation.\u00a0Technology company Slack highlights that while organisations can change hiring practices to increase the number of employees from underrepresented groups, the\u00a0environment must be conducive to these people thriving, not just being hired.<\/p>\n

Diversity is about increasing people’s actual participation, not just their symbolic participation.<\/p>\n

This could mean taking action on other employees\u2019 unconscious biases. Ensuring the hiring process shows transparently how someone has been judged for competency or cultural fit, and creating earlier training opportunities for hires from underrepresented groups.<\/p>\n

Workplace diversity is about\u00a0employee-led optimisation<\/em><\/h2>\n

Diversity is about avoiding ideals around best practice or one-size-fits-all. What works for one person may not work for another. And it might not work all the time, in any case.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why organisations are providing different options and allowing people to self-select into the most appropriate one. Workplace design is a common example. When brainstorming, someone might want to be with trusted colleagues to sense check ideas. When writing a report, they\u2019ll be more effective relocating to a quieter corner of the office.<\/p>\n

Personality traits come into play. Introverts may need quieter space earlier in the day to \u2018recover\u2019 from extensive interaction.<\/p>\n

In this sense, diversity is about employees recognising where they thrive and the organisation providing the resources that allow them to self-select because they know all employees are different.<\/p>\n

Workplace diversity is about\u00a0organisational performance<\/em><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of research that suggests diversity of thought and opinion, or being around people who are different to us,\u00a0makes us more creative, diligent and hard-working.<\/a><\/p>\n

Another study suggested diversity is essential if organisations want to create cultures of sustainable innovation, often cited as a key factor in whether organisations will thrive in the modern, rapidly-changing world.<\/p>\n

Finally, a respected study by Dezs\u00f6 and Ross (2012) found that\u00a0\u201cfemale representation in top management leads to an increase of $42 million in firm value.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Workplace diversity is about\u00a0everyone,\u00a0not just the underrepresented<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is important for two reasons. Firstly, although research suggests that overall diversity increases creativity and performance, there can be negatives, including discomfort and greater interpersonal conflict.<\/p>\n

By focusing narrowly on underrepresented groups, we focus on their own integration, rather than the functional wellbeing of whole groups. And by doing this these underrepresented groups can actually thrive less because of others\u2019 actions and beliefs towards them.<\/p>\n

In a truly diverse team, everyone is an individual, and we must recognise how they can bring their very best to work, feel comfortable in their own skin, and work with other very different people to create something better than they could do on their own.<\/p>\n

Workplace diversity is about\u00a0recognising and celebrating difference<\/em><\/h2>\n

Cultural integration has been a key goal of organisations for some time,\u00a0developing a common purpose<\/a>\u00a0and hiring people who will thrive under the established purpose and values.<\/p>\n

One problem is that the more diverse an organisation gets, the greater range of viewpoints, motivations, desires and beliefs you\u2019ll find, and the harder it can be to unite people under a common purpose.<\/p>\n

In a truly diverse team, everyone is an individual, and we must recognise how they can bring their very best to work.<\/p>\n

When asked what workforce characteristics would require the greatest change in HR strategies over the next three years, 60% of HR executives responding to an Economist Intelligence Unit study\u00a0cited employees\u2019 lack of interest in assimilating organizational values<\/a>. A further 50% pointed to conflicting values across a multigenerational workforce<\/p>\n

Diversity is about recognising that we all succeed in different ways and as long as we are contributing, we don\u2019t all have to contribute in the same way. A devoted father may stop work strictly at 5:30 to spend time with his son. An ambitious graduate may work into the evening. Neither takes a \u2018better\u2019 approach: they are just different, and both can be as efficient as the other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diversity in the workplace is a good thing – you won\u2019t find anyone that disagrees. But it\u2019s about much more than hiring people from underrepresented groups. So what does workplace diversity mean nowadays? When you know that, you can better understand\u00a0how diversity improves performance. Workplace diversity is about\u00a0thriving, not presence It\u2019s easy to encourage hiring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2811],"tags":[2781],"class_list":["post-3825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-knowledge","tag-all-people"],"yoast_head":"\nDiversity in the workplace | It means more than you think<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Diversity in the workplace is a good thing - you won\u2019t find anyone that disagrees. 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