How diversity and inclusion in the workplace can benefit a business

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are not just HR speak for something else to do at work. When diversity and inclusion operate in sync, it holds many benefits for the organisation and every employee.

Lyndy van den Barselaar, MD at ManpowerGroup South Africa, says diversity and inclusion remain hot-button topics in the workplace and although many people use these two words interchangeably, there is a distinct difference in their meaning. “I like to think of diversity as the ‘what’ and inclusion as the ‘how’”.

Diversity refers to the characteristics, experiences and distinctions that make one person different from another. “Characteristics may initially be surface-level and can, for example, refer to race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation, but delving deeper, it speaks to the effects of socio-economic background, upbringing, religion, education and general life experiences.”

She explains that inclusion is how so many people with varying characteristics are brought together in the workplace to feel welcome and valued.

“True inclusion means nobody is denied access to resources or opportunities based on those characteristics or qualities that make them unique, where unintentional and inadvertent biases are corrected through better understanding and open communication.”

ALSO READ: Want to minimise workplace conflict and improve team performance?

Diversity in practice

In practice, diversity can be measured on a scorecard, but Van den Barselaar says it then often turns it into a box-ticking exercise for companies in a bid to look progressive. “It is that surface focus that results in inclusion going AWOL, when organisations hire people to fill scorecard quotas and then ‘tokenise’ or ‘other’ them by not giving them the space to be themselves and deliver to their potential.”

That is why it is so important to synchronise diversity and inclusion. Van den Barselaar says when diversity and inclusion operate in sync, they have multiple benefits, including increases in profitability.

A 2015 McKinsey report found that the most culturally diverse organisations were 35% more likely to exceed median earnings in their industry, while companies with strong gender diversity were 15% more likely to be exceptionally profitable.

Bringing them together also has the added benefit of improving company culture and as a result, the company’s image. “In a homogenous environment, only employees that fit in will feel comfortable which means that others may feel it is an alien or hostile environment for them.”

However, workplaces where employees from different backgrounds are hired, welcomed and promoted, are more collaborative, inclusive and diverse. Van den Barselaar says this positively affects how the company is perceived by employees, investors and the customers they serve. 

ALSO READ: Leaders with empathy better for the workplace than big-brained tyrants

Essential conversation about diversity and inclusion

Organisations must have essential conversations around diversity and inclusivity. “Diverse and inclusive workplaces require ethical and transparent leadership, the promotion of an environment conducive to operating under the diverse culture reflected in a company’s policies, ways of working and internal and external relationships.”

Van den Barselaar warns that getting there often requires challenging each other and having courageous conversations at all levels regarding complex topics. “That means establishing an environment where people feel safe, welcome and able to take risks and ask for help, positively impacting collaboration, problem-solving and productivity.”

She says this also unlocks a diversity of thought that can have a powerful impact as people learn from different sources of experience, become more agile thinkers and learn to relate to people different to themselves.

Attracting and retaining talent is essential in any organisation and it makes sense that people are more likely to seek out and stay in workplaces where they are encouraged to be themselves. “It promotes authenticity and allows people to be more resilient and adaptable, while the opposite environment is linked to depression and burnout as people are forced to suppress their personalities.”

Van den Barselaar says BetterUp found in research that members with the highest levels of belonging are 34% more likely to stay at their jobs than those with low levels of belonging. “Who would not want to stay somewhere they felt safe, understood, listened to and appreciated?”