Striving toward diversity is more important now than ever before. More companies than ever before are making moves toward diversifying the workplace. Here are six ways in particular that can help employers improve diversity in the workplace.
1. Foster a Welcoming Culture
Start by creating a culture that includes everyone. Make sure that employees are respected and included regardless of gender, age, religion, race, physical conditions, sexual orientations, country of origin, or cultural background. All-inclusive means all-inclusive. Don’t leave anyone out for any reason. That also means no favorites or biases.
2. Evaluate the Executive Team
A great place to check diversity within an organization is at the executive level. The makeup of the executive team is a good indication of how the rest of your workforce will look. This is where the most growth yet needs to be made.
3. Open Dialogue
Gender pay inequality is still very real. Instead of pretending that it does not exist, foster open dialogue. That doesn’t necessarily mean giving automatic pay bumps, but gender should not come into the equation when it comes to pay scale. If it does, start at the beginning and work back through.
4. A Multilingual Workforce
As the world becomes more multilingual, it is important that the business world follow suit. That means fostering a multilingual workforce. If anything, it adds value to a company to have employees who can speak multiple languages and understand multiple cultures.
5. A Multigenerational Workforce
On the same hand, it is important to acknowledge that, regardless of age, we are all capable of providing value. Instead of being dismissive about someone’s age, consider the experience that they may bring to the table. Moreover, a multigenerational workforce can help to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.
6. Foster Diverse Thinking
It has to start from the top. To drive diverse viewpoints, you have to account for inclusivity. Encourage different ways of thinking. The employee also has to know and understand how each of their diverse counterparts thinks.