December 17, 2024 
What is diversity, and what does it really mean to the business world?
To put things simply, diversity is “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; especially the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organisation.”
Businesses now recognise the profound benefits of diversity. Social change has given rise to increased diversity within the workplace, yet we still have a long way to go and room for progress.
One of the primary issues businesses face is their lack of genuine understanding and appreciation for diversity. While organisations may be quick to jump on the diversity bandwagon, they often fail to truly understand the “what” “why” and “how” of diversity. Organisations need to gain a more in-depth understanding of what workplace diversity is (and what it’s not!), as well as why it’s important. Once this understanding is fostered, businesses can create a proactive strategy to cultivate diversity within their organisation.
What Is It?
In the words of Nelson Mandela, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” If diversity is to be achieved, we must first educate ourselves about what a diverse workforce looks like. Diversity may seem like an obvious concept, but surprisingly, many businesses still misinterpret diversity as something far simpler. A common misconception is diversity is simply recruiting people from a range of backgrounds, whether it be a range in age, sexuality, gender, nationality or any other attribute. While this is one important aspect to achieving diversity, it is not the full picture.
“A common misconception is diversity is simply recruiting people from a range of backgrounds.”
True workplace diversity encompasses not only people from a variety of backgrounds but also those with different ideas, mindsets, worldviews, and personalities. While having a range of backgrounds often leads to a diversity of personal attributes, this is not always the case. The desire to hire a “cultural fit” can lead to the problem of hiring people with similar personality types, who just happen to come from different cultures or backgrounds. True diversity is achieved when an employer embraces all differences: differences in background, as well as differences in personality and thought.
Workplace diversity has evolved significantly over the years. Initially, the focus was on compliance and representation, ensuring that workplaces adhered to legal standards and included a mix of different demographic groups. Today, the concept has broadened to include creating inclusive environments where all employees feel valued and integrated into the organisational culture.
Why Is It Important?
Workplace diversity is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it enhances innovation and creativity. Diverse teams bring different perspectives and ideas, leading to more innovative solutions and creative problem-solving. Secondly, it improves employee performance and satisfaction. Inclusive workplaces where employees feel valued and respected tend to have higher levels of engagement and satisfaction, which can boost overall performance.
Additionally, embracing diversity allows organisations to attract and retain talent from a broader pool, which is essential in today’s competitive job market. Diverse teams are also better at making decisions as they consider a wider range of perspectives and potential impacts. Moreover, a diverse workforce can better understand and meet the needs of a diverse customer base, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In Australia, the Inclusion@Work Index 2023-2024 by the Diversity Council Australia reveals that close to one in three workers reported experiencing discrimination and/or harassment at work post-pandemic. Marginalised groups, such as First Nations workers (59%) and workers with disabilities (42%), reported higher rates of discrimination. Additionally, a report by the Australian HR Institute found that while 84% of HR professionals believe diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical to their organisation’s success, only 50% feel their leaders prioritise it.
In France, gender equality remains a significant issue, with women holding less than a quarter of board seats (23.3%) and only 6% of CEO positions. The French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) has launched initiatives to better measure and promote diversity in the workplace, although collecting certain types of diversity data remains sensitive under GDPR.
These scenarios highlight the ongoing challenges and the importance of continued efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. By addressing these issues, organisations can create a more equitable and productive work environment.
How Can I Recruit For Diversity?
Once the value of diversity is understood and appreciated, the next step is to implement a strategy to foster diversity in your business. Recruitment is one obvious method to gaining a team of all different people (following this, it’s down to onboarding processes and company culture). Here are 5 ways to ensure your recruitment strategy is alignment with diversity.
Develop a Reputation as a Supporter of Diversity
When a job is on the line, it’s not just the candidate who is assessed. Remember that recruitment is a two-way street, and candidates will undoubtedly be forming opinions on your company in relation to what they’re looking for. What does this have to do with diversity? Well, workplaces which uphold the reputation of being a diversity-supporter will attract a larger range of talent and diverse backgrounds.
Companies known for their commitment to diversity attract a wider range of candidates. According to a study by Glassdoor, 76% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important factor when considering employment opportunities.
Clearly, displaying your endorsement of workplace diversity as well as making sure these values are upheld within the company is essential. This may be done by getting behind local groups for a cause, such as charities in support of indigenous people, or voicing your support on special dates such as International Women’s Day. Whatever the strategy, your active approach to supporting diversity will lead to a positive reputation amongst a range of candidates.
Use Job Descriptions Wisely
Your job description is often the initial text that will bridge a relationship between the company and potential candidates. Evidently, this text is of huge importance. Not only does it offer the opportunity to voice your company values, but in doing so, also leads to responses from candidates who align with these particular values.
One of the most common mistakes is the overuse of technical terms and jargon in job descriptions, which in turn, leads to candidate’s responding in this (often meaningless) language. If you want a diverse range of candidates with skills in critical thinking and big ideas, you must embed these values within the structure of the job description.
There are obvious ways of encouraging diverse candidates, such as simply stating this in the text. However, there are some less obvious ways to be diversity-friendly in your job description. Being gender-neutral will avoid any assumptions about the candidate’s sex. Overall, the tone should be friendly and encouraging.
You may also choose to offer benefits that support diversity, such as the option to work at home (for parents, or those who are geographically isolated), or you may consider having a scheme dedicated to mental health within your workplace.
Create A Diverse Talent Pool Through Effective Networking
When a position becomes available, you may choose to use your talent pool. If this talent pool is diverse, you will have access to a huge range of different candidates right at your fingertips. The problem with networking (and the resulting talent pool) is it often arises out of industry-specific groups that all value the same attributes, ultimately leading to a homogenised pool.
When developing your talent pool, be aware of selecting people with the same degrees or qualifications, or people who have only worked in the specific industry. A way to tap into a diverse range of talent is to advertise a position on social media.
Rather than only advertising to certain talent in a specialised field, social media allows you to access a whole range of followers who are interested in what you do and why you do it. Another method is to form relationships with diverse communities, which will often offer sponsorships and other incentives (such as mentorship) to those of diverse backgrounds.
Be Aware of Bias
Implementing bias training and using blind recruitment techniques can reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process. Studies have shown that blind recruitment, where identifying details are removed from applications, can increase the chances of minority candidates being shortlisted by up to 46%.
Follow Up With Analysis
Regularly analysing recruitment data helps identify areas for improvement. Today, we are lucky enough to have access to a range of tools which are designed to assess the effectiveness of our online content. Such tools include linguistic analysers, which assess the tone of the text, and GA4 which analyses how the web page is being used and viewed. These tools can be applied to online job advertisements to gain a fantastic insight into how appealing it is for a diverse audience.
Moreover, the gender decoder calculates the amount of “masculine-coded language” that appears in the job ad, compared to “feminine-coded language”. Following up with analytics in this way allows you to assess the effectiveness of your strategy, and what needs to improve in the future.
According to McKinsey, companies that track and analyse their diversity metrics are more likely to see improvements in their diversity and inclusion efforts.
Workplace diversity is something fundamental to combatting inequalities, and allowing businesses to thrive with assorted talent and personalities. Accordingly, businesses need to “practice what they preach” and implement pragmatic ways of fostering a diverse team. When the value of diversity is truly appreciated by leaders, the endless ways to support diversity every day become instinctive.
If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help your organisation enhance its diversity and inclusion efforts, contact us today! We’re here to support you in creating a more equitable and productive work environment.
