Alisa Amupolo

With new demands placed in the workplaces, all hail the 4th IR albeit, in the embryonic stage in our market, there has never been a time more than now where we can count on diversity as a tool to solve problems. It is one adage that has stood the test of time and perhaps one of the factors that have generated better prospects and increased opportunities for organisations, big and small. It is indisputable that teams with more diverse backgrounds can generate more unique solutions and they simply perform much better when compared to a team with similar backgrounds. Stephen Covey once said, “strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”  

Let us first unpack diversity and inclusion. When we talk about diversity which goes in tandem with inclusion, what exactly does it entail? It means coexistence of workers with different attributes such as race, ethnicity, culture, gender, and skills, to mention but a few. When we speak inclusion, it means extending beyond diverse teams to giving equal opportunities, particularly coaching and mentorship as well as training to those very teams.

Vantage Circle highlighted that more than 57% of employees want their companies to be more diverse and inclusive and such companies have high employee retention. Thus, bridging the diversity gap has become more prominent for leaders and managers due to the drive for organisations to be conscious of diverse cultural, academic, and racial backgrounds as well as balance of gender; all attributes of diversity.    

This brings immense benefits, particularly in enhancing employee productivity as employees enjoy working with diverse groups, which translates into employee retention. Diversity increases the organisation’s morale as diverse skills are brought to the table to critically examine a challenge or task at many diverse levels, thus creating efficiency and effectiveness. Productivity is higher in organisations where all are engaged and can contribute without any sense of abandonment or fear unwelcoming biases. Thus, it fights unconscious biases and preconceived prejudices based on culture, age, race, gender and religion and the very biases often stop a recruiter from hiring the right people and best talent.

Diversity in the workplace also improves company culture, as it builds respect and healthy workplace relationships. Cultural diversity, Vantage Circle found that it broadens the employees’ perspective and keeps the company culture growing. Further, they found that diversity improves the brand and reputation of the company and goodwill due to increased profitability. Therefore, for any team leader be it multifunctional or monofunctional team, it may be tempting to bring onboard resources from the same professional or cultural background due to familiarity, yet market argues this is futile. Let us look at the consequences of lack of diversity and inclusion. Vantage Circle reported that 83% of millennials are engaged when their organisation has a diverse work culture, however, the statistics lower to 60% without workplace diversity. When businesses do not practice diversity, they miss out on the widespread possibilities and customer base, as there is a missed opportunity to understand the customer base from diverse backgrounds.

Indeed, not paying attention to diversity and inclusion has dire consequences in the workplace including high attrition if all types of minds are not valued at the table. 

Hence, when onboarding resources at all layers, it is prudent to be conscious of diversity as its benefits extend to a greater society. 

Next time we are tempted to onboard the same culture or race or academic background or give that training opportunity to one of our own, we should vehemently resist the urge and challenge ourselves to be more inclusive. This should not be seen simply in the context of meeting quotas and ticking boxes to be seen to be inclusive, it must intrinsically serve as part of the company culture; where it becomes a value rather than a compliance measure. 

* The opinions expressed in the article are that of the author and are not linked to any affiliates.