Diversity and Inclusion - Meaning, Importance and its Role in today's Human Resources
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
DIVERSITY
Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. In a nutshell, it’s about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.
Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It means understanding one another by surpassing simple tolerance to ensure people truly value their differences. This allows us both to embrace and also to celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual and place a positive value on diversity in the community and in the workforce.
Each individual in an organization brings with them a diverse set of perspectives, work, and life experiences, as well as religious and cultural differences. The power of diversity can only be unleashed and its benefits reaped when we recognize these differences and learn to respect and value each individual irrelevant of their background.
INCLUSION
Inclusion is an organizational effort and practices in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated. These differences could be self-evident, such as national origin, age, race and ethnicity, religion/belief, gender, marital status, and socioeconomic status or they could be more inherent, such as educational background, training, sector experience, organizational tenure, even personality, such as introverts and extroverts.
Inclusion is a sense of belonging. Inclusive cultures make people feel respected and valued for who they are as an individual or group. People feel a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so that they can do their best at work. Inclusion often means a shift in an organization’s mindset and culture that has visible effects, such as participation in meetings, how offices are physically organized, or access to particular facilities or information.
The process of inclusion engages each individual and makes people feel valued as being essential to the success of the organization. Evidence shows that when people feel valued, they function at full capacity and feel part of the organization’s mission. This culture shift creates higher performing organizations where motivation and morale soar.
There is a myriad of benefits to building a diverse and inclusive workforce at every level of a company, not least of which is the need to address a looming retirement crisis by pulling in talent from historically under-tapped demographics.
People with different lifestyles and different backgrounds challenge each other more. Diversity creates dissent, and you need that. Without it, you’re not going to get any deep inquiry or breakthroughs. The dynamic created by dissent prevents organizations from becoming too insular and out of touch with their increasingly heterogeneous customer base and as a result, working teams are able to come up with a wider range of solutions to business problems.
Further, an inclusive workplace that understands the needs of their employees, making them feel valued and respected has a significant and positive impact on employee retention.
Diversity Vs Inclusion:
Diversity in the workplace refers to a workforce that’s made up of people from, among other things, different ages, cultural backgrounds, geographies, physical abilities and disabilities, religions, genders, and sexual orientation. True workforce diversity, however, goes beyond these (social) categories. It includes all the elements that make individual employees unique from one another; their perspectives, preferences, characteristics, even their biases.
According to SHRM, inclusion can be defined as the achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and contribute fully to the organization’s success.
So then, when we talk about diversity vs. inclusion, what’s the difference? Put simply, diversity is about what – it focuses on the makeup of your workforce. Inclusion, on the other hand, is about how – the creation of a work environment and culture that enables all employees to participate and thrive.
How inclusion and diversity lead to organizational success
Let’s take a look at the various ways in which inclusion and diversity lead to organizational success.
Diversity & Inclusion drives innovation
Various research studies show that there is a relationship between diversity and innovation. A diverse set of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds is essential for innovation and the development of new ideas. In an inclusive workplace, all employees can find senior people in the organization who will endorse their ideas and convince those in charge of budgets to use resources in order to develop those ideas. In non (or less) inclusive organizations, this is a lot harder for minorities such as women, people of color, and LGBTs – which means that those organizations lose out on a lot of potentially great innovative ideas and market opportunities.
Diversity and inclusion give your company a better competitive edge
Companies that embrace diversity gain a higher market share and a competitive edge in entering new markets. Inclusive behaviors in the workforce can unlock the innovative potential of a diverse workforce, enabling companies to not only increase their share of existing markets but also open brand-new ones.
Diversity often means higher financial performance
In addition to gaining a larger market share and competitive edge, diversity often means higher financial performance, in part due to the diversity of thought within the organization.
Diversity and inclusion often signal adaptability
A greater variety of backgrounds, talents, and experiences enable businesses to have higher flexibility in adapting to dynamic markets. Diversity enables unique thinking and improved decision-making through a deeper and more comprehensive worldview. Adaptability means faster and more effective planning, development, and execution of business strategies.
