Diversity

Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another; in a nutshell it’s about empowering people. Fundamentally, diversity means respect for and appreciation of differences in age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin that are implemented by laws and policies.

Using Diversity in conjunction with Inclusion allows individuals and groups of people to be recognised as being unique whilst recognizing individual differences.

Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Understanding each other and surpassing simple tolerance allows us to not only embrace but also celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual and place positive value on diversity in the community and in the workforce.

Each individual in an organisation brings with them a diverse set of perspectives, work and life experiences, as well as religious and cultural differences. The power of diversity can only be unleashed and its benefits reaped when we recognise these differences and learn to respect and value each individual irrelevant of their background.

At Global Diversity Practice we aim to help organisations to help implement diversity policies that will help instil inclusion, respect and appreciation covering the entire workforce.

Inclusion

Inclusion is an organizational effort and practices in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds such as national origin, age, race and ethnicity, religion/belief, gender, marital status and socioeconomic status to the less tractable dimensions of educational background, training, sector experience/organisational tenure, even personality are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, equally treated, etc.

Inclusion is a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued for who you are as an individual or group; feeling a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so that you can do your best at work. Inclusion is a shift in an organisation’s mindset and culture. The process of inclusion engages each individual and makes people feel valued which is essential to the success of the organization. Individuals function at full capacity and feel more valued and included in the organization’s mission. This culture shift creates higher performing organizations where motivation and morale soar.

In simple terms, diversity is the mix; inclusion is getting the mix to work well together.

Diversity and Inclusion are recognized drivers of leadership, business and organisational success. Now more than ever, as organisations come to terms with treating everyone fairly and nurturing talent, integrating diverse cultures with the onset of globalization, going beyond compliance and creating fair, equitable and inclusive work environments not only helps create a positive employment experience but also helps the organisation become known as an employer of choice as well as increasing productivity and profitability.

It is a sizeable challenge for any organisation to treat everyone fairly and nurture talent throughout the organisation whilst at the same time imbuing the corporate culture with true inclusiveness and equality and bringing new services to an increasingly discerning diverse public.