Building diversity in the workplace can have many benefits including higher innovation, better decision making, faster problem-solving, increased creativity, and a variety of different perspectives. Diversity has been a hot topic in the HR industry, and in recent years it’s become a major goal for many businesses.  

If you’re an employer, or perhaps an eager HR employee ready to make a change in your workplace, the simple tips below can benefit your company the way we’ve seen it do with so many others. Don’t just take it from me; according to research conducted by Deloitte, workplaces that prioritize inclusivity and diversity are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial goals, six times more likely to innovate, six times better at anticipating and responding effectively to change, and they generate 30% more revenue per employee. A McKinsey study also revealed that diverse organizations earn 35% better results than those that are more homogeneous. 

Tips to reach a diverse crowd: 

Hiring Strategy 

1. Where you advertise a vacancy highly impacts the type of applicants you receive. Posting job offers in unexpected places such as malls, libraries, and even daycare centers, increases the variety, diversity, and number of candidates that apply, some who typically might not be able to search for jobs online. 

1. Refrain from making a specific level of education or experience mandatory. By only considering applicants who have graduated from prestigious schools or have experience with expensive software, you are rejecting a plethora of people who are likely just as talented, but not as privileged.  

1. State on the job description that you are an equal opportunity employer. This will show potential candidates that you’re concerned with promoting inclusivity. (Note that in some states, this statement can bear legal weight. Consult HR to ensure you stay compliant with any laws/regulations being an equal opportunity employer may entail). 

Workplace Environment 

1. Do not focus on quotas. Having the bare minimum number of diverse employees in the workplace tends to just alienate them. Imagine being the only woman/Muslim/Latinx/disabled employee in office. Does not sound or look too welcoming, does it?  

1. Promote diverse employees to higher positions. This way, you can truly reap the benefits of having a multifaced team, AND there is less of a chance you will lose that employee to other opportunities he/she may come across.  

1. By conducting exit interviews, you to learn why minority employees leave and what you can do to address the issue for the future. 

1. Build a workplace that is inclusive as possible. For example, consider accommodations that can be made for the impaired or for religion needs. Set up a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment.  

Whether you’re striving for diversity in the workplace because you’d like to embrace being an equal opportunity employer, or because your company needs new and unique ideas and perspectives, now you know where to start! 

For professional insight and assistance with recruitment and other HR services, visit https://careernation.com/  

Written by Marusya Madubuko 

Citations:  

Andrade, R., & Rivera, A. (2011). Developing a diversity-competent workforce: The UA libraries’ experience.Journal of Library Administration, 51(7-8), 692-727. 

Pless, N., & Maak, T. (2004). Building an inclusive diversity culture: Principles, processes and practice. Journal of business ethics, 54(2), 129-147.