Diversity is all about respecting and celebrating the things that make people unique, whether that be age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, ability or education etc and inclusion is all about the behaviours and social norms that ensure everybody feels welcome. According to WhatToBecome, 57% of employees want to see their company increase diversity and 69% of executives believe that diversity and inclusion are the most important issues. To find out more key stats around D&I check out our infographic on Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace or read our blog to find out more about the difference between diversity and inclusion.
Who benefits from diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Everyone! By treating everyone equally, employees are left feeling respected, valued and included, resulting in higher work ethic and a happy workplace. By having a diverse, inclusive workforce, your organisation is 1.7 times more likely to be an innovation leader in its area of expertise.
What actually is diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a company's mission, strategies and practices to support a diverse workforce and ensure every employee is supported, treated equally and made to feel that they belong within the company.
Why is it important?
Everyone deserves to be celebrated and appreciated for their contribution to the workplace. Implementing this celebration of equality and sense of belonging into the core of your workplace culture can be achieved through employing a diverse workforce and ensuring everyone partakes in meetings, opportunities and incentives. It will mean you’ll not only have a more inclusive workforce, but a more engaged one too. Read more about the importance of employee engagement here.
Where should diversity and inclusion practices be implemented?
D&I practices should be implemented in every aspect of life, especially in the workplace. Whether that's including everyone in meetings and inviting them to speak, introducing rewards and recognition programmes, embedding diversity values and celebrations deep into company culture, broadening your recruitment demographic and providing appropriate training – to name just a few!
Why is it important that diversity and inclusion is practiced in the workplace?
To put it simply, everyone deserves the same opportunities and level of respect. Racially diverse teams outperform less diverse competitors by 35% and 48% of employees believe that respect is the most essential factor for a culture of inclusion.
Embracing the differences which exist across your workplace can not only make all those who work alongside you feel more valued and included, it has a positive effect on business goals too. Being a diverse employer naturally attracts a wider range of applicants to any vacant role and those in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above national medians, whatever their industry. In short, when a business commits itself to diversity and inclusion, it is more successful.
We asked you to share your thoughts in our diversity and inclusion survey and you did! Check out the results here: D&I in the Workplace Report so you can put our learnings to good use straight away. For more understanding of your own teams and audiences, get in touch with our Research & Insights team at anythingspossible@drpgroup.com and discover how you can change diversity in your workplace for the better.