At Green Earth Solutions, diversity is in our core values and it’s a major part of our existence as a company. Being diverse aids us in many ways we operate our business. Diversity is not just related to culture, it includes diversity in age, gender, educational background and experience amongst others. In Australia, we are lucky to have a diversified workforce available for us. Described below are 4 key benefits of a diverse workforce and why every business should consider it in their day to day work environment:
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Diversity can improve productivity & creativity levels
Numerous research studies have found that diversity brings in different talents together, all of them working towards a common goal using different sets of skills. Employees from all sorts of different backgrounds get to learn from their colleagues’ experiences from a different perspective. Thus, they are able to bring fresh ideas to the table by thinking out of their comfort zone.
Another benefit of diversity in the workplace is the increase in creativity among teams, and the ability to have a more diverse set of solutions to specific problems.
In a Forbes article, Viki (2016)1 points out that “Research on creativity and innovation has been consistent in showing the value of exposing individuals to experiences with multiple perspectives and worldviews”. -
Diversity can improve employee engagement
What better way to learn about other culture and ethnicity than from colleagues who come from a different background than your own? Forget about researching your colleagues online, ask and learn about them during lunch break or at after-work drinks. What is the point of having a pool of diverse employees when they do not learn more about each other’s lifestyle and cultures?
By sharing personal experiences and other matters relating to their childhood or stories while they were growing up, employees would be working towards building a trusting relationship amongst themselves. This is great because it increases employee engagement and at times increase employee motivation as well, which is great for the company.
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Diversity can reduce employee turnover
A company that embraces diversity in the workplace would immediately entices a wider pool of candidates for its job vacancies. Higher-educated candidates who experienced diversity while at university may feel that a diverse company is more progressive and therefore will want to work there. The company would generally enjoy a larger pool of candidates; the company is then spoilt for choice.
Companies who are recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates have a more qualified workplace. When companies recruit from a diverse set of potential employees, they are more likely to hire the best of the best for the industry. In a constantly increasingly competitive economy where skills and talents are crucial to improving the company, put together the most diverse set of candidates is increasingly necessary to succeed in the market. Do take note that job seekers are drawn to companies with diverse workforces because it is obvious that the companies do not practice employment discrimination. -
Diversity reflects positively on reputation
Another benefit of diversity in the workplace is the positive reputation that the company would receive. Companies who recruit and encourage individuals from a wide range of backgrounds generally gain a reputation for being a good and fair employer. Potential clients often feel more valued and thus give more business to these companies. A diverse collection of skills and experiences allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis because the company is able to relate and understand their clients better, and some even on a personal level.
Whenever you are planning to hire new employees, consider making an effort to hire a diverse range of people across gender, age and cultural backgrounds. Your organisation will flourish and you will be able to see the benefits of hiring diverse workforce sooner rather than later. Green Earth Solutions wishes you all the best in increasing the diversity in your business, team and workforce!