Diversity and inclusion needs to be something that is a priority for you and your team, and for the organization as a whole.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Article Author: <\/div>\n

Alissa Carpenter, Owner, Everything’s Not Ok and That’s OK<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The majority of people want to work for organizations that make diversity and inclusion a priority. According to a <\/span>Glassdoor<\/a><\/span> survey, 67 percent of active and passive job seekers said that a “diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.” And being a diverse and inclusive organization not only brings in top talent, it also helps with the bottom line, as seen in these data points:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Diverse teams (of three or more people) outperform individual decision-makers up to <\/span><\/span>87 percent<\/a><\/span><\/span> of the time.<\/li>\n
Racial and ethnically diverse companies are <\/span><\/span>35 percent<\/a><\/span><\/span> more likely and gender diverse teams are 5 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.<\/li>\n
Companies with above average diversity had <\/span>19 percent<\/a><\/span> higher innovation revenues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While it is not always easy, here are a few ways to get you started to build a more inclusive team and organization:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
1. Make Diversity and Inclusion a Priority<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
To harness the full power of our differences in the workplace, it needs to be made a priority. It needs to be something that is not only important and valuable to you and your team, but to the organization as a whole. Have conversations with senior leaders to gain a better understanding of what diversity and inclusion means to them and what efforts are already in place. Provide current data as to the opportunities of being a more inclusive organization and model the behavior you would like to see throughout your company. This can be through your hiring practices, communication, teambuilding, and more.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
2. Create Strength-based Teams<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Diversity is not just about race and culture. When creating a team, it’s important to bring people together with varying strengths and talents. This helps to ensure that things get done, new ideas are brought out, and concepts are well thought out and addressed. According to Gallup’s assessment, <\/span>CliftonStrengths<\/a><\/span>, there are four domains of leadership. Within each domain there are varying strengths. The domains are:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n