Diversity in the workplace refers to the willingness to hire and employ people from various racial, ethnic, social, religious, and cultural backgrounds. To ensure the effective functioning of a diverse team, one has to demonstrate equity or the ability to treat each team member fairly and impartially regardless of where they come from. In order to achieve that, it is necessary to promote inclusion – that is, create working environments that accept people from diverse backgrounds and allow them to work comfortably and efficiently. Bogilović and Škerlavaj (2016) emphasize that the willingness to learn about other cultures and the ability to change one’s concept of them is a strong predictor of effective team participation in diverse environments. As such, successfully embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion largely depends on the ability to perceive other cultures without prejudice and learn about them.
The importance of hiring diverse employees and fostering diversity lies in the fact that, when done properly, it can increase the efficiency of the organization. Employees coming from varying backgrounds bring new perspectives and approaches to different matters, including those that a monocultural team would likely not consider at all. As a result, a diverse workforce promotes creativity and innovation within the organization and enables it to pursue its goals with more flexibility and through a greater array of options. Chaudhry, Paquibut, and Tunio (2021) point out that diversity and inclusion have a notable impact on the innovative climate within organizations and promote the creative approach to problem-solving. In short, diversity, inclusion, and equity are not merely important from a social justice perspective but also conducive to greater organizational efficiency and, in particular, the capacity to embrace and promote innovation.
References
Bogilović, S., & Škerlavaj, M. (2016). Metacognitive and motivational cultural intelligence: Superpowers for creativity in a culturally diverse environment. Economic and Business Review, 18(1), 55-76. Web.
Chaudhry, I. S., Paquibut, R. Y., & Tunio, M. N. (2021). Do workforce diversity, inclusion practices, & organizational characteristics contribute to organizational innovation? Evidence from the UAE. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1947549. Web.