These two concepts whilst interconnected, are not interchangeable. To give you an idea:

• DIVERSITY: representation of minorities within an establishment
• INCLUSION: the value in the contributions to the establishment from diverse groups

To make your workplace diverse and inclusive, there needs to be equal support and involvement from everyone. This may look like this:

• Equal representation in leadership roles
• Equal benefits and payment for individuals in roles and fair treatment to all
• A community which adopts each new employee, and supports each individual in the way they uniquely require
• Ensuring before the onboarding experience that the prospective employee matches and fits well into the culture of the company and that their values align

Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusivity are sought after more than ever. We live in an era of increased socio-political awareness and to stay competitive and retain employees it is important to evaluate your policies which protect diversity and inclusion. There are so many benefits to ensuring your company is conscious of these factors, some of which include:

Increased revenue

Studies show that revenue growth is accelerated by fostering a positive experience between diverse groups in the workplace. This can be put down to greater productivity. A positive work environment has good communication which allows for agile performance. If employees feel comforted, supported and even represented in their work their work ethic will increase. As we all know, productivity directly leads to stronger business performance

Innovation

A diverse workplace includes various perspectives contributing to ideas and problem-solving, making the next move possibly game-changing. In addition to this, these different perspectives can also act almost like a safety net. One employee may feel something to be perfectly ok. In contrast, another may pick up on things which could potentially be the wrong move or misinterpreted and harm the reputation of the company. The different influences from these diverse groups can also challenge each other in a positive way, which could encourage better performance and higher achievements.

Higher Employee Retention

At the end of the day, we all hope our employees want to come back for the next one. Employee retention is ideal, and inclusivity encourages a positive culture in the workplace, one that employees promote and want to keep coming back to. Employees need to feel like their work and contributions are valued just as much as the next person, and a more diverse talent base will only attract more of the same and retain this standard for employees for longer

What you need to know about diversity and inclusion

• What is tokenism, and how can I avoid it?
• Increase connection and belonging