Diversity In The Workplace

Introduction

Workplace diversity is characterized by a number of important factors, including ability, sexual orientation, gender, age, race, and ethnicity. A corporation can increase its competitiveness and innovation by diversifying its workforce and expanding its skill set. “Diversity in the workplace is defined as a trait of company culture wherein the workforce composition includes employees of different genders, age, sexual orientation, religions, languages, abilities, professional backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational backgrounds”. (Chiradeep BasuMallick) 

Figure 1, Source: LinkedIn 

Layers of Diversity in the Workplace

Figure 2, Source: Aperian

Internal Diversity in the Workplace

The term "internal diversity" describes characteristics innate to humanity. When it comes to internal variety, age is an excellent example—after all, your birthday is your birthday forever. Additional instances of internal variety include race, ethnicity, and nationality.

External Diversity in the Workplace

Consider external diversity as the aspects of the human condition that individuals can influence as they grow and develop. Some examples of external variation include appearance, place of residence, level of education, and spiritual or religious beliefs.

Organizational Workplace Diversity

Organizational workplace diversity covers all of the different titles, functions, and experiences that working in a company brings about. Job title, function, and responsibilities come under this umbrella, as do workplace location, management status, department, and much more.

Worldview and Personality-Related Diversity

This particular category describes the aspects of our personalities and worldviews that we acquire during our lives as a result of events and other influences. Particular political views belong to the category of "worldview and personality-related diversity."

Different Types of Diversity in the Workplace

Figure 3, Source: Aperian

Diversity vs. Inclusion

Equal importance is given to inclusion in the workplace. It is the management's responsibility to make sure that workers feel appreciated and part of the team. In the end, it would raise the workers' involvement and job happiness. Additionally, this would guarantee that the business meets its goals and strengthens its standing in the market.

It is widely known that employee inclusion and diversity in the workplace are related. When combined, these two have the power to improve the culture of the company. Policies pertaining to diversity and inclusion must be combined for both moral and practical grounds. It would support businesses in achieving their goals and preserving their stellar reputation for workplace culture.

• Diversity in the Workplace Benefits
• More perspectives
• Better decision-making
• More innovation
• Higher employee engagement
• Improved company reputation

Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace

• Communication issues
• Cultural stereotypes
• Trust deficit
• Discrimination

Ways to improve Diversity

• Use the “Inclusive Workplace Model
• Acknowledge and honor multiple religious and cultural practices
• Foster a company culture where every voice is welcome, heard, and respected
• Open a dialogue about gender pay inequality
• Welcome a multilingual workforce
• Foster diverse thinking
• Build a multigenerational workforce
• Strengthen anti-discriminatory policies

Top Workforce Diverse Companies

• Beamery
• Sodexo
• Johnson & Johnson
• MasterCard
• Accenture
• EY

Figure 3, Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZkxjAGlP9Q

Conclusion

Diversity in the workplace has the power to significantly improve both business and its results. One competitive advantage is diversity. Organizations must learn to embrace diversity and integrate it into all aspects of their operations in order to fully benefit from it. Diversity in the workplace benefits the organization as a whole in addition to employers and employees. People will be more accepting of their coworkers in a diverse workplace. Additionally, the company gains from having a varied workforce because they may be the ones to forge beneficial relationships with other businesses and attract new clients.

References

Chiradeep BasuMallick What Is Diversity in the Workplace? Definition, Importance, Benefits, Challenges, and Best Practices available https://www.spiceworks.com/hr/diversity-inclusion/articles/what-is-diversity-in-the-workplace/

Chrobot-Mason, D., & Aramovich, N. P. (2013). The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity. Group &Amp; Organization Management, 38(6), 659–689. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601113509835

Types of Diversity in the Workplace aperian https://aperian.com/blog/types-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/

 Seattle SHRM, Diversity and inclusion: https://shrm-seattle.site-ym.com/page/Diversity128