Attracting and retaining talent
Organizations that embrace diversity hiring benefit from a larger talent pool than those who don’t. Their vacancies will gain interest from a wider range of candidates because more people with different backgrounds can relate to the organization. The same thing goes for retaining talent. Employees who feel that they are accepted and appreciated for who they are – no matter what their gender, age, perspectives, or sexual orientation, are happier and thus less likely to leave. Companies that focus on D&I initiatives to make employees feel more welcome tend to have a workforce that is more satisfied too.
Better performance and greater productivity
HR practices that improve the age diversity climate in a company can potentially further improve that performance. According to the same briefing, both older and younger workers are more productive in companies with mixed-age work teams.
Following are some examples of diversity and inclusion activities in the workplace:
1. The Respect Discussion
The idea is for employees to walk up to one of their colleagues, preferably someone they don’t usually interact with, and introduce themselves. Once the introductions are made, they talk about what respect means to them, how they define it, and give examples of how this can be demonstrated in the workplace. The goal of this exercise is twofold: to contemplate about the concept of respect from different points of view and to think about how others might view a person’s actions through the prism of their own, unique experiences. The Respect Discussion is a fantastic way to make your employees really think about the manner in which they interact with each other.
2. Food
What better way to unite people and celebrate diversity than with food, right? Organize a breakfast, pick-nick, lunch, 4 o’clock snack, or what have you where employees bring in (homemade) dishes from or inspired by their culture and heritage. Not only does this kind of activity offer a great opportunity to taste all kinds of delicious food, but it also gives employees a chance to share and connect on a different level.
3. Money in the jar
If you’re familiar with the concept of a swear jar you’ll know what’s next. The money in the jar idea can take various shapes. It can be used to encourage a gender-neutral language for better diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
4. Step Apart, Step Together
This diversity and inclusion activity aims to show employees how similarities can (literally) bring people back together, no matter how different they might be. It works as follows.
You’ll need two volunteers who will stand in front of the group, facing each other. The rest of the group will then name things that might indicate that one person is different from the other. Think of their hair color, where they’re from, the shoes they wear, religion, etc. When there’s a difference between the two volunteers, they take a step away from each other. When, on the other hand, they’ve got something in common, they step back together.
5. The Diversity Calendar
This one makes complete sense from a Diversity & Inclusion perspective. After all, keeping track of and celebrating only the ‘standard’ holidays won’t make your entire employees feel like they’re part of the family. On top of that, a diversity calendar– and the celebration of multicultural holidays – is a great way to create awareness.
Role of Diversity and Inclusion in today’s Human resources
Organizations need to allocate the required resources and training in order to attract the right employees with the best minds and skills. In today’s war for talent, this may require you to look beyond the traditional recruitment pool. This is what we mean by diversity in the workplace.
The onset of globalization has led to a demographic shift, with increased mobility in migrant workers traveling to the four corners of the globe for career progression, and the need for a talented and skilled workforce resulting in diversity becoming a key driver in economic growth across the world. Organizations that manage to make their Diversity & Inclusion efforts work benefit from better financial results, a higher degree of innovation, and improved employee retention.
The benefits of a diverse workforce not only provides social harmony at work for the employees but also increases productivity and profitability that will help the organization to succeed in the global marketplace.
CONCLUSION
Diversity and inclusion will continue to dominate the discussion in boardrooms and HR divisions across the globe as the makeup of the workforce changes significantly. In order for business and HR leaders to maintain talent continuity and broaden their appeal in various market segments, they must develop a clearer understanding of diversity and inclusion and how those concepts fit together. The benefits of building a workforce of diverse people who are empowered to positively contribute to a company’s success are numerous – from better financial performance and more innovative problem-solving to easier employee retention and greater appeal to customers.
Khushbu Rani
HR Manager
AirCrews Aviation Pvt Ltd
www.AircrewsAviation.com
khushburani.aircrews@gmail.com
Vcard: https://khushburani.vcardinfo.com
Follow me on:
LinkedIn:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/khushbu-rani-826333192
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODcwNDcxNjUwNjIwMjk2?igshid=1icouqj48qzht
Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/khushbu.rani.311
Bio:- https://www.portrait-business-woman.com/2020/07/khushbu-rani.html
@Khushbu Rani HR Manager AirCrews Aviation Pvt Ltd
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
DIVERSITY
Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. In a nutshell, it’s about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin.
Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It means understanding one another by surpassing simple tolerance to ensure people truly value their differences. This allows us both to embrace and also to celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual and place a positive value on diversity in the community and in the workforce.
Each individual in an organization brings with them a diverse set of perspectives, work, and life experiences, as well as religious and cultural differences. The power of diversity can only be unleashed and its benefits reaped when we recognize these differences and learn to respect and value each individual irrelevant of their background.
INCLUSION
Inclusion is an organizational effort and practices in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated. These differences could be self-evident, such as national origin, age, race and ethnicity, religion/belief, gender, marital status, and socioeconomic status or they could be more inherent, such as educational background, training, sector experience, organizational tenure, even personality, such as introverts and extroverts.
Inclusion is a sense of belonging. Inclusive cultures make people feel respected and valued for who they are as an individual or group. People feel a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so that they can do their best at work. Inclusion often means a shift in an organization’s mindset and culture that has visible effects, such as participation in meetings, how offices are physically organized, or access to particular facilities or information.
The process of inclusion engages each individual and makes people feel valued as being essential to the success of the organization. Evidence shows that when people feel valued, they function at full capacity and feel part of the organization’s mission. This culture shift creates higher performing organizations where motivation and morale soar.
There is a myriad of benefits to building a diverse and inclusive workforce at every level of a company, not least of which is the need to address a looming retirement crisis by pulling in talent from historically under-tapped demographics.
People with different lifestyles and different backgrounds challenge each other more. Diversity creates dissent, and you need that. Without it, you’re not going to get any deep inquiry or breakthroughs. The dynamic created by dissent prevents organizations from becoming too insular and out of touch with their increasingly heterogeneous customer base and as a result, working teams are able to come up with a wider range of solutions to business problems.
Further, an inclusive workplace that understands the needs of their employees, making them feel valued and respected has a significant and positive impact on employee retention.
Diversity Vs Inclusion:
Diversity in the workplace refers to a workforce that’s made up of people from, among other things, different ages, cultural backgrounds, geographies, physical abilities and disabilities, religions, genders, and sexual orientation. True workforce diversity, however, goes beyond these (social) categories. It includes all the elements that make individual employees unique from one another; their perspectives, preferences, characteristics, even their biases.
According to SHRM, inclusion can be defined as the achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and contribute fully to the organization’s success.
So then, when we talk about diversity vs. inclusion, what’s the difference? Put simply, diversity is about what – it focuses on the makeup of your workforce. Inclusion, on the other hand, is about how – the creation of a work environment and culture that enables all employees to participate and thrive.
How inclusion and diversity lead to organizational success
Let’s take a look at the various ways in which inclusion and diversity lead to organizational success.
Diversity & Inclusion drives innovation
Various research studies show that there is a relationship between diversity and innovation. A diverse set of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds is essential for innovation and the development of new ideas. In an inclusive workplace, all employees can find senior people in the organization who will endorse their ideas and convince those in charge of budgets to use resources in order to develop those ideas. In non (or less) inclusive organizations, this is a lot harder for minorities such as women, people of color, and LGBTs – which means that those organizations lose out on a lot of potentially great innovative ideas and market opportunities.
Diversity and inclusion give your company a better competitive edge
Companies that embrace diversity gain a higher market share and a competitive edge in entering new markets. Inclusive behaviors in the workforce can unlock the innovative potential of a diverse workforce, enabling companies to not only increase their share of existing markets but also open brand-new ones.
Diversity often means higher financial performance
In addition to gaining a larger market share and competitive edge, diversity often means higher financial performance, in part due to the diversity of thought within the organization.
Diversity and inclusion often signal adaptability
A greater variety of backgrounds, talents, and experiences enable businesses to have higher flexibility in adapting to dynamic markets. Diversity enables unique thinking and improved decision-making through a deeper and more comprehensive worldview. Adaptability means faster and more effective planning, development, and execution of business strategies.
