The UK is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world. Our society is diverse and it is something we should feel proud of. If our society is so diverse then our workplaces should also be diverse.
Organisations are starting to realise that diversity in the workplace isn’t about ticking boxes and meeting targets. There are real benefits of having a diverse workforce.
The UK’s workforce is changing so employers need to be more diverse in order to gain the best talent. Having a diverse team helps businesses to be more innovative and creative because employing people that have different perspectives will help drive more diverse ideas. The combination of different experiences, working styles and cultural background leads to a larger talent pool which helps to understand your customer needs because the employers can connect with a range of candidates on a personal level.
Diversity falls into two categories:
•Inherent diversity which is tied to race, gender age and other characteristics.
•Acquired diversity refers to things like education, experience, values and knowledge these are all skills that can be develop and evolve over time. It is based on the idea of being able to give candidates an equal opportunity.
Some companies overlook some great candidates because they have untraditional backgrounds which is a downfall for the employer and the candidate because they have both missed out on a potential opportunity.
Workplace diversity can also mean focusing on the national days/months. Raising awareness for days such as pride month, black history month, world health day and world Alzheimer’s day help promote diversity because they are promoted but not promoted enough in a workplace. Making this awareness is important because as a work place it makes your company stand out and can therefore attract diverse candidates.
Having this diversity automatically gives your company a competitive advantage because it portrays that companies do not practise employment discrimination. Candidates will feel more comfortable to approach your company because they will know that they will be treated equally. It is statistically proven that employees will look forward to coming into work every day which establishes a positive environment.