Diversity in the Workplace
Often times progress is stalled because of accessibility. Accessibility is defined as “the quality of being able to be reached; the quality of being able to be understood.” Bridges are intended to link one inaccessible area to another, but what about people? We are living in a time that bridges to accessibility and bridges to understanding are the only way that we will be able to reach people. So, Let’s build them!
One such bridge is understanding the meaning of the words diversity and inclusion. Diversity refers to the traits and characteristics that make people unique while inclusion refers to the behaviors and social norms that ensure people feel welcome. Imagine putting those two concepts together. Sounds like building materials, like bricks or boards, like iron and concrete, welded steel. Some bridges are built with the materials I just mentioned. Others are built through understanding, empathy and compassion.
Diversity as we mentioned is understanding that each individual is unique, and an ability to recognize our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
Diversity training strongly enhances people's knowledge about other groups. It also affects people's beliefs and how they behave towards others. Inclusion as an aspect of that training is how we build the bridge to understanding. One of the goals of diversity training in the workplace is to raise awareness of the value of collaborating with people of different cultures, races, genders, ethnicities, beliefs, experiences and ideas. Through interactive videos and other elements that are relevant and engaging, diversity training enables employees to understand how concepts such as cultural competency, unconscious bias, civility and workplace sensitivity apply in real world situations.
Successful 21st century organizations understand the value of creating an inclusive culture, and attracting a workforce that knows how to interact effectively with people from different cultures, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Diversity training is an important step in achieving that goal. Diversity in the workplace is an asset for both businesses and their employees, in its capacity to foster innovation, creativity and empathy in ways that homogeneous environments seldom do. Yet it takes careful nurturing and conscious orchestration to unleash the true potential of this invaluable asset.
At DSA HR Solutions we understand that business has the transformative power to change and contribute to a more open, diverse and inclusive society. We can only accomplish this by starting from within our organizations. Many of us know intuitively that diversity is good for business. The case for establishing a truly diverse workforce, at all organizational levels, grows more compelling each year. Let DSA HR Solutions help you build that bridge.
We are a team of certified HR experts based out of the San Francisco Bay Area that provides HR consulting services to businesses nationwide.