October is an extra special month. It is officially autumn, which means cozy sweaters, beautiful foliage, and fun holidays like National Dessert Day and Halloween. It is also Global Diversity Awareness Month! Let’s talk about global diversity and how we can promote DEI in the workplace.
First thing first, what do I mean by ‘global diversity?’
Diversity is any aspect that can be used to differentiate groups of people from one another, such as age, sexual orientation, race, or gender. Global diversity encompasses an understanding of the differences between countries as well as the internal diversity within each country.
Why is diversity important in the workplace?
Diversity widens viewpoints by taking different perspectives into account. It breeds innovation, leads to unique problem-solving approaches, and can even reduce employee turnover. This can translate into creating richer solutions, obtaining better results, and maximizing productivity, innovation, and creativity.
There is a clear correlation between diversity and a company’s financial performance. Let’s look at the numbers:
- According to Gartner, a highly diverse environment can improve team performance by up to 30%.
- A Mckinsey study found that the most diverse companies outperform their less diverse peers by 36% in profitability.
- Gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to beat industry median financial returns.
- Glassdoor’s Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Survey found that more than 3 out of 4 workers prefer diverse companies.
- According to Harvard Business Review, diverse companies enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee. They also found that a high sense of belonging can result in a 56% spike in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
DEI is about creating a space where all people can be represented, heard, and understood. However, a diverse workforce alone does not equate to a thriving global diversity management program.
Give your DEI a boost in honor of Global Diversity Awareness Month! Take a look at these tools and activities that can help your business thrive!
How to Celebrate Diversity at Work
- Share helpful resources with your team that promote DEI. For example:
- Advancing your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts (eBook)
- Project Include (Guide)
- Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox (podcast)
- Participate in events, attend educational conferences, and support minority businesses.
- Tacos & Tequila on St. Pete Pier – October 29 & 30
- The Multicultural Festival at West Shore Plaza – November 5
- Check out the following sites for more events in the Tampa Bay area:
- Visit Tampa Bay – https://www.visittampabay.com/tampa-events/
- UNation – https://www.unation.com/stuff-to-do/events-in-tampa-bay-2022/
- Florida Diversity Council – https://floridadiversitycouncil.org/events/
- Visit art exhibits of various cultures and backgrounds.
- Oct 28–30: Attend Mexico in Tampa Bay, a folk art exhibition at the Tampa Convention Center.
- Visit the Tampa Museum of Art.
- Tour the J.C. Newman Cigar Company.
- Visit the African Diaspora Literature and Culture Museum.
- For more exhibitions in the area, visit:
- Implement a diversity training program.
- Invite guest speakers or external consultants to conduct diversity awareness training sessions in-house.
- Discuss important terms and open up for questions.
- For example: “What’s the difference between equality and equity? Why is equity so important?” Answer: Equality is giving everyone the same treatment. However, equity is about addressing and assessing each individual’s needs to help them grow and provide resources based on those individual needs.
- Host lunch and learns.
- Host a movie night.
- Select international films or movies made by underrepresented communities.
- Start a diversity book club.
- Plan a potluck where team members prepare traditional meals.
- Create channels (and the right environment) for honest feedback.
- Create a culture and diversity channel on Slack/Gchat, etc.
- Start your own channels or join existing communities on Slack, such as:
- Path for Progress (pathforprogress.slack.com)
- Blacks in Technology (https://slofile.com/slack/blacksintechnology)
- The Brave Space – tech-focused organization, “Stomping the divide” (the-brave-space.slack.com)
- ChiTechDiversity – technologists from underrepresented communities (http://www.chitechdiversity.com/#join-slack)
- Techqueria — Latinx in Tech (https://slofile.com/slack/techqueria)
- She+ Geeks Out – Womxn in the workplace (https://shegeeksout.com/community/hang-with-us-on-slack/)
- LGBTQ in Technology (https://lgbtq.technology/)
- Target more diverse candidates.
- Myth: “There are not enough diversified candidates to hire.” Wrong! The reality is there are highly qualified diverse candidates in all industries. If companies made more meaningful partnerships with diverse hiring agencies, even schools, and universities, to diversify their talent pipeline, they would increase their chances of finding great, qualified, diverse candidates for the roles they’re trying to fill.
- Demonstrate your commitment to DEI throughout the hiring process.
- Consider adding a diversity and inclusion rider on job descriptions, making it clear that your workplace is a safe space for people of all backgrounds.
A diverse team is something you should be proud of—but it’s also something you must work toward intentionally and continually. At The Orenda Collective, we partner with companies ready to create innovative solutions to address DEI gaps in their organizations.
An important distinction of our clients from other companies hiring DEI firms is their internal work prior to working with us to identify growth opportunities. Self-reflection makes our work together more impactful, allowing us to focus on HOW to make a difference instead of WHY.
Diversity equals excellence. DEI helps employees feel safe, connected, and respected. Diverse teams innovate faster, drive improved business performance, and produce better results! Companies and organizations not focused on diversifying their talent or services will cease to exist in 10 to 20 years’ time if they don’t diversify themselves. Let Global Diversity Awareness Month act as a reminder to embrace and highlight the diverse minds, experiences, and cultural differences that make your team valuable! (It will pay in dividends!)
Speak with your employee resource and diversity committees–or create new ones– to strengthen your company’s DEI policies. If you’re ready to boost innovation, employee satisfaction, and retention, reach out to The Orenda Collective for expert guidance at 813-384-7630.
