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February 17, 2021
Diversity at work is when an organization has an open mindset to hire employees irrespective of their background, gender, race, age, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
In this fast-paced work environment, diversity creates enormous opportunities for a startup. If it’s able to capitalize on the potential, experiences and innovation brought by a diverse group of people, it’ll inevitably improve the company’s performance, and keep them ahead of the game. Being the new engine of growth, startups play a pivotal role in our society by opening avenues for millions to work, and changing the way we do business. This makes diversity and inclusion a priority for a startup.
While society has time and again reflected on diversity and inclusion, the year 2020 witnessed people across the globe engage in conversations on equity, racial justice, diversity and inclusion. A report by Gartner explains how 2020 accelerated conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion. With the racial injustice crisis in the US, and women and minorities still marginalized, companies and business leaders stepped up to promote diversity and inclusion in the corporate culture.
For any leader to run a successful business, it’s crucial to build trust and create an environment where people have the freedom of expression, embrace opinions and voices across the organization, oppose the system of oppression, and leverage the knowledge, expertise and experiences of the employees.
So, let’s find out the benefits of building a diverse and inclusive team.
When it comes to building a diverse team, the HR team has a significant role to play. On the very first day, a person who is joining a diverse team has to feel included, and this point should be considered when creating onboarding processes and during team integration in the organization. The higher level of inclusion and belonging that exists in a diverse team will lead to good communication and understanding within the members. Thus, increasing the productivity level.
A diverse group of people will bring along different perspectives, skills, experiences and ideas. If you are working on a complicated project, or an interesting campaign, different insights and creative minds will bring impactful solutions, and innovative ideas to the table. So, when we have diverse people in a team, they bring along more ideas, more creativity, and more unique experiences that will fuel the success of your startup. Also, when in crisis, taking opinions and ideas from all the members of the team will support faster problem-solving.
Today’s employee is not just concerned about the monetary gains and career growth, but they want to feel valued, be a part of a fair, diverse and inclusive environment, and know that the work they do matters. When an employee feels valued, accepted, appreciated and empowered, they are more motivated to perform, be productive, and happy to come to work. You need to take your team out to get to know each other well, and also lend the opportunity to share their cultural background and experiences. This leads to higher levels of employee engagement and better performance.
An organization can turn cultural differences into assets if they value and respect the differences associated with a diverse team. You get the chance to learn about different cultures, languages, practices or religions, and traditions. Here, members learn from their differences rather than marginalize, by spending time with each other.
An organization that embraces diversity will appeal to individuals from all walks of life. People will be more open to apply as the organization will be seen as a progressive one. This will attract applications from top talent across groups and backgrounds. Diversity also helps in employee retention, as people would want to continue working in an environment that values, appreciates and accepts people from all backgrounds.
Building a diverse and inclusive team is beyond the laws of equality at work. It’s about fostering an open environment that adds value to the organization, and brings a sense of belonging to each person at work.
Tasnim Ahmed is a content writer at Escalon Business Services who enjoys writing on a multitude of subjects that include finops, peopleops, risk management, entrepreneurship, VC and startup culture. Based in Delhi NCR, she previously contributed to ANI, Qatar Tribune, Marhaba, Havas Worldwide, and curated content for top-notch brands in the PR sphere. On weekends, she loves to explore the city on a motorcycle and binge watch new OTT releases with a plateful of piping hot dumplings!
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