Introduction

Welcome to a change in business as you know it. Now more than ever we must answer the call to diversity in the workplace, and what better time than now to transform the word diversity from a common cliché in the business vernacular, to a core component of your corporate initiative.

At RadixBay we’ve been embracing diversity since our company’s inception and believe it is the key to a successful business. If you’re curious about what this looks like, we’ll be happy to show you the painting. So, stick around as we show you the beauty of diversity in the workplace.

What is Diversity?

To begin, the term diversity means “The state of being diverse; variety”. Workplace diversity is a company establishing a recruiting process in which the candidates they retain and develop are different. Different simply means making conscious efforts to infuse different races, ethnicities, sexes, genders, sexual orientations, ages, religions, disabilities, and education in your workplace.

Types of diversity in the workplace:

• Race and ethnicity
• Sex, gender, sexual orientation
• Age
• Religion
• Disability
• Education

Race and Ethnicity

Contrary to popular belief, race and ethnicity are different. The term race is developed from the biological makeup of a human. Ethnicity is developed by history, culture, language, customs, and dress. Some examples of race are Black or African American, White, Native American, Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian. Some examples of ethnicity are Zulu, Jewish, Hispanic, or Latinx.

For an analogy – think of humans as plants for a minute. There are many different types (races) of plants (humans), but they all have different locations, climates, and feeding they prefer. Think of those differences as their ethnicity. Some plants prefer a tropical climate and others a desert climate. Some prefer extreme heat and others prefer cooler weather.

Sex/Gender/Sexual Orientation

Sex, gender, and sexual orientation are each important diversities. In the workplace, traditionally, sex and gender are understood as male and female. And hopefully, employers seek to have an equal balance between the two. But as our society evolves, so does our terminology. Sex is known as the biological and genetic difference between male and female bodies. Gender is oftentimes referred to as gender expression. It is known as the outward appearance of a person’s gender identity. Some common sexual orientations are known as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, or pansexual.

Age

Age diversity means accepting employees of different ages in the workplace. And in fairness, this includes generational diversity. So that would mean Millennials, Generation Z, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. We believe one of the most beautiful aspects of this is the mentorship opportunities it offers. Both younger and older team members have generational knowledge sets and support best practices that they can share with each other to improve the service we provide to our customers.

Religion

This type of diversity refers to the existence of different religions and spiritual beliefs in a company. We must be understanding of everyone’s beliefs, even if they are different. A few methods to accomplish this are training, hiring practices, and accommodations.  An example would be holding a company training session that teaches everyone to see past team member differences.

Being cognizant of this in your hiring practices is a must. Furthermore, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discriminatory practices based on religion. This includes requiring employers to offer reasonable accommodations according to one’s religious beliefs. The accommodations should be within reason, so that would mean allowing time off for holidays and to be accepting of religious attire. For example, allowing a devout Christian to take Sunday off or a Muslim woman to wear a hijab.

Disability

There are many different types of disabilities. Common examples are mobility/physical, cognitive/learning, vision, hearing, and invisible. Adjusting your hiring process is a great way to welcome this diversity. Companies can also accommodate disabilities by providing software to assist with vision, hearing impairments, or cognitive challenges.

Education

Education varies widely.  What does this mean? Well, it means no single person will have the same education or resume. The average cost of education continues to rise. The current student loan debt is now close to $2 trillion US dollars. But there is a bright side, many employers are creating opportunities to help professionals. They are focusing more on a candidate’s experience and are providing opportunities for new employees to develop and refine their skills. This allows candidates with more diverse backgrounds to apply.

The Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace

It’s human nature to wonder what you can receive tangibly by building a diverse workplace. There are numerous studies that show the benefits companies receive from fostering diversity. A Forbes magazine article citing several studies shows that teams with diverse backgrounds make better decisions 87% of the time and those decisions deliver 60% better results.

A study by Glassdoor states that 76% of job seekers feel that diversity is an important factor when they evaluate companies and job offers. Other studies show that embracing the unique perspectives of Millennials, Generation Z, Generation X, and Baby Boomers provides your organization with a wider pool of talent and a boost in overall creativity and productivity.

Now is the Time to Paint Your Own Diverse Canvas!

Here at RadixBay, we have seen the fruits of diversity firsthand. We’ve seen it attract new candidates, create an atmosphere of creativity and productivity, stimulate motivation and innovation, and aid in the growth of our business.

When everyone has the same backgrounds, attributes, or perspectives – that sameness starves companies of creativity and innovation. We hope this article inspires you to pick up your brush and take a stroke or many strokes at creating a beautiful painting of colorful diversity.

What are you waiting for?

I hope you enjoyed my article on diversity in the workplace.

To learn more about the services we provide to our clients, please visit our cloud services page.

Markell Lee

RadixBay Cloud Services Consultant
AWS Certified
Azure Certified
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Certified