Companies and employees want diversity – how to make it a reality

Study confirms people don’t want to all be the same

According to a new Indeed survey of 1,002 people in the tech industry nationwide, 77 percent of respondents believe it is very, or quite important, for a company to have diversity.

All companies say that they’d like to be more diverse, yet we are still fighting for it. So what are steps that business owners can take to increase diversity?

First things first, diversity is the realest

First, they can recognize the power of workplace diversity, particularly in an industry like tech, which depends so heavily upon innovation. There’s no short supply of evidence.

A Forbes study recently found that a majority of senior executives at large companies agree “that diversity is crucial to encouraging different perspectives and ideas that foster innovation.”

McKinsey findings have revealed that “companies with diverse executive boards enjoy significantly higher earnings and returns on equity.”

And the Harvard Business Review reports that multicultural social networks can increase creativity when dealing with global contexts – like many companies do, or hope to do.

Making your melting pot

So how do companies get to that multicultural level? What can businesses do to attract and retain diverse talent? Basically, make them feel welcome. An inclusive environment is essential to maintaining a diverse workforce.

And remember, while cultural diversity is essential, it’s not the only kind of diversity out there.

The strongest teams will have people from many different backgrounds, whether that means heritage, experience, nationality, skills, or anything else that could make a person an individual, not just a stock employee.

Businesses can partner with universities to create a diverse flow of incoming talent, and they can focus on removing bias from the language of job descriptions, as well as training recruiters on bias-free resume evaluation.

And if your company is working on a diversity or inclusion initiative, don’t be shy!

Be transparent with your employees, and welcome feedback and suggestions. The Indeed survey found that “57% of people did not know what meaningful action their company is taking, while 25% said their company is not taking any meaningful action.” It doesn’t have to be that way.

Communication is key

The survey also found that 37% of Asian respondents felt they had been discriminated against at their current workplace, and 29% of female respondents said the same.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Dialogue with your employees is one of the best ways to move toward diversity.” quote=”If your business wants to work toward more diversity and less discrimination, open a dialogue with your employees.”]

Find out how they categorize their experiences at your company, and ask all of your employees what might make them feel more welcome.

Walkin’ the talk

Diversity in the tech industry, in particular, has come under harsh scrutiny of late. It’s the responsibility of employers to ensure that they’re hiring and retaining a broad spectrum of talent, not only for diversity’s sake, but for the sake of their organization’s competitiveness in the fast-paced world of innovation.

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