Support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) in your workplace. A study found that organisations with diverse workforces had a 19% higher innovation revenue. And it makes sense! Diversity of backgrounds brings a diversity of thought. Here’s why that matters:
You can make better decisions
Some days it can feel like we have been drained of all our creativity because there are just no new, innovative ideas. We’ve all been there.
Now, imagine a workplace full of collaborative team members from different backgrounds, with various skills, experiences, and knowledge.
A diverse workforce can offer a variety of perspectives that can support breakthroughs in creative and innovative ideas. That’s why more diverse teams can outperform by 46%. Tempting?
But diverse workforces can only thrive if you support inclusivity within your workforce, so create an environment where employees won’t feel the need to conform. 83% of employees revealed they felt empowered and engaged in the workplace when they believed their company fostered an authentically inclusive culture.
Your employees will be more likely to share their ideas and opinions because they know they’ll be accepted, no matter what.
Learning never stops
Even as adults, we’re still learning every day. And within your organisation, there are so many ways to support your employees to develop a culture of learning.
Easier said than done? Maybe. But pushing for a focus on equity within your workforce allows your employees to receive the training specific to their needs to provide equal chances of growth and success. If your employees are growing, their creativity will also evolve and develop, enhancing productivity.
If you create a diverse workforce, the different backgrounds, skills, and experiences brought by a team can support the process of learning organically, just through knowledge sharing.
A diverse workforce can bring problematic differing opinions, but those conflicts are significant: although they may disagree on ideas, team members will be learning new skills from their peers as they try to make decisions. Collaboration will develop amongst the team, increasing productivity and creativity as innovative and competitive ideas are brought to the table.
People want to belong
Your employees are your most important stakeholders.
Why?
They’re your innovation – the people behind the success of your business.
But what happens if your employees are unhappy? Whether they’re feeling undervalued or disagree with the company culture, it can have a detrimental effect on the productivity and creativity of your organisation.
75% of employees feel it’s vital that their company promotes workplace ED&I. And why shouldn’t they? Working in an environment that promotes ED&I can help your employees to feel a sense of belonging and become happier within their roles.
Belonging is what allows employees to be their authentic selves without the fear of any discrimination or different treatment. It enables the workforce to feel valued within the organisation and that their work makes an impact on the success of the company, no matter the differences between team members. Happier employees are more likely to be 13% more productive in their day-to-day roles, promoting creativity and in turn, higher chances of success for the business.
The happiness of your employees will reflect in their work as engagement increases. Employees will thrive in their job roles, and your organisation will see significant levels of creativity and productivity because they will want the company to succeed!
Struggling to develop an inclusive workplace? We can help. Check out our new and improved ED&I course today.
Written by Claire Moloney Claire is an enthusiastic and meticulous content writer whose passion is to support growth and continual learning for everyone.
