FOCUS FEATURE


DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Dancing diversity with


Creating a working culture that’s accepting of everyone isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense. Yet ask any number of businesses what equality and diversity mean to them and you’ll get a range of different viewpoints. Business Network takes a closer look at what diversity means in today’s workplace and how it can lead to better business performance.


Promoting and supporting equality and diversity in the workplace has moved way beyond being a simple box- ticking exercise to ensure you have the right balance of gender, race and sexuality within your workforce. It’s now a fundamental part of good business management. It’s about creating an inclusive culture in which everyone


within your organisation is valued as an individual and feels able to contribute, achieve their potential and, ultimately, make a difference. The legal framework which covers age, gender, race,


religion, disability and sexual orientation, among other things, sets the minimum standard at which firms must operate. However, in order to fully reap the benefits of a diverse


and inclusive workplace, firms must go beyond this compliance threshold and embrace the principles which will lead to a happy, harmonious and highly-engaged workforce which represents the broadest cross-section of society.


DEFINING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY To define the term ‘workplace diversity’, it’s important to first understand how it affects the workplace. Diversity relates to the understanding and acceptance of


the unique individual characteristics that each member of your workforce possesses. These can include race, ethnicity, gender, religion, political belief, sexual orientation, age, physical ability or socio-economic status. Since every workplace is made up of individuals, the


differences that make each person unique will have a direct impact upon the organisation. This will have an influence on everything that business


does, from leadership, management, recruitment and culture, to marketing, brand awareness and customer service. The way that a business’ diversity is perceived, both by


its employees and by the outside world, will also have an influence. If those differences are not embraced by everyone, it


can lead to workplace discord, employee dissatisfaction and higher staff turnover which, in turn, could damage a firm’s reputation with its customers and external stakeholders. The word diversity also hints at how the unique


characteristics of a multi-faceted workforce will play out. A business with a strong, positive, fully-inclusive culture


will usually enjoy a reputation as being socially-responsible and inclusive, which will not only attract a more diverse range of potential employees, but will also appeal to a more diverse customer base.


56 business network September 2019 A business which caters only to a specific type of


customer, meanwhile, may have closed its doors to other opportunities.


RAISING AWARENESS The UK workforce is changing. More people are continuing to work instead of retiring. Women now make up almost half the workforce, while


around one in ten of the UK working age population are from an ethnic minority, along with one in four primary school children. Having staff at all levels from a wide range of


backgrounds and skills can help develop a working environment in producing ideas and solutions that might not come from a smaller array of diverse groups. A diverse workforce can also help an organisation to


better understand and meet diverse customer expectations. Evidence shows there is not a ‘one-size-fits all’ approach when it comes to workplace diversity.


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