April 11, 2018
According to data from Pew Research, by 2065 the United States' population will be only 46% Caucasian (pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/31/10-demographic-trends-that-are-shaping-the-u-s-and-the-world). The growing multi-cultural makeup of the U.S. population is a clear indicator that today's business owners need to double-down on diversity hiring. It is no longer enough to think that you should hire a more diverse workforce; the survival of your business might depend upon it. If you have been putting off developing a diversity hiring strategy, review these six benefits of diversity recruiting. You might be surprised at just how profitable hiring for diversity can be.
Diversity Contributes to Creative Thinking
When you recruit a diverse workforce, you naturally incorporate creative thinking into your business processes. Building your team with individuals of the same background leads to a herd mentality. Integrating employees with different ethnic/gender/physical abilities into your business ensures a broad scope of ideas is brought into business planning.
Access to Global Talent Pool
Employers who hire with diversity in mind have access to a worldwide talent pool. You are not limited to employees only in your geographic area. Especially for companies offering remote work options, global recruiting is a competitive advantage far too few business owners take advantage of when building a thriving company.
Acceptance of Differences Builds Camaraderie
When you build a diverse workforce, you encourage a feeling of camaraderie amongst your team. Employees who enjoy getting to know the differences of their teammates tend to take on an attitude of 'us' versus 'I'. A diverse set of employees becomes a cohesive workforce of skills and capabilities.
Enhanced Company Culture
Diversity hiring also contributes to company culture. A growing number of individuals factor in a company's culture when applying for/accepting jobs. If you can brag about your diverse company culture, your chances of recruiting employees significantly increases. Women do not want to be one of only a handful of women on your workforce, nor do ethnic minorities want to be the only non-white worker on your team.
Diversity is More than Ethnicity
Business owners who hire with diversity in mind don't simply recruit employees of different racial backgrounds. Diversity planning allows businesses to hire staff members of different genders, physical/mental abilities, and sexual preferences. Whether you want to hire more LGBTQ employees, disabled staff members, or increase the ratio of women to men in your workforce, you can do so via careful diversity hiring practices.
Improved Ability to Attract Diverse Clients
One of the best reasons to incorporate diversity planning into your business-building efforts is that a diverse workforce helps you attract a wider range of customers. Today's consumer wants to do business with a company that reflects their interests. If your entire team is made up of Caucasian employees, your chances of building a multicultural client base decrease. Hiring individuals with disabilities also helps build community goodwill towards your company. The more diverse your team roster, the better your chances are of attracting customers from a wide range of backgrounds.
Diversity hiring is not just a current hot-topic issue; it is a smart business practice. The sooner you realize the multiple benefits of building a team from a wide range of backgrounds and capabilities, the sooner your business will be able to reap the rewards. Is this the year you broaden your business' horizons by integrating diversity hiring into your business development efforts?