Case Study: The benefits of diversity in the workplace Diversity in the workplace means that a company has employees tha
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:12 am
Case Study:
The benefits of diversity in the workplaceDiversity in the workplace means that a company has employees thatvary by many different characteristics. Most often when peoplerefer to workplace diversity, they’re referring to a workplacethat’s balanced by race and gender. But diversity in the workplacecan exist across many different variables, including age, religion,cultural background, and language, physical. A truly diverseworkplace features a distribution of people that reflects greatersociety. This indicates that the company doesn’t present anybarriers to entry for individuals of any particular background. Forexample, a diverse company should have a relatively equal genderbalance at both the staff and leadership level. Any worthwhiledefinition of workplace diversity also includes the notion ofinclusion. Whereas diversity is more of an objective measure of howdifferent employees are from one another, inclusion is aboutwhether employees truly feel like they are accepted, their voicesmatter, and that they belong. So it’s not enough just to bediverse. A company must also be inclusive. What makes diversity andinclusion so important? Many companies recognise the value ofdiversity in the workplace. There are eleven compelling reasonsthat explain why companies are making workplace diversity apriority.Diverse organisations are more innovative and creative - Workplacediversity sparks innovation and creativity. Diverse organisationssolve problems faster - Because diverse companies are moreinnovative and creative, they also solve problems faster.Diverse organisations make better decisions and are more adaptable- Not only do diverse teams make decisions quicker, they also makebetter decisions.Diverse teams are more productive and perform better - Whileworking within a homogeneous team of similar people may seem easieron the surface, there’s a wealth of research that shows thatdiverse teams are actually more productive.Diverse companies are seen as better employers - Working at aninclusive organisation is a growing priority for job seekers.Diverse companies have higher employee engagement - Employeeengagement is a major goal of most HR teams.Diverse workforces see reduced turnover - It’s simple: diversityand inclusion lead to engagement, and engaged employees staylonger.Diverse companies can better serve their diverse customer base - Ateam with a variety of backgrounds is more likely to understand oruncover the challenges that their diverse customers may have.Diverse companies have better reputations - Companies that makediversity and inclusion as part of their mission are seen asdesirable, socially responsible organisations— leading to a betterreputation with customers and investors.Diverse workforces and leadership teams earn more profit - All ofthe above factors lead to more profitable businesses.Diverse companies make the world a better place - Simply put,fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion sets an example forthe world to follow. It’s not just good for business; it’s theright thing to do.Having a truly inclusive workplace is not possible unless adiversity and inclusion program is implemented with buy-in fromtop-to-bottom in the organisation. Some quick tips on how to dothis is to create inclusive company policies, celebrate individualdifferences, proactively hire for diversity, audit job posts forinclusive language and finally, hire objectively without bias.
QUESTION 2 (25 Marks)You work in an organisation that has a diverse workforce in termsof age, cultural background, physical abilities, race, religion,gender, and sexual orientation. Elaborate on EIGHT (8) approachesthat will assist your organisation to effectively manage thisdiversity.
1. Accommodating work and family needs:
2. Alternative Work Arrangements:
3. Diversity Training:
4. Mentoring Programmes:
5. Identifying and Building on Shared Values:
6. Commitment to Goals and Objectives:
7. Appreciating the Uniqueness of Each Person andCulture:
8. Acknowledging Cultural Conflicts and Differences:
9. Team Building:
The benefits of diversity in the workplaceDiversity in the workplace means that a company has employees thatvary by many different characteristics. Most often when peoplerefer to workplace diversity, they’re referring to a workplacethat’s balanced by race and gender. But diversity in the workplacecan exist across many different variables, including age, religion,cultural background, and language, physical. A truly diverseworkplace features a distribution of people that reflects greatersociety. This indicates that the company doesn’t present anybarriers to entry for individuals of any particular background. Forexample, a diverse company should have a relatively equal genderbalance at both the staff and leadership level. Any worthwhiledefinition of workplace diversity also includes the notion ofinclusion. Whereas diversity is more of an objective measure of howdifferent employees are from one another, inclusion is aboutwhether employees truly feel like they are accepted, their voicesmatter, and that they belong. So it’s not enough just to bediverse. A company must also be inclusive. What makes diversity andinclusion so important? Many companies recognise the value ofdiversity in the workplace. There are eleven compelling reasonsthat explain why companies are making workplace diversity apriority.Diverse organisations are more innovative and creative - Workplacediversity sparks innovation and creativity. Diverse organisationssolve problems faster - Because diverse companies are moreinnovative and creative, they also solve problems faster.Diverse organisations make better decisions and are more adaptable- Not only do diverse teams make decisions quicker, they also makebetter decisions.Diverse teams are more productive and perform better - Whileworking within a homogeneous team of similar people may seem easieron the surface, there’s a wealth of research that shows thatdiverse teams are actually more productive.Diverse companies are seen as better employers - Working at aninclusive organisation is a growing priority for job seekers.Diverse companies have higher employee engagement - Employeeengagement is a major goal of most HR teams.Diverse workforces see reduced turnover - It’s simple: diversityand inclusion lead to engagement, and engaged employees staylonger.Diverse companies can better serve their diverse customer base - Ateam with a variety of backgrounds is more likely to understand oruncover the challenges that their diverse customers may have.Diverse companies have better reputations - Companies that makediversity and inclusion as part of their mission are seen asdesirable, socially responsible organisations— leading to a betterreputation with customers and investors.Diverse workforces and leadership teams earn more profit - All ofthe above factors lead to more profitable businesses.Diverse companies make the world a better place - Simply put,fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion sets an example forthe world to follow. It’s not just good for business; it’s theright thing to do.Having a truly inclusive workplace is not possible unless adiversity and inclusion program is implemented with buy-in fromtop-to-bottom in the organisation. Some quick tips on how to dothis is to create inclusive company policies, celebrate individualdifferences, proactively hire for diversity, audit job posts forinclusive language and finally, hire objectively without bias.
QUESTION 2 (25 Marks)You work in an organisation that has a diverse workforce in termsof age, cultural background, physical abilities, race, religion,gender, and sexual orientation. Elaborate on EIGHT (8) approachesthat will assist your organisation to effectively manage thisdiversity.
1. Accommodating work and family needs:
2. Alternative Work Arrangements:
3. Diversity Training:
4. Mentoring Programmes:
5. Identifying and Building on Shared Values:
6. Commitment to Goals and Objectives:
7. Appreciating the Uniqueness of Each Person andCulture:
8. Acknowledging Cultural Conflicts and Differences:
9. Team Building: