What does having a diverse workforce really mean?

Happy pride month! Pride month is here, which means it’s the time that a lot of businesses temporarily rebrand. They show that they’re supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, and embrace diversity. They may change the colours of their logo to fit those of the pride flag etc.

However, some word does spread that a lot of these big corporate companies only do it to improve their brands reputation, and to seem inclusive. It’s true. Being inclusive as a brand is going to improve your reputation. But what are some more benefits of a diverse workforce? And what actually makes it diverse?

Let’s look into this together…

1. Wider variety of ideas

Having a diverse workforce is going to ensure that you get a wide variety of ideas and perspectives. This is going to hugely benefit in the sense that everyone can put forward different ideas during group discussions or brainstorming sessions.

2. Range of unique skill sets

You’ll also benefit from a wide range of unique skill sets. Each person has a different area of expertise. For example in my office, we have someone different for each area, for things like content writing, and design. This ensures that all the work being produced is going to be to a high standard, as each employee can focus on their expertise.

3. Faster problem solving and better decision making

An inclusive team is also going to allow for faster problem solving. Since there’s a wide range of ideas, if something goes wrong, you’ll all be able to pull together and each put something forward to solve the issue. Discuss everyone’s experiences. Someone may have been through a similar situation. See if they can remember how they solved the issue in the past. Everyone’s got different experience, so you’re bound to find a solution if you pull together.

4. Builds workplace relationships

Workplace relationships are more likely to thrive with a range of different people on the team. Everyone mixes with people differently, but if you’ve got a diverse team, people will be able to bounce off one another. Strong workplace relationships massively increased moral and productivity!

Diversity is a broad term. It’s not just based on people’s appearance; it’s also based on…

• Personal beliefs –

Each individual has their own beliefs, and it’s important that we respect that. A range of beliefs allows for a range of perspectives, which as mentioned earlier, is going to help better decision making and faster problem solving!

• Work processes –

Everyone has got different methods of working. The way that we all process things and implement our ideas is completely different, and each way has got their own benefits. Unique work processes keeps work productive and interesting. Everyone works better in different ways, so allow your employees to do what they need to keep themselves motivated, and get their work done to the best possible standard.

• Ability levels –

Each person is going to have different ability levels, it’s completely natural. So, as a new business, it’s a great opportunity to allow your employees to learn on the job, just as you’re learning too! However, it’s a good idea to have some more advanced people on your team as well; they can pass their knowledge through the team and teach new starters. Allow those with lower ability levels to learn through experience! Eventually they can move up and progress in the company.

• Team/solo workers –

There tends to be people who work better in a team, and people who work better on their own. It’s going to occur within any team, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing if someone wants to work by themselves. Of course, always include them in group discussions, as like I said, it’s beneficial to have multiple perspectives. Let them do whichever they prefer where possible, and however they’re going to work more productively.

• Learning styles –

As well as everything else on the list, there are a few main learning styles that also differentiate people. Someone could be a visual, auditory, verbal, or physical learner. So, everyone has a preference and learns better in different ways. They may find they learn better from simply reading an article, or maybe they need something more visual like an online video course or PowerPoint.

It’s important to embrace everyone’s differences and utilize each individual’s unique skill set.

Let’s get technical…

Along with the Equality Act of 2006, and the Equality Act of 2010, these characteristics are legally protected from discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace;

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

The Equality Act 2006 is there to ‘encourage and support the development of a society that respects individuals human rights’ and ‘encourages people to achieve their potential without being limited by prejudice or discrimination’.

Following on from this the Equality Act 2010 states the ‘Employer cannot discriminate against job applicants or employees’, and the ‘Employer cannot treat an employee worse than another because of a protected characteristic’. Learn more about the Equality Act here.

We can see that since 2006, it’s been an official law that NO ONE can be discriminated against, because of the characteristics listed above. If this is happening within your workplace, make sure you speak to all parties involved and do your best to get the issue resolved.

What does a diverse workforce really mean then?

A diverse workforce is simply having a team of people, who are all differentiated by certain characteristics. We understand that. Clearly, there are many benefits to having a diverse workforce. But what’s important is that we learn about people’s differences, and their experiences. This way you can not only get to know each other, and boost those workplace bonds, but also utilize one another’s skill sets within the company to ensure you have a happy, productive workplace.