Diversity & Inclusion

The particular advantages of diverse teams

Diversity & inclusion are about appreciating all human beings and embracing their differences – whether ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or education. Or, in other words, diversity & inclusion aim to empower people by respecting everything that makes them unique.

Companies that put diversity and inclusion into practice benefit in a number of ways:

• Being open to diversity enriches teams by giving them new perspectives, which in turn can promote innovative spirit.
• Embracing diversity makes it easier to access talent. Inclusion then makes it possible to successfully incorporate that talent within the company.
• When all team members are valued and respected, it is usually reflected by a high level of employee satisfaction.
• When companies present themselves as employers that truly value openness and equal opportunities, they become more attractive to applicants. Given the “war for talent”, diversity & inclusion are thus extremely valuable for employer branding.
• Last but not least, diversity & inclusion lead to employees identifying more with their company. As a result, it becomes easier for the company to retain talent and achieve long-term success.

Embracing differences and breaking down stereotypes

So, it’s clear that diversity & inclusion offer enormous potential for companies. But how can these values be strengthened in the corporate culture? Integrating diversity and inclusion into day-to-day business is a question of leadership, among other things.

• Managers who want to encourage openness in their company should lead by example and actively contribute to breaking down stereotypes – for instance by purposefully incorporating the different strengths of employees into tasks and acknowledging them through communication.
• HR departments can also play their part in promoting diversity. By implementing a targeted diversity recruiting strategy, companies can acquire a vast array of talent for their teams – especially when the job ads already highlight the importance attached to diversity criteria.

Formulating diversity goals

A diverse workforce helps companies stay viable on the market in the future. Do you want to boost diversity and inclusion in your company, but don’t know where to start? Hardly any other topic is as broad as diversity & inclusion. If you want to champion both, you therefore need to define precise diversity goals, which will prove to be valuable tools for establishing a clear course of action. One aspect of diversity that plays a big role in this respect is the gender split. Many companies have already introduced a women’s quota to promote gender-mixed teams and enable a greater variety of perspectives.

Want more insights into the topic of diversity & inclusion? Then look no further than our DMEXCO podcast: in episode 66, Daisy Auger-Dominguez from VICE Media has some insightful eye-openers for you!