Introduction
Diversity in the workplace recognizes that each individual is unique and supports their individual expression, regardless of race, gender, age, class, financial status, physical ability, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. It also recognizes that these unique people share many characteristics that help them collaborate on a shared task (Anglim et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to explain how greater workplace diversity leads to better organizational outcomes and to provide recommendations for promoting diversity on the job.
The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace
Successful organizations that embrace a diverse work environment demonstrate that employees can channel their diversity into strengths when faced with a shared mission. This is distinct from assimilation, in which individual employees change their ways of thinking to adopt the lifestyle of those with whom they interact. In the case of diversity, people preserve their individual assets and recognize each other as valuable individuals, even as they work as a team towards a shared objective, integrating their various abilities, experiences, and perspectives (Anglim et al., 2019).
Diversity practices have certainly made the workplace more engaging, dynamic, and exciting. When individuals with diverse backgrounds work together, they can share knowledge, practices, and lessons learned. This renders the workforce a considerably more balanced and tolerant place to operate.
The availability of a diverse labor force will result in the company having partners and managers who represent different languages, cultures, values, and beliefs. Modern workplaces are highly heterogeneous, leading to many changes in traditional business operations (Anglim et al., 2019). Consequently, companies are now making an effort to examine their daily operations carefully and restructure them to make their workforces more inclusive and diverse. When various people bring different perspectives to the table, there is room for discussion beyond the potential business opportunity.
Adopting and applying diversity in the workplace will help professionals and managers better understand a diverse workforce, enabling them to attract new talent and retain productive employees in today’s competitive global economy (Anglim et al., 2019). It also helps managers create a dynamic and fulfilling work environment in which all workers are respected and ensure maximum commitment from each individual to the company, making them feel they are part of the business.
It is essential to consider the example of how increased awareness on the job leads to enhanced organizational results. Ford Motor Company is a recognized automotive manufacturer that provides excellent service to its clients without changing its product strategy based on the market in which it operates. The firm owns 100 plants in the United States, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, and many other locations (Inegbedion et al., 2020, p. 26). It supports jobs for more than 350,000 people worldwide. Ford’s key business plan revolves around job diversity and entry into all levels of the company (Inegbedion et al., 2020, p. 26). Their diversity can be observed from the meeting space to the factory floors to the engineering center.
The company’s representatives remark that their diversity makes them the most outstanding company. Hence, the diversity of the workforce across all positions in the company contributes to the brand’s popularity and the organization’s effectiveness. At its inception, Ford Motor Company made the necessary arrangements to reflect the diversity of the communities in which it conducted business. Within the first five years, Ford established operations or sales in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and in some countries in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.
The company’s CEO, Henry Ford, adopted a policy that helped the organization meet the needs of its clients (Inegbedion et al., 2020, p. 27). As part of this strategy, the positions of some employees were changed, and a high salary was proposed, which at the time was more than twice the regional average. Accordingly, $5 a day became a way for many thousands of immigrants and African Americans to become part of the business (Inegbedion et al., 2020, p. 27).
Ford effectively produced a new American vehicle for the middle class, making Ford Motor one of the first American businesses to capture the growing diversity of the United States. Consequently, every line at the company included individuals from different social classes, races, and backgrounds, who brought different knowledge and experience to develop the same product. Thus, the company was able to produce a line of cars that satisfied customers across various segments.
Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace
The concept of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the business environment now extends beyond hiring diverse people to include ensuring equal participation for these workers. Meanwhile, today’s companies recognize the incredible value that diverse people can bring to their businesses. Companies with high levels of diversity have, on average, generated nearly 15 times more sales revenue than those with the lowest levels (Gomez & Bernet, 2019, p. 389). Over the years, this approach has shifted from simply considering age, gender, and race to finding a broader range of people to enhance business value. In line with a growing trend, business leaders are realizing that encouraging diversity in the workforce has several clear benefits for both the company and its employees.
Consequently, staff are significantly more likely to perform better in an environment where diversity and inclusion are a top priority. This helps to raise employee morale and engagement throughout the team. In general, workers who feel appreciated will be more engaged and motivated to succeed. In turn, a more engaged team often produces better results. In addition, one of the critical strengths of community diversity is the wide range of ideas that can be explored (Gomez & Bernet, 2019).
After all, the team has the creativity of people with diverse backgrounds and abilities. This is beneficial for all areas of business operations, from marketing to finance. More than that, workplace diversity will help create a strong reputation for the company. Diversity can be a critical component in attracting business talent, especially in graduate recruiting. According to a study by Inegbedion et al. (2020), 83% of millennials show more interest when they think their company promotes an inclusive culture (23). Hence, talented executives will be motivated to work for a company that fosters inclusiveness.
When employees realize that differences are encouraged in the company, they are likely to feel more confident in their unique qualities. Promoting diversity can increase individual team members’ confidence and productivity. It will be easier for them to communicate their ideas, become closer to their associates, and enjoy and take satisfaction in their position (Ng & Sears, 2020). Beyond that, having a more diverse team will help the company better understand customers, their needs, and what they are researching.
Without representatives from different races, statuses, or social classes, a company may miss out on a massive group of potential customers that can be reached with a more diverse team. Employees can effectively promote the business because they share experiences with the intended target audience (Ng & Sears, 2020). The company has new growth opportunities as the executive team begins to learn the differences between various groups of individuals and how to target them.
It is worth noting that companies with this approach tend to retain workers longer. After all, individuals who feel recognized and valued are significantly less likely to resign. In a diverse work community, workers can better understand each other’s diversity (Ng & Sears, 2020). It often reduces conflict, even between the most diverse team members, and brings people together around a common goal rather than dividing them.
