Diversity Tips: 6 Tips for a Successful Business in 2022

A diverse work environment is the first step of an organization to achieving global success. It ensures a diverse workforce with diverse talents, skills, and strengths to come together and fuel innovation. What separates a popular business from an international venture are the diversity tips one follows.

If you are looking for modern diversity training that is used by companies such as Blackberry and Stanford University to help build empathy through narrative storytelling while using effective tactics to reduce social and psychological barriers to inclusion, equity, and diversity, contact Impactly today for a free demo.

The Significance of Diversity

There is no denying that it is quality over quantity that matters. Diversity empowers different voices that give wings to unique ideas and perspectives. The more the differences on the round table, the more diverse ideas emerge out on the table.

4 Common Types of Diversity & their Role in the Business Setting

1. Cultural Diversity

• Cultural diversity is another name for cultural acceptance and understanding. 
• It promotes individuals from all walks of life, whether of different heritage, backgrounds to work together with mutual understanding and respect.

2. Racial Diversity

• Racial diversity empowers people from all races treated fairly and provided with equal opportunities.
• It helps to discourage racial discrimination and assumptions regards to their racial identity.

3. Gender Diversity

• Gender diversity allows equal representation of all genders.
• It boosts women's representation in leadership roles and fair treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.

4. Employee with Disabilities

Equal representation of employees with disabilities ensures no person with skills feels discriminated against. It also ensures disabilities pose no barrier to the potential candidates’ success.

Besides the above three types of diversities, the list goes on, with key types like age diversity, educational qualification, etc.

7 Reasons to Choose Diversity Over Homogeneity

Let's get it straight-homogeneity is comfortable. It allows us to eliminate awkwardness and misunderstandings. However, it serves no good in the long run as no different ideas reach the table, and thus, no innovations take off.

Here are nine reasons why you should focus on diversity tips and why homogeneity can be the worst enemy of success.

1. Boosts Creativity & Better Innovation

• Diversity allows a multitude of approaches and interpretations for a specific situation.
• Collaborative efforts allow the employees to analyze the issues efficiently using different strategies and practices.
• It helps the employees to gain critical skills and help design creative strategies, and innovative approaches.

2. It boosts Work spirit

• Employees who feel heard and valued in their work environment thrive the most.
• An inclusive work environment allows everyone to actively listen and understand each other and boost collaboration and work coordination.
• A sense of safety and acceptance allows workers to remain motivated towards their work and loyalty.

3. Equips Employees with Greater Skill Set

• Employees from different backgrounds bring in their knowledge and experiences to the organization.
• It allows them to learn different skills and practical knowledge through positive beliefs, customs, and attitudes.

4. Higher Productivity & Growth

• Diversity attracts highly-talented talents from all backgrounds and cultures as employees regard inclusivity as a major factor they look for in an organization.
• Diverse talents contribute to the company's success as their hard work and talent boost productivity.
• It also boosts the company's growth in developing trustworthy relationships as diversity is an empowering movement.
• McKinsey’s 2018 study showed that diverse board members boost profits by 43%.

5. Increases Global Reach

• Customers are the biggest priority for a business to take off and stay ahead in the race.
• A diverse workforce allows us to connect and strengthen the relationship with the customers from different societies due to the similar culture and beliefs. 
• It boosts market ratings and more widespread companies come forward for collaboration.

6. Breaks Cultural Barriers & Stereotypes

• A diverse work environment allows employees to interact with one another and educate about their cultures and preferences.
• It helps one gain the ability to understand perspectives different than theirs but also helps them know more about themselves in the process.

7. Encourages Problem-solving and Decision making

• Every person in a diverse workplace is capable of looking at a problem with a completely different lens than the rest. 
• When everyone gives their take on the issue, it helps to churn more problem-solving skills into action that helps to make better decisions.
• However, in the case of a homogeneous environment, since the ideas and opinions are similar, the company fails to look into a new direction. It thus fails in fairing in creativity.

5 Strategies to Go with for a Successful Business 

Although, there is no one such magical strategy to success, diversity, and inclusivity can pave your way for one when managed well.

Here are some five strategies for a successful business venture:

1. Listen to Your Employees

• As easy as it sounds, most studies show that employees don't feel heard and appreciated for their efforts.
• Prioritize listening to your employees to know their initiatives and ideas to promote diversity within the premises.

2. Encourage Employee Participation

• The reserved employees are the untapped wonders. As an organization, you should ensure all employees feel comfortable to voice their opinions without any fear of ostracization.
• Encourage and guide the employees who don't contribute to decision-making.

3. Equality in Giving Opportunities

• Ensure your organization's policies and strategies focus on providing equal opportunities to all to grow and thrive in their job roles.
• Allot works solely as per the skill and without playing any favorites or preferences.

4. Be Open to Complaints

• Respond to the complaints with an open mind.
• Acknowledge the concern of the employee no matter how trivial it may seem from the surface.
• A positive support hand would motivate the employees to freely voice their issues with seniors, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.

5. Don't Let Misconduct Slide Off.

• Never brush off any misconduct as trivial or not present in the complaint box.
• Address the misbehavior and let the employees know how seriously the organization enforces anti-discriminatory and zero harassment policies.

Let's discuss some crucial diversity tips that will help you promote diversity and inclusivity at your workplace.

6 Top Diversity Tips to Promote Diversity & Inclusivity in Organization

1. Take an Intersectional Approach

• Acknowledge no person can belong to a single category, and their attributes and background shape their identity.
• One study found that every white woman earns 79-80 cents compared to a black woman who earns 62 cents while the one of color earns 43-62 cents. It thus allows one to look at the structural privilege and address the issue.

2. Provision for Feedback

• Allow employees to provide direct and confidential feedback to ensure everyone feels they can bring in and be the change.
• Anonymous feedback will help the managers go in-depth about the issues and take immediate actions to address them.

3. Provide Scholarships & Internships

Provide scholarships and internships for minorities to boost their visibility in high-tier roles.

4. Diversity training for Executives & Recruiters

• Diversity-aware executives and leaders would help devise suitable cultural and diversity training for its employees.
• The training will help the hiring process be bias-free and ensure fair judgment.

5. Form an Inclusion Council

Appoint an inclusion council with its panelists from diverse backgrounds. They will hold round table discussions and devise strategies to promote diversity and inclusion.

6. Align Your Work Policies to Suit Inclusivity

• Ensure your work policies are D&I friendly and provide equal opportunity for all irrespective of their backgrounds and other attributes. 
• Conform policies with the ideologies of EEOC to ensure a holistic approach to diversity.
• Amend work policies and code of conduct to enforce diversity and its importance.
• Harvard Business Review survey found around 75% of workers feel the language of anti-discriminatory policies don't call for action and are bland.

Diversity is a hot topic in today's focus on globalization and the international expansion of business. Every business wants to thrive in both the local and international markets. What determines who tastes the success and failure is the diversity tips and training they align with their values.