We’ve all heard the term “diversity in the workplace,” and many times our thoughts turn to the policies that many companies have implemented in order to abide by federal, state and local laws. However, the concept is more than just legislation. Diversity has countless benefits for U.S. businesses of all sizes, and it’s important to embrace it within your own. Here are the best practices for creating a culture that values diversity and the positives your company can take away from them.
Hiring employees from a more diverse candidate pool makes for a more qualified workforce.
Recruiting from the largest group of potential hires means you’ll be looking at individuals with the highest levels of skills and qualifications. You’re more likely to bring in the best minds available and develop a greatly talented workforce, one of your company’s most important assets.
Hiring a diverse workforce can help you improve your “employee brand.”
You want your company to be a place where the top talent is begging to work, so developing a strong “employee brand” is one of the best practices for creating a culture that values diversity. Demonstrating the diversity of your workforce shows that your business is one of inclusion, making your company more likely to attract the greatest minds in your industry.
Diverse workplaces allow you to bring in fresh perspectives.
People from various backgrounds, countries and ethnic groups bring with them new perspectives, which can turn into new ideas for improving company efficiencies, lowering costs and other benefits. You can boost productivity and workflow with the different sets of skills these employees bring to the table. In addition, these various backgrounds can enable you to market to your target customers more effectively.
Diversity in your workplace can help your company provide better service.
Implementing diversity initiatives will typically require you to provide the proper training programs to increase appreciation of other cultures and sensitivity levels. Through this process, your employees will learn to communicate more effectively with each other. This phenomenon benefits your company as your team members are better able to relate to customer needs and provide improved service.
Placing value on diversity drives the U.S. economy.
The human component of company assets is improved as more women and ethnicities become part of the workforce. Individuals from non-traditional cultural groups have actually improved the U.S. Gross Domestic Product over the last few decades.
A diverse workplace suffers lower employee turnover.
Companies that refuse to foster an inclusive work environment experience a higher employee turnover rate than those businesses that support diversity initiatives. The reason is that an exclusive workplace creates a more hostile atmosphere, leading employees to seek other positions. Retaining quality personnel actually affects a company’s bottom line, as the costs of replacing employees who leave are considerable.
The best practices for creating a culture that values diversity have far-reaching impacts that your company cannot afford to deny. However, finding the right balance within your workforce can be a difficult task, especially when you need to be focused on running your business. Turning to a staffing company can help you develop a diverse, highly skilled team of employees that bring more to the table than just job qualifications. Please contact the specialists at KP Companies to hear more about our diversity search services and solutions.
