When you think of the word ‘diversity’, what do you immediately think of?
I’d hazard a guess to say that you’ll probably think of age, gender, race or cultural background.
However, diversity goes beyond these brackets, it’s about creating the right mix of personalities, minds and traits to create a team which works in perfect harmony.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, ‘diversity’ means: the fact of many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people.
With this in mind, diversity is something that stems from the initial recruitment drive your company carries out.
So if you simply employ someone based on their sex, race or any of the above, you aren’t necessarily creating a dictionary definition of diversity.
To get the right blend of professionals, you need to think about the whole package and remember to be fair during the whole process too.
Get this right and research suggests that you’re 35% more likely to succeed than your competitors.
To illustrate this point further, here are some more benefits of creating a diverse workforce.
You’ll acquire a range of talents, skills and experience
Professionals who come from a diverse background of places, companies and so on can offer you a whole lot more than if you simply picked multiple using the same criteria.
Although it’s vital to have some crossover of experience to ensure your team can help each other along and reduce the likelihood of someone feeling isolated, you shouldn’t discard a professional with a completely different talent.
Creating a team that possess a variety of skills will allow them to learn from each other and open up opportunities to upskill them – which is a top tip for saving money in recruiting nowadays.
It can encourage innovation
When professionals work alongside a diverse range of colleagues, they can use all of their combined knowledge to bounce ideas off each other.
So one seed of an idea or concept can end up growing into a huge innovation.
Collaboration is the key to push each other to new realms and go beyond the usual boundaries.
New languages, new opportunities
If you’re looking for a professional who is fluent in another language, this can help you expand your business to new markets.
Could you see your business going global? Or can you utilise these extra skills to purchase better resources from this said country?
Having a representative from a different country can also make your brand look more relatable too – which could result in further business and brand loyalty.
It increases your talent pool
A business which hires a more diverse range of people can attract a wider range of candidates the next time you recruit.
The truth is, professionals like to see a business which is forward-thinking and believes in equal opportunities.
This can also help with employee retention too for the same reasons.
A better performance
A lot of employee performance boils down to creating a team instead of a team of individuals.
This ethos can drive a business forward and help you generate the results that you need.
If a team clicks, they will be more willing to try harder for each other.
They will recognise that their actions can help others around them succeed and create a winning environment.
As a result, this could lead to pay rises, bonuses and a greater respect all around.
In essence, the higher the team morale is, the better the productivity will be.
Pro recruiter top tip To make it easier to find an out and out team player during the interview stage, you should consider asking certain interview questions – including:
- What does it mean to you to be a team player?
- Do you prefer working on your own or are you happier in a team?
- Can you describe a time when you had to work as part of a team to complete a particularly tough task?
- Have you ever disagreed with your manager or colleague? How did you deal with it?
You can find more of these questions in our previous blog: ‘7 Interview Questions to Help You Find a Real Team Player’.
Final thoughts
The main thing to remember when trying to employ a diverse range of professionals is to find the right balance.
Start by assessing what you’ve got and write your job advert accordingly, touching upon the kind of personality you’d like to find.
Just be sure to employee someone on their skills and their compatibility within the business, instead of their physical, cultural or personal attributes alone.
