6 Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

Cultural diversity in the workplace refers to having colleagues from a variety of backgrounds, irrespective of race, religion or culture. We would also venture to say that diversity, in general, should be encouraged, particularly because we live and work in a globalized world. Diversity in the workplace has many benefits; we reviewed an article by 6Q that highlights six amazing benefits (some similar benefits on their list were combined) to both individuals and the companies that employ them – let’s take a look (with no particular order of importance):

1. Increased productivity–A more diverse group of employees brings a diverse set of skills and experiences into the mix, which people can learn from and find value in applying to their work.

2. Improved creativity, wider range of skills & improved cultural insights–Similar to the previous point, diversity creates the opportunity for colleagues to gain exposure to people from all walks of life and to learn to view the world using different perspectives – this is an excellent skill when coming up with creative solutions to complex problems or developing the ability to sympathize with dissimilar individuals, thus creating a more supportive working environment.

3. Increased profits–Companies with people from different backgrounds may gain exposure to and entry into new markets that may have been inaccessible in the past, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with practices from a different region or country, or language barriers that made it impossible to do business with a particular country.

4. Improve employee engagement – Diversity creates many learning opportunities, and with that, opportunities for employees to communicate with each other and consequently build better collegial relationships. Employees who feel connected to their company and their colleagues are far more likely to be engaged at work.

5. Reduced employee turnover– Engaged employees are less likely to seek greener pastures, and in addition, a culturally inclusive company is far more likely to entice and retain a wider pool of candidates.

6. Improved company reputation – A more diverse company does not only hold positive benefits for individuals, but is beneficial to a company’s reputation as a good and inclusive employer. A positive reputation could lead to improved brand loyalty, employee loyalty and increased revenue too.

While employee engagement platforms might not assist directly with improving cultural diversity in the workplace, it can facilitate and encourage employees to have better communication and opportunities to engage with one another, which directly contribute to improving employee engagement. Check out Ezzely’s website for our simple, holistic employee engagement platform, fit for companies of all shapes and sizes.