Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and also recognising our individual differences. The differences can be in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs or other ideologies.
Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates means a more qualified workforce. A diverse and inclusive workforce helps businesses avoid employee turnover costs. Diversity fosters a more creative and innovative workforce. Businesses need to adapt to our changing nation to be competitive in the economic market.
Diversity is good for your image
Embracing diversity in the workplace is looked on in a positive way by others and can boost your company's reputation. It may also encourage potential employees to want to work for you if they find out your workplace is friendly, fair and inclusive.It includes gender, ethnical / cultural and age diversity. While its initial focus is on fair employment, this diversity does increase the understanding that a company has of a broad and diverse customer base, but also does increase creativity through different perspectives due to those different backgrounds.
Diversity means "variety" and "being different". It is a product of different geography, culture and history. Diversity is more than just tolerating the differences. It is respecting and understanding the varying differences among individuals in society.
We can begin to appreciate diversity by:
- Increasing our understanding of our own and others' worldview.
- Examining critically our attitudes towards people who are different from us.
- Identifying the origin of our negative reactions and recognizing our biases.
- Being willing to talk, listen, and learn.
Diversity leads to better client service, highly engaged people, and vital innovation. The more diverse and inclusive a team, the more innovation is fueled. A diverse workforce enhances the creativity and innovative thinking that is fundamental to an organization's success.
It is reasonable to ask what good diversity does us. Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving. Diversity can improve the bottom line of companies and lead to unfettered discoveries and breakthrough innovations.
“Diversity promotes personal growth and a healthy society”(“On the Importance of Diversity in Higher Education” 1). Diversity changes stereotypes in communities, what people once thought can easily be changed and can bring the community much closer because of it.
1. Diversity intensifies self-awareness. Students arrive on college campuses with their personalities and perspectives already fully formed but still malleable. This sense of self-knowledge is sharpened with exposure and close contact with others whose life experiences are on the opposite spectrum.
Diversity and tolerance are interconnected. Diversity can thrive only in the presence of tolerance. When we accept cultures, traditions and religions different from ours, without any discrimination, we make space for sustenance of diversity, and this process of acceptance, makes us tolerant.
Some of those challenges are: Communication – Perceptual, cultural and language barriers need to be overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale.
