Education - not everyone’s path to employment is the same.

Having a mix of educational backgrounds is

a huge

asset to an organization, but can also create conflict.

Generation - Yes, age counts as diversity. Generation X, millennial, and Gen Z are some of the different

generations that make up a diverse workforce. And each group has different expectations and
experiences they

bring with them to work. For example, millennial are known for seeking flexibility in their work and
doing jobs that

align with their personal values. That wasn’t something Gen X focused on when they joined the
workforce.

Religion - Religious diversity can impact your staff’s dress, dietary requirements, and request for
particular days

off.

Sexual orientation - The LGBTQI community is made up of distinct groups who have unique needs and

experiences. Companies need to bear this in mind when creating LGBTQI strategies in order to address
this group’s

needs. Additionally, new laws are being created to protect the rights of these groups. For example, in
the United

States, the Supreme Court recently ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex
discrimination,

applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Worker with disability - Diversity in the workplace also applies to workers with disabilities. Whether

impairments from vision, learning, or mental health, diversity comes in many ways. As a result,
companies need to
ensure that their diversity and inclusion programs recognize and make provision for the wide spectrum
of

disabilities.

Gender - According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 208 years to reach gender equality in the
U.S.

Cultural diversity in the workplace also applies to gender. And gender doesn’t have to be binary, which is
a new

way of thinking for many organizations.

Ethnicity - As the workforce becomes more and more global, ethnic diversity might bring about language
barriers

or cultural differences in how business is carried out. To address this, some companies have specialist
ethnic

groups like the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for under-represented communities.

Military veterans - – The Department of Labor specifies targets for contractors and federal agencies in
terms of

employing military veterans. Although veterans generally have many transferable skills, like teamwork
and strong

discipline, they may need a company’s assistance in transitioning from a military environment to a
workplace.

Race - is maybe one of the first things you think of when you think about diversity. Employees of color
have

often faced challenges — getting hired, being accepted by the co-workers, receiving fair compensation.
1. Acceptance and Respect

A fundamental value that contributes to a successfully diversified workplace is respect among workers
and employees. When there is a lack of acceptance of the diverse culture and beliefs among employees,
conflicts may arise. Sometimes, this conflict turns to animosity and may even effectuate situations of
violence. When employees accept the differences between each other, it results in a sharing of ideas
and effective collaboration. Acceptance fosters mutual respect and prevents conflicts from arising.

Diversity training will help employees understand, accept, and respect each’s other’s differences.

2. Accommodation of Beliefs

Diversity in cultural, spiritual, and political beliefs can sometimes pose a challenge in a diverse
workplace. Employees need to be reminded that they shouldn’t impose their beliefs on others to
prevent spats and disputes. They also need to make sure to keep their ethnic and personal beliefs
independent of their work responsibilities and duties.

3. Ethnic and Cultural Differences

According to a New York Times report, there are only 5 African-American CEOs out of Fortune 500
companies. Furthermore, a University of Wisconsin study revealed that people with African-American
sounding names are 14% less likely to get a callback. Sadly, issues from ethnic and cultural differences
are still present in the workplace. There are still some individuals who hold prejudice against people
who have different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds as their own. This prejudice and
discrimination should never be tolerated in the workplace (or anywhere else). Internal company policies
with clear and objective regulations should be put in place to prevent employees from demonstrating
prejudice. Cultural sensitivities training and diversity awareness programs in the workplace can help
address this issue.

