5 Benefits of a Hiring a Diverse Workforce
As a business owner, you probably want a strong, dynamic team that tackles problems effectively and can bring your company into the future. One of the best ways to do this is by fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive corporate environment. When you make DEI a priority, you not only signal that you care about your employees and the rich marketplace of ideas they bring to the table, you also make your company stronger. There are many benefits to having a diverse workforce.
Increased Creativity and Innovation
It’s not any secret that the key to effective brainstorming is a wide variety of ideas. If your organization is composed of people who all grew up in similar environments, attended the same schools, and adapted the same general worldview, you are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to creativity that leads to innovation. Diverse, inclusive organizations outperform their peers on almost every level, and that includes new ideas and initiatives. The broader range of experiences your team has to pull from, the more creative ideas they are going to generate together.
Better Problem-Solving
It is natural for members of a team to fall into the habit of functional bias. Humans instinctively gravitate toward people who think like they do and approach problem-solving in similar ways. Unfortunately, this doesn’t actually help solve problems. Increasing ethnic, racial, gender, and age diversity helps to create a culture of cognitive diversity. Being intentional about hiring a staff that is diverse can help shield your organization from the tunnel vision that leads to the same tired proposals that didn’t solve the problem before. Actively demonstrating that your company values the differences among team members by incorporating input from the whole group into decisions can help get your organization out of a rut or being stuck doing things the way you’ve always done them.
Higher Employee Engagement
It’s not enough to give lip service to DEI diversity. You have to make sure your company is putting it into practice at every level. If employees hear upper management talk about equity as an organizational value but are still passed over for deserved promotions or otherwise treated in inequitable ways, they are more likely to become discouraged and start looking elsewhere. Valuing the people who take care of your business is inextricable from valuing the differences among them. Employees are more likely to be fully engaged in their work when they feel included in the organization as a whole.
Improved Public Relations
More and more, consumers are looking not only at what companies have to offer in terms of products or services but also at the impact the companies make on the world. Embracing social responsibility can be just as important as making a quality product. The more your organization champions equity and inclusion, the more attention you are going to attract from people who may not have otherwise been interested in your company. When given the choice of several companies that offer similar services of similar quality, most people will go with the company that seems to value its employees the most.
Enhanced Hiring Potential
A reputation for pursuing DEI diversity not only makes you attractive to potential clients but also potential employees. People are drawn to inclusive companies. If your organization is known for incorporating equity into its policies, practices, and protocols, you can attract like-minded applicants. This, in turn, increases your company’s diversity in a natural way.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not simply buzzwords to cross off your training checklist. To build a strong company, you must value the strengths and unique input of each person who contributes to its success.
