Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace.

1. More options to choose from

One of the most obvious benefits of a culturally diverse workforce is that there is a wide range of talents, skills, experiences, ideas, etc. People from all walks of life can bring different perspectives to the table. While one person might be more analytical, another person might be more creative, or more efficient in problem solving. Sure, this diversity is also present in individuals from the same culture, but the range is much bigger where different cultures are concerned. For example, people from different backgrounds would approach a specific problem differently, which increases the chances of the problem being solved efficiently. With more cultures applying for jobs, employers also have the luxury of recruiting employees from a much bigger pool of options, which can create a very strong workforce.

2. Improved morale and employee relations

In organisations where cultural diversity is well managed, i.e. where everyone is treated equally and are provided the same opportunities, employees feel more validated. This leads to increased morale, which in turn benefits the company. High morale among employees creates a happy work environment, which leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and a positive corporate image. Employees conversing with one another, learning about other cultures, and facing difficult situations together create a strong bond between employees. This bond positively affects teamwork, which in itself has a myriad of benefits for organisations.

3. Better community relations

An organisation can benefit greatly if it mirrors the demographics of the community it serves. Having a culturally diverse workforce enables a company to better understand the needs of their clients/customers. This creates improved community relations, which will increase sales and positive word of mouth. Expanding the workforce by hiring employees from different cultures offers organisations the opportunity to expand their business to other parts of the world, or at least forge strong business relations with organisations from other cultures. Clients who can identify with the culture of some employees will feel more valued, creating return business, among other benefits.

4. Increased innovation

People from different cultures have different ways of looking at the world. Bouncing ideas off one another will lead to new innovations, better strategies, etc. If people from different cultures work together as a team, the outcomes will be much more diverse than those presented by a homogenous team. This is because working with someone vastly different from yourself takes you out of your comfort zone and challenges the brain to think differently. A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychologyfound that a mock jury consisting of members from different cultures made less factual errors than members of a homogenous group. This study is applicable to the workplace, where thinking objectively has many advantages, among others a wider range of ideas.

5. Healthy competition

A culturally diverse workforce is more likely to engage in healthy competition, where employees from different backgrounds try to outperform one another. While a homogenous group might be easier to manage, it might also lead to stagnation, whereas a culturally diverse group will continue to strive to give their best. As stated in the Harvard Business Review, “Working on diverse teams produces better outcomes precisely because it’s harder.” For this reason, the challenges of working in a culturally diverse team will actually lead to a higher sense of satisfaction, of a job well done and of personal and professional growth, which will benefit both the organisation and the individual.