Why diversity and inclusion is crucial in the workplace

A diverse and inclusive workplace is one that makes everyone regardless of who they are or whatever they do for the business involved and supported in all areas. [iStockphoto]

Diversity refers to political beliefs, race, culture, sexual orientation, religion, class or gender identity differences in a workplace.

Inclusion meanwhile means that everyone in the diverse mix feels involved, valued, respected, treated fairly, and embedded in your culture.

It also refers to how different groups are integrated into one environment.

A diverse and inclusive workplace is one that makes everyone regardless of who they are or whatever they do for the business involved and supported in all areas of the workplace.

These questions will help you draw a vivid picture of diversity and inclusion:

• Do you have diversity in your recruiting, in each of your departments, and in your leadership? 
• Do you have a workplace where 50 per cent of your employees are women but 0 per cent of your women are managers? 
• Do you have a good representation of employees of colour overall, but all of them are in the same department?

The diversity that lacks genuine inclusion is often called “tokenism.”

An inclusive workplace doesn’t have a diversity of people present only, but it has a diversity of people involved, developed, empowered and trusted by the business.

Differences between diversity, inclusion and belonging

Diversity is the representation of different people in an organization, inclusion is ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to and influence every part and level of a workplace while belonging is ensuring that everyone feels safe and can bring their full, unique selves to work.

For All approach

The goal of the For All approach is to create a consistently high-trust workplace experience for everyone, no matter who they are or what they do for the organization.  

For All is the accumulation of day-to-day experiences that help people feel they belong, that their unique talents matter and that their individual needs are cared for by their colleagues and leaders. 

Need for diversity and inclusion

Organizations need to allocate the required resources and training in order to attract the right employees with the best minds and skills. 

The onset of globalization has led to a demographic shift, with increased mobility in migrant workers travelling 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.

The benefits of a diverse workforce not only provide social harmony at work for the employees but also increases productivity and profitability that will help the organization to succeed in the global marketplace.