4. Gender Equality

According to a recent survey, 40% of people believe that both men and women will hire men over
women. This is supported by another study that shows that men are 30% more likely to be promoted to
a managerial position than women. Additionally, men earn an approximately 24.1% higher base pay
than women. In the past, women were paid less than men, but the Equal Pay Act has changed that. In
recent years, there has been an influx of women in the workplace. Employers need to prevent gender
discrimination and maintain equality regarding hiring, salary, opportunities, and promotions.
5. Physical and Mental Disabilities

Often, disabled employees have a difficult time navigating through their workplace because proper
accommodations as simple as wheelchair ramps are not available. Some special needs employees also
have service dogs, and some office buildings don’t allow them inside. Make arrangements for service
dogs to be permitted in your place of work. Have procedures in place for people with physical or mental
disabilities. Some companies have a “quiet room” so that when employees start to feel anxious, they
can use that room to ease their anxiety. Be supportive to your disabled employees and avoid
discriminatory or derogatory remarks. Ensuring a fair and comfortable work environment for employees
with physical and mental disabilities helps successfully create a more diverse workforce.

6. Generation Gaps

By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce, and they are changing the work culture.
Employees from other generations may have difficulties adapting to changes in the workplace and the
work culture that the younger generation are bringing about. In larger corporations, there are more
diversified age groups, from teenagers to senior citizens. As a result, cliques and social circles may be
formed, and some workers may be isolated from the team.

There may also be times that workers from different generations may disagree with how things should
be done. To maintain teamwork and collaboration, create an open communication culture within your
organization to help bridge the gap between generations.

7. Language and Communication

Language and communication barriers are ever-present in companies with a diverse workforce. Often,
US or UK companies hire people whose native tongue or first language is not English, so employees and
managers sometimes have difficulties in getting their message across. This can lead to
miscommunication and productivity loss. Language training for non-native English speakers can often
prevent this from happening. Hiring multilingual or bilingual employees can also help bridge the gap.
Increasing diversity in the workplace will benefit your company in the long run. In fact, companies with a
more diverse workforce perform 35% above national industry medians.

Gamification

Microlearning

Mobile learning
Studies done by companies like Sodexo have shown that employees who participate in diversity training
are more engaged in the workplace. As trust is built between diverse groups, employees come to view
their workplace as a positive environment in which they want to perform well. Workplaces with greater
engagement also have greater retention. A Gallup Management group study showed that engaged
employees were 51% less likely to leave the company than those that weren’t engaged.

When diversity training takes place, existing power structures may begin to break down, especially if
they are based on race or other extrinsic factors. Although this may cause conflict and be difficult at first,
the end result for the company is beneficial changes that can lead to greater success in the end.

Communication, conflict management, cross-cultural competency, and problem-solving are all needed
to bring diverse groups together and build trust and affinity. It is important to learn all of these skills,
which is most effectively done with specific diversity training rather than a piecemeal approach that may
or may not achieve results. Diversity training shows workplace leaders what their responsibilities are
toward their employees, so they are less likely to violate rules about discrimination or bias toward
certain groups. Furthermore, employees know that their workplace is committed to fairness for all, and
they may be more likely to try to work potential problems out rather than pursue litigation right away.
As with any initiative, it’s easier when you get the leadership on board with increasing diversity. Make
sure your company executives are fully behind your diversity efforts. That way, the other people in the
organization are more likely to embrace diversity, too. Leadership sets the tone for the rest of the
company.

Check yourself and your leadership on how you define diversity. Diversity isn’t just about race, which is
one of the most common things that come to people’s minds when they hear the word diversity. Gender
is another well-known dimension of diversity. Although society has made a lot of progress in this area,
much remains to be done. Review and redesign your recruitment process to ensure that you’re
attracting a more diverse set of applicants and recruits. Managing diversity in recruitment is developing
rapidly in the human resources space. You’ll find an array of reference materials, courses, and experts to
help you in this area. Even though an increasing number of people are becoming aware of the
importance of diversity, it doesn’t always come naturally. Even the most outwardly inclusive individual
can have unconscious biases. This is why it’s a good idea to provide training on how to achieve and
maintain a diverse workplace. Diversity training isn’t as simple as it sounds. Even though most people
may say they support diversity, they may have unconscious biases or simply not know how to live it out.
Some training approaches can even backfire, especially if workers feel they’re being forced to take the
classes or brainwashed in them.