INDIA: It is often seen that organizations with a good diversity and inclusion (D&I) culture have a productive work environment. Working with a homogeneous team may seem effortless but diversity can help in developing healthy competition and encourage the team to achieve the best. D&I efforts are an essential driver of employee team and business success.
The most important change that is needed to establish D&I in an organization is to acknowledge the ‘unconscious bias’. This not only affects the minority communities but also affects us all. There’s only one way to limit the unconscious bias and it is by admitting that it actually exists.
Diversity challenges in the workplace
Going with the so-called trend associated with D&I it may seem that it is easy to adopt. But the truth is that fostering D&I in the workplace can be extremely challenging. Communication barriers, stereotypes, lack of trust are some of the reasons why employers hesitate to adopt a diverse and inclusive work environment.
Communication barriers are faced by every international business. Even if people speak English, there can be higher chances of having varied accents like American, British, Australian, etc. This could, in turn, lead to misunderstandings among colleagues.
Along with this, people belonging to the minority groups feel like they are ill-treated when compared to the major groups. The generation gap is another dilemma that can pose an obstacle for a successful business. However, teamwork can play a major role in addressing this problem. It is important to embrace D&I thoughtfully. This will help the employees to understand each other and respect the work environment.
The LGBTQ+ community isn’t spared from workplace bias either. Although people are now more open about the LGBTQ+ community, many gay and transgendered workers are judged based on their sexual orientation. Employment discrimination and wage gaps are the top factors affecting the community.
As per a study, gay men get a higher salary than their lesbian colleagues. However, both the groups receive way lower wages than the LGBTQ+ employees. LGBTQ+ workers also face challenges related to getting a higher position at the workplace.
Embracing cultural diversity in the workplace
D&I are the crucial elements for business developments and it is an unavoidable trend that all companies should embrace in order to progress.
In a nutshell, all cultures deserve to receive the same amount of appreciation. Employers should encourage the employees to embrace and learn about each other’s cultures.
They should also treat their employees as a group of people to overcome communication barriers. In a strong D&I workplace, every person has a unique set of strengths that can be learned by everyone. The LGBTQ+ movement has seen immense growth but still, there is a lot to be done in the workplace.
Nowadays, there are several steps that employers have taken to support the LGBTQ+ staff. While workplace issues still exist, companies are now ready to take the step towards building diverse and inclusive company culture.
Also Read: ‘Garkuwan Nupe’ Bestowed upon the Nigerian Vice President – Planting ‘Unity in Diversity’
