Have you long been of the opinion that the importance of diversity in a workforce is overstated, or that diversity even just amounts to ‘difference for difference’s sake’, with few or no concrete positive implications for your business?
If so, you might want to rethink that view. Numerous studies have emerged over the years indicating that diverse teams tend to perform better than homogenous ones. Then, there’s the fact that UK and Western workforces are simply becoming more diverse anyway, in line with ongoing demographic change.
So, would it be best for your hiring staff to embrace diversity, instead of simply seeing it as a consequence of the changing population or even undesirable? Here are a few reasons why we think the answer to that question should be an emphatic “yes”.
Diverse teams perform better
Various studies have been undertaken down the years that have pointed firmly to diverse teams doing better than their less diverse counterparts. Consider this one reported by The Independent, for instance, which found that the least diverse companies – with regard to both gender and ethnicity – were 29% more likely to be less profitable.
There are many reasons why such findings shouldn’t be too surprising. After all, a diverse workforce tends to mean a wider range of perspectives on the same issue, which helps with innovation and problem-solving. This means your team is less likely to be strangled by conformity and groupthink, as can easily creep in when every employee thinks and behaves broadly the same way.
A more diverse workforce reflects the reality of our world
In common with other Western countries, the UK population has become more diverse over the last 50 years, a trend that looks set to firmly continue. Given that this is the population your company is probably serving, why wouldn’t you wish this reality to be mirrored in the people you choose to work for you?
As globalisation breaks down ever-more barriers between cultures, so a diverse workforce better enables your business to understand what products or services will best meet the requirements of a similarly diverse target audience. Such a company will also be able to cultivate the strong intercultural relations that will probably prove greatly advantageous in the decades ahead.
How can your hiring practices evolve to embrace diversity?
When you make the right moves to embed a positive attitude towards diversity in your company’s hiring approach, you can help to avoid the implicit biases in your current recruitment processes that may result in you frequently bringing in the same kinds of people.
ATS providers such as Webrecruit can certainly play a key role here. Our intuitive recruitment software solution incorporates the advanced reporting functionality necessary if your firm is to make the most data-driven hiring decisions, while also closely monitoring its diversity efforts.
‘Diversity’ doesn’t have to be a dirty word for your company – indeed, it can be one that your business falls in love with. Furthermore, few ATS providers offer a platform as convincing as Webrecruit ATS for empowering your firm to make it all possible. So, why not get in touch with Webrecruit today to book a demo of this acclaimed software?
