Virily Editor
Overall, workplaces are more diverse today than they have ever been. Most people also have a greater awareness of what diversity means. This does not mean that every workplace is perfect when it comes to promoting diversity; far from it.
If you are a business leader it’s your responsibility to promote diversity in your business. You need to make sure that the workplace is a supportive and inclusive environment for everyone. It’s possible to gain qualifications such as the Certificate IV in Human Resources, in order to help you better understand diversity and how to promote it. However, there are some steps that you can take without the need to have a qualification.
Support others who value diversity
When running a business it’s easy to get carried away with factors such as budget management and marketing. It’s easy to miss ideas and initiatives that involve diversity. It’s important that you recognise individuals who are trying to promote diversity within your workplace and give them the support that they need.
Never make assumptions about individuals
It’s important to realize that diversity is not just about factors such as race or gender. It’s about making sure that the workplace is inclusive for everyone. If you constantly give some individuals responsibility and ignore others you may be guilty of bias or discrimination. It’s easy to make assumptions based on what you believe about a person. Doing this could lead to discrimination and should be avoided.
Pay attention to complaints about bias or discrimination
It’s important that you never ignore a complaint about bias or discrimination in your workplace. It could be that an individual is simply being sensitive about the situation but it could be that there is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Make sure that you listen and take any action that is appropriate.
Make sure that inappropriate behaviour is recognised and dealt with.
There are certain aspects of workplace behaviour that are not appropriate. You need to recognize when this behavior is taking place and make sure that it’s dealt with appropriately.
Make sure that employees are aware of diversity
This may sound strange because diversity is such a big topic generally these days. However, this does not mean that everyone recognizes what constitutes diversity and what does not. You should never assume awareness. This is why diversity training is so important.
You should start by educating yourself. You need to make sure that you are fully aware of diversity related issues and how they should be dealt with. From here, you need to make sure that this awareness is passed on to everyone that works for the business.
Diversity is not something that can be taken for granted in any business. If you want to be a successful business leader you need to make sure that diversity is not just a word, but something that is embraced as an ethos throughout the business.
