Cultural Diversity Topics: Ten Types Of Diversity At The Workplace

Cultural diversity, usually identified as multiculturalism, is a feature portrayed by an extensive array of cultures. A structure that recognizes and values the presence and significance of discrete groups of people within a society is cultural diversity. In addition, their socio-cultural multifariousness gets esteemed by the policy, which promotes every person to acknowledge them. 

An environment rich in different cultures inspires everyone to contribute meaningfully and helps empower their individuality and others' cultural uniqueness. Also, note that the term "cultural diversity" never refers exclusively to religion or ethnicity. A culturally diverse workplace refers to a system where employees get appreciated and valued for their unique interests, abilities, and skills.

Understanding Workplace Cultural Diversity 

Culture is what molds people. It is one of the most significant reasons people have certain beliefs, and it gives them a unique identity. Hence it might not be wrong to say that cultural diversity represents ethnic groups and diverse cultures.

Cultural workplace diversity refers to involving employees from disparate backgrounds, cultures, political views, and sexual orientations. In addition, the term cultural diversity promotes an atmosphere of inclusion, with individuals from a wide variety of experiences that come together to serve as a team.

Top Cultural Diversity Topics 

Cultural diversity topics refer to the points used in cultural diversity training and workshops. These workshops and projects aim to bring diverse groups of employees together.

Also, this training attempts to make employees learn ways to add value to the organization by keeping their disagreements aside and working collectively as a team. Mentioned hereunder are some of the top cultural diversity topics. 

• Generational Diversity

Generational diversity is one of the most crucial topics specialists use in cultural diversity training and seminars. Now, it is an essential topic because your workforce may traverse across various generations. 

There can be issues that arise if these generations fail to understand each other. Also, there are higher odds that every workforce comprises three generations, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. 

However, if there remains a lack of communication or misinterpretation between these generations, it leads to unrealistic expectations, stereotypes, and loss of productivity. 

• Microaggressions

Microaggression is yet another vital cultural diversity topic that many companies often overlook in diversity training seminars. Also, the idea of microaggression pictures daily verbal, non-verbal, or environmental abuses or slights, whether intentional or involuntary.

It comes across as disparaging, cynical, or hateful letters to your workforce employees. In addition, these microaggressions can lead to low self-esteem and low productivity if not curbed at the right time. 

• Diversity v/s inclusion

If not all, most of your employees understand the meaning of workplace diversity. However, most of them confuse cultural diversity with inclusion, and hence it is crucial to make them know the difference between the two. 

Also, while it is transcendent when your employees remain polite to their coworkers from a culturally different background, they need to learn to include them in the workplace for better communication and business growth. Moreover, when a workplace gets the variation between diversity and inclusion, they will find it more comfortable to hire assorted talent to the teams.

• Racism

With numerous instances taking place across the globe lately related to workplace racism, business leaders must incorporate this topic in the cultural diversity training session. 

Also, by making employees aware of the repercussions of practicing racism or harassing anyone based on skin color, you can create a workplace with no racism issues. In addition, businesses that have a supportive workforce will witness more creativity and innovation coming from their employees. 

• Culture Diversity

Cross-cultural or intercultural training is an indispensable element of any business that aspires to gain a comprehensive advantage of the positive approaches that occur from intercultural work. Also, when you conduct cross-cultural or intercultural training with your workforce, you assist them in adapting and enduring reduced culture clashes if they get transferred to other nations for work.

In addition, cross-cultural diversity training will help the workforce remain more sensitive to the diversity in their colleagues' cultures. They will learn to welcome and experience new cultures, which can expedite their development as a professional and a person. 

Moreover, a workforce that spans across the globe can encounter several cultural barriers that have the power to hinder production. However, you can readily mitigate them all by cross-cultural training.

• Stereotypes

As you might already know, a stereotype refers to a perceived opinion about a group of people or any particular person in which we assume that they are all identical. We usually judge individuals like this without any information or proof. 

This kind of reasoning should have no room in any workplace, but it is the most prevalent. Stereotypes are terrible in the work atmosphere because they can cause disagreement, low confidence, reduced productivity, and many more adverse circumstances. 

In addition, if a workplace has employees who work on stereotypes rather than let their colleagues do the tasks assigned, this will severely impede development. Hence every thriving workplace must eliminate these stereotypes to ensure a productive and healthy workplace. 

• Intentional Inclusion

Another relevant topic to include in your cultural diversity training workshops is intentional inclusion. Intentional or deliberate inclusion entails purposeful action-based methods that remain focused on driving positive transformations. 

Also, while teaching your workforce about inclusion is excellent, you must warrant that your company holds procedures that support the team executing what is taught. In addition, intentional inclusion helps employees understand that they are all responsible for exercising the required actions to make inclusion and diversity a reality in their workplace.  

• LGBTQ+

Almost every grown-up understands the definition of LGBTQ+. The reason people know this term is because of this community that has been struggling for equitable rights for a long time. 

Therefore, it is imperative that cultural diversity training and workshops include this point because it will explain to your workforce that everyone holds different ways in which they signify who they are. It is vital that they remain welcoming to others instead of labeling or being biased towards them. 

• Unconscious Bias

It is one of the most well-known cultural diversity topics, and for a valid reason. Unconscious bias usually gets perceived as one of the most significant disablers of workplace diversity. Also, some people will run as far as to declare unconscious prejudice as the number one nemesis of innovation. 

Unconscious bias training is helpful when human minds tell them that individuals who believe, see and act related to them are more reliable or better than people who don't. 

However, this thinking must change because, in a workplace, different people will bring diverse qualities and approaches to the table, leading to ultimate development.

• Bystander intervention

Bystander intervention under cultural diversity training is one of the most efficient ways to prevent inapt conduct in the workplace before it turns into harassment. Therefore, we can say that it is yet another most valuable cultural diversity topic that builds a feeling of mutual obligation among the workforce. 

The bottom Line 

In a nutshell, the significance of cultural diversity in the modern workplace cannot remain understated. Having a diverse workforce enhances your company's bottom line and further assists you in remaining compliant with the statutory legislation. Moreover, businesses with a formal diversity and inclusion plan benefit from more content, a productive workforce, and a distinguished reputation.