In recent years, giants like Apple, Google, and Hewlett-Packard have significantly intensified their efforts to support workplace diversity. Many companies are now issuing diversity reports and actively promoting inclusion strategies. Experts indicate that by 2021, 75% of companies with diverse and inclusive decision-making teams will exceed their financial goals (Kirton & Greene, 2021, p. 60). This is because gender-diverse and inclusive teams outperform their less inclusive counterparts by 50% (Kirton & Greene, 2021, p. 61). Therefore, to reap long-term benefits, a company must take a systematic approach that continually fosters diversity, which includes processes from hiring and building staff to training management.
Recommendations for Facilitating Diversity in the Workplace
For organizations to realize the benefits of hiring employees from diverse backgrounds, the following recommendations should be implemented. First, it is imperative to prepare employees who have not previously worked in a diverse environment that includes inclusivity for change (Schneider et al., 2018). This is because they may be prejudiced against employees with different backgrounds or those who are excluded.
Managers should help their subordinates reconsider their views and explain that stereotyping does not contribute to the organizational climate and team effectiveness (Schneider et al., 2018). If employees find themselves prejudiced against people of other races or genders, they can be offered training that promotes a more accepting attitude toward others. As a result, such actions will prepare the team for workplace diversity if it has not been used before.
Meanwhile, creating equal working conditions encourages diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Managers should analyze the level of responsibilities of all employees and compare their salaries. Such an analysis is valuable for determining whether employees with different backgrounds receive the same salary for the work they perform (Schneider et al., 2018). Otherwise, if individuals are paid less than others because of their inclusion or race, this can lead to poor performance. Thus, analyzing working conditions and pay policies will allow managers to assess the organization’s situation and address any problems. Accordingly, equalizing the rights of all employees will increase their engagement in the workplace and allow them to feel protected by their managers (Schneider et al., 2018). Subsequently, the organization’s performance will significantly improve if employees contribute their best.
Another mechanism for enhancing equality and inclusion in organizations is to celebrate the holidays of different cultural groups working in the company. Thus, managers should be aware of the different cultural holidays of the people represented in the company and send them greetings and grant them a day off if their holidays do not coincide with the general ones (Schneider et al., 2018). Moreover, it is possible to start celebrating nationally important intercultural holidays at the company level to involve all employees. Thus, it will improve the organizational climate and foster good relations among employees, regardless of inclusiveness or diversity. As a result, the company will have a team that can adapt to changing market conditions and respond flexibly through rapid communication among team members (Schneider et al., 2018). Accordingly, even during an unfavorable period for organizations, employees will consider themselves part of the organization and continue working to increase its success.
Additionally, organizational management can involve representatives from various employee groups to address critical issues. In other words, the company’s general meeting should be attended by employees in line with its diversity and inclusion principles. This will demonstrate their importance to the organization, allowing companies to gain a new perspective on diversity development and organizational change (Kirton & Greene, 2021). Consequently, the team will work with the interests of all staff members considered, enabling the rapid implementation of organizational changes necessary for company development.
Meanwhile, feedback is required to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This will enable managers to analyze employee feedback and identify the problems and needs of their teams. This also applies to employees’ perceptions of working in organizations that are inclusive or diverse in any aspect. If managers receive information about any form of bias or discrimination, they can respond to it and restore justice for employees.
In this way, workers in such companies will feel protected and cared for by management (Kirton & Greene, 2021). They will be transparent about their impressions and concerns, helping them avoid stress and emotional burnout. Thus, this will allow employees to work more efficiently and fulfill their duties. Therefore, this policy will contribute to the overall growth of the ornamentation organizations and their productivity.
Finally, it is essential to continuously monitor the progress and evaluate the organization’s diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. This is critical for addressing cultural diversity and adapting policies for new employees (Kirton & Greene, 2021). Accordingly, the continuous improvement of organizations in this area will foster a supportive organizational climate within companies, leading to the sustained involvement of professionals in the team. Ultimately, this will result in higher profits for organizations and a more diverse and competitive environment.
Conclusion
In summary, effectively managing diversity and inclusion in organizations has numerous benefits for overall company performance. A team with diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences, and opinions can accomplish a great deal when developing innovative ideas and solving problems. It also increases staff retention, as they are motivated and feel supported by the organization.
Accordingly, companies will be able to create a supportive organizational climate with a team of professionals. Therefore, such organizations will consistently generate profits and operate efficiently, even in a challenging, competitive environment, because staff will feel part of the team and work effectively. There are also ways to promote diversity and inclusion, ranging from revising working conditions to changing company policies. This will improve organizations’ diversity and inclusion environments to attract and retain younger employees.
References
Anglim, J., Sojo, V., Ashford, L. J., Newman, A., & Marty, A. (2019). Predicting employee attitudes to workplace diversity from personality, values, and cognitive ability. Journal of Research in Personality, 83,1-10.
Gomez, L. E., & Bernet, P. (2019). Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(4), 383-392.
Inegbedion, H., Sunday, E., Asaleye, A., Lawal, A., & Adebanji, A. (2020). Managing diversity for organizational efficiency. Sage Open, 10(1), 23-35.
Kirton, G., & Greene, A. M. (2021). The dynamics of managing diversity and inclusion: A critical approach. Routledge.
Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (2020). Walking the talk on diversity: CEO beliefs, moral values, and the implementation of workplace diversity practices. Journal of Business Ethics, 164, 437-450.
Schneider, B., Yost, A. B., Kropp, A., Kind, C., & Lam, H. (2018). Workforce engagement: What it is, what drives it, and why it matters for organizational performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(4), 462-480.