What Are the Advantages of a Diverse Workforce?

In this era of economic globalization, many companies are making efforts to achieve workforce diversity, which aims to employ workers from different backgrounds to provide tangible and intangible benefits to the organization. Understanding the advantages of workforce diversity helps you establish an organization with a competitive edge. This can include employing workers with cultural and language skills that can lead to greater reach for the business. Diversity experts believe that heterogeneous groups can contribute more creative ideas to the mix.

Increase in Productivity

Workforce diversity can bring about an increase in productivity and competitive advantages. conclude Kelli A. Green and her University of Florida colleagues in their paper, "Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools." Employers can offer more solutions to customers because of new ideas and processes brought into the organization. Workplace diversity increases employee morale and causes employees to desire to work more effectively and efficiently. Diversity in leadership within a firm allows managers to bring in new skills and methods for achieving unity within their teams.

Increase in Creativity

Workforce diversity increases creativity within a company because heterogeneous groups are cross-fertilizing one another within the organization. According to EthnoConnect, a consulting company specializing in workforce diversity, employees from different backgrounds bring in a variety of solutions on how to achieve a common goal. As more diverse ideas are suggested, the chances of finding a workable answer are improved. In atmospheres when brainstorming is necessary, more ideas are formed because team members are culturally diverse. For example, employees from China working in American companies may approach a problem totally differently than do American workers. Some companies have successfully created innovative processes by taking ideas from several employees.

Language Skills

Companies that plan to expand into global markets benefit from language diversity in the workplace. For example, a company with employees fluent in Japanese and who understand Japanese culture experiences an easier time communicating with representatives from Japan. Many bilingual workers experience an advantage when applying for jobs because employees understand the benefits of language diversity. Another example can include a company that hires employees fluent in Mandarin to increase the company's reputation in Chinese communities. An increased presence usually results in an increase in sales.

Positive Reputation

Job seekers are drawn to companies with diverse workforces because it is evident that the companies do not practice employment discrimination. Potential employees want to know that employers treat their staff fairly regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. Not only are such firms able to attract new talent but they can also retain existing talent because of high employee morale resulting from workforce diversity. According to Rob McInness of Diversity World, top talent is no longer represented by a homogeneous group, but one representing people from many different backgrounds and life experiences.

Source: smallbusiness.chron.com

Collected by Nhu-Vu SAPUWA