Attracting and retaining talent
Organizations that embrace diversity hiring benefit from a larger talent pool than those who don’t. Their vacancies will gain interest from a wider range of candidates because more people with different backgrounds can relate to the organization. The same thing goes for retaining talent. Employees who feel that they are accepted and appreciated for who they are – no matter what their gender, age, perspectives, or sexual orientation, are happier and thus less likely to leave. Companies that focus on D&I initiatives to make employees feel more welcome tend to have a workforce that is more satisfied too.
Better performance and greater productivity
HR practices that improve the age diversity climate in a company can potentially further improve that performance. According to the same briefing, both older and younger workers are more productive in companies with mixed-age work teams.
Following are some examples of diversity and inclusion activities in the workplace:
1. The Respect Discussion
The idea is for employees to walk up to one of their colleagues, preferably someone they don’t usually interact with, and introduce themselves. Once the introductions are made, they talk about what respect means to them, how they define it, and give examples of how this can be demonstrated in the workplace. The goal of this exercise is twofold: to contemplate about the concept of respect from different points of view and to think about how others might view a person’s actions through the prism of their own, unique experiences. The Respect Discussion is a fantastic way to make your employees really think about the manner in which they interact with each other.
2. Food
What better way to unite people and celebrate diversity than with food, right? Organize a breakfast, pick-nick, lunch, 4 o’clock snack, or what have you where employees bring in (homemade) dishes from or inspired by their culture and heritage. Not only does this kind of activity offer a great opportunity to taste all kinds of delicious food, but it also gives employees a chance to share and connect on a different level.
3. Money in the jar
If you’re familiar with the concept of a swear jar you’ll know what’s next. The money in the jar idea can take various shapes. It can be used to encourage a gender-neutral language for better diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
4. Step Apart, Step Together
This diversity and inclusion activity aims to show employees how similarities can (literally) bring people back together, no matter how different they might be. It works as follows.
You’ll need two volunteers who will stand in front of the group, facing each other. The rest of the group will then name things that might indicate that one person is different from the other. Think of their hair color, where they’re from, the shoes they wear, religion, etc. When there’s a difference between the two volunteers, they take a step away from each other. When, on the other hand, they’ve got something in common, they step back together.
5. The Diversity Calendar
This one makes complete sense from a Diversity & Inclusion perspective. After all, keeping track of and celebrating only the ‘standard’ holidays won’t make your entire employees feel like they’re part of the family. On top of that, a diversity calendar– and the celebration of multicultural holidays – is a great way to create awareness.
Role of Diversity and Inclusion in today’s Human resources
Organizations need to allocate the required resources and training in order to attract the right employees with the best minds and skills. In today’s war for talent, this may require you to look beyond the traditional recruitment pool. This is what we mean by diversity in the workplace.
The onset of globalization has led to a demographic shift, with increased mobility in migrant workers traveling to the four corners of the globe for career progression, and the need for a talented and skilled workforce resulting in diversity becoming a key driver in economic growth across the world. Organizations that manage to make their Diversity & Inclusion efforts work benefit from better financial results, a higher degree of innovation, and improved employee retention.
The benefits of a diverse workforce not only provides social harmony at work for the employees but also increases productivity and profitability that will help the organization to succeed in the global marketplace.
CONCLUSION
Diversity and inclusion will continue to dominate the discussion in boardrooms and HR divisions across the globe as the makeup of the workforce changes significantly. In order for business and HR leaders to maintain talent continuity and broaden their appeal in various market segments, they must develop a clearer understanding of diversity and inclusion and how those concepts fit together. The benefits of building a workforce of diverse people who are empowered to positively contribute to a company’s success are numerous – from better financial performance and more innovative problem-solving to easier employee retention and greater appeal to customers.
Khushbu Rani
HR Manager
AirCrews Aviation Pvt Ltd
www.AircrewsAviation.com
khushburani.aircrews@gmail.com
Vcard: https://khushburani.vcardinfo.com
Follow me on:
LinkedIn:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/khushbu-rani-826333192
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODcwNDcxNjUwNjIwMjk2?igshid=1icouqj48qzht
Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/khushbu.rani.311
Bio:- https://www.portrait-business-woman.com/2020/07/khushbu-rani.html
@Khushbu Rani HR Manager AirCrews Aviation Pvt Ltd
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