Diversity Team Building: 5 Activities To Consider

Diversity in the workplace pertains to a corporation that hires people diverse in terms of race, creed, gender, age, nationality, sexual preference, experience, and other factors.

Workplace diversity has several advantages from both an organizational and public standpoint. Simply putting diversity training programs at work isn't loaded with difficulties. Nevertheless, team-building activities for a diverse team are essential.

Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

It is unavoidable to maintain different skills to keep up with the ever-increasing competitiveness. This is where the idea of inclusion comes into play. It refers to the efforts made to make staff feel like essential members of an entire group, regardless of background.

It emphasizes establishing an atmosphere that values and accepts a diverse workforce. Diversity is useless without actions that promote inclusiveness. A diverse workforce should be the top goal in any organization's people management plan.

Many studies have demonstrated that an inclusive and diverse environment has numerous advantages, including improved revenue and profit, better innovativeness, and enhanced potential to recruit a broad talented workforce.

On the other hand, inclusion in the workforce is among the most significant factors in employee retention. According to studies, over 55% of employees prefer a varied working atmosphere. As a result, diverse workplace and ethnic event ideas will help retain employees.

Implementing well-planned diversity events is an excellent method to bring people from many cultures, faiths, and socioeconomic levels together in one location. Exercises and activities that promote diversity and inclusion reinvigorate creative minds, allowing them to thrive and benefit the company in the long term.

5 Diversity Team Building Activities

Leaders and HR executives need to check in with their employees, issue an official corporate statement, and provide a safe environment to have conversations or seek assistance whether it's about race, religion, gender, orientation, or other identity-based concerns.

1. Understand the Origins

Create a comfortable environment where employees may learn about members' origins and what has shaped their lives. Employees may discover new information about one other by doing this as a unit. The act of being transparent, truthful, and sensitive is a fantastic approach to create ties, enhance empathy, and strengthen relationships.

According to a Harvard Business Review study, firms with more diversity are considerably better placed to grab market opportunities, implying more potential and revenue.

• Make a list of the three most critical events in each person's life and jot them down on individual post-its. 
• A digital whiteboard can be used by teams that are working online. 
• Allow each individual to showcase these experiences to the team and tell their history to the extent that they are comfortable doing so. 
• Thank everybody for their contributions and invite the team to discuss their critical insights from the activity.

2. Have a Conversation over the Snapshot Board

We all know that photos are a fantastic way to start a dialogue. A bulletin board with memories of key life events of employees might help stimulate interactions. As photos can be interpreted in more than one way, it will be fun to see the team bonding over their perception of the snapshot.

The exhibition of such personal keepsakes in the workplace may reveal many elements of employee experiences. It enables employees to recognize and accept the perspectives of others, resulting in mutual decency and respect at the workplace.

• Implement a Diversity Calendar

Celebrating a few festivals like Thanksgiving or Christmas in an organization's workplace does not  mean diversity. Regular monitoring of only the typical holidays might cause many others to lose their sense of belongingness. The finest advantages of diversity may be reaped through a broad and engaging diversity calendar.

Understanding multicultural festivals and festivities may be a great way to refresh one's consciousness. Furthermore, it has long-term chances to enhance employee commitment to the company's aims.

• Celebrate even without an Occasion

It's not enough to throw a few drinks on the boardroom table and consider it a party. Late nights in the office may be a great way to meet new people. Office parties should have a strategy and a purpose of getting started on the road to genuine enjoyment.

The workplace canteen or lounge space can be better used. Small activities and exhibitions of various cultural diversity might be held in these shared spaces for office workers. Team members can raise questions and offer comments during discussions on different subjects related to workplace diversity, motivating others to speak up for what is right. Such possibilities can lead to stimulating and open discussions, which are genuine indicators of diversity.

It may be a fantastic way to meet new people and learn about other team members. Aside from refreshments, people should have an enjoyable, stunning, or surprising experience that sparks conversations that extend long beyond the coffee break.

• Have a Blast Over Potluck

What better way to celebrate diversity than through food. Food is a simple method to draw people from different cultures closer. Organize a pleasant potluck luncheon where team members may bring foods inspired by or from their cultural context.

It starts with appetizers and moves on to main meals and desserts. Potluck provides an excellent opportunity to sample some of the world's most incredible foods from various cooks. But it's certainly more than just that. It's because eating is a great way to start a discussion. It provides an excellent opportunity to exchange and connect.

• Use Art to Bring Together Variety

Any art can bring people together and widen the scope of knowledge. Thus, allow your staff to collaborate on artwork. Art may assist begin social dialogues, whether through redecorating the workplace walls or each other's workstations.

Employees might make a collage combining art forms provided by each individual and try to identify a link between them. One of the fascinating ideas for instilling diverse activities in the office is creating a diversity of projects. Arrange for art and craft shows where workers may show off their traditional works of art; a lovely place to honor diverse hobbies for seniors.

• Let there be a Money Jar

The exercise is also known as the Hot Jar Guys Task. It promotes gender-neutral terminology in the workplace, which improves equality and diversity. The manner individuals identify a group makes a significant difference in an inclusive workplace. Often, women team members feel left out of a conversation when they hear the four-letter term 'Guys.'

Women frequently feel excluded from their organization's decision-making procedures, whereas 70% of males are happy with their organization's selection. Employee engagement suffers as a result, and retention suffers as a result.

The concept is that whoever misuses the term must always put a cash amount in the jar. It raises money for a good cause while simultaneously raising awareness about using biased terminology in the office.

Bottom Line

Diversity and inclusion efforts should be a part of just about any company's Ethos. It is up to the firm's management to choose how it will achieve a competitive edge. Building diversified, collaborative teams do not need a one-size-fits-all strategy or a short checklist.

Even the most forward-thinking businesses are still working out how to improve their processes and protocols. As a result, the most important thing a leader should do is to see organizational diversity and equality as long-term projects that involve constant nurturing and dedication.