Diversity is a word you will hear in a lot of conversations nowadays.

But, what exactly does it mean to most people today?

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines diversity as: “the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.” or “the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization”

The state of having many different forms can include lots of “labels”. With the establishment of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discrimination in the work place has been placed in the public’s eye for a while now. Several other similar federal laws and statutes have been adopted since this first act was introduced. But, America is still far from being a utopia of non-discrimination, especially in the work force.

How can you as a business owner today encourage diversity and help eliminate discrimination in the workforce? In lots of ways, actually. We’ll examine a few reasons why is it important to have a diverse workforce and how you should do so. Let’s look at a few ways of doing so; and a few benefits of using a policy of equal opportunity employment in your business.

 

How do you hire employees to create a diverse workplace environment and become an ally in fighting employment discrimination? Some examples:

(1) look into unconventional employee sources, for example: senior activities centers, mentoring programs, activism events, volunteer committees, charity functions, community groups that work to employ the disenfranchised, extracurricular activities in college areas, etc.

(2) research federal government employers websites for examples of policies for employing people with disabilities, veterans, and recent graduates

(3) encourage employees to attend workshops and training on diversity and discrimination in the workplace that fosters communication

 

Having a diverse work force comes with a bevvy of benefits, such as:

(1) multiple marketing avenues that reach wide ranging demographics making your products/services more visible and attractive to a wide range of people

(2) various outlooks on how potential ad campaigns will be accepted in certain areas or groups of consumers

(3) opportunity to learn about different backgrounds and cultures and foster a company culture of respect and tolerance

Share some reasons, you feel diversity is a benefit and how you incorporate diversity in your own business…