The Business Case for Building Inclusive Workplaces
As
today’s U.S. and Global markets become increasingly
diverse, businesses are adapting in order to stay competitive, reach
new markets and maintain the highest quality of staff. Listed below are
five ways a well-managed multi-cultural and diverse workforce contributes to long-term
business success.
Diversity enhances the quality of problem-solving and innovation.
Many studies now show
that diverse teams view situations from a broad range of perspectives, producing more
creative solutions to problems and greater product innovation.
Workplace diversity enhances productivity.
When employees feel valued, they can perform
at their fullest potential and highest productivity.
Customers and markets are changing.
Customers are becoming more diverse. For many U.S.
businesses, growth means new international markets. Businesses that reach and understand
new customers, markets and cultures will create and maintain marketing and business advantages.
The workforce is changing.
The workforce is becoming more diverse as the 2000 census
data demonstrate.
Cultural diversity affects costs in many ways.
Managing workplace diversity effectively
can save money by attracting top talent, reducing turnover, developing
the potential of all employees, and preventing costly lawsuits.
Companies with women and
people of color in executive positions and on their Boards of Directors outperform the
stock performance of companies without women or people of color in these positions.
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Overview
“The lessons EDS teaches transcend cultural boundaries. Attendees at our sessions represented eleven different nationalities, and everyone walked away believing the two days were well spent. They felt they learned tools that will help them be more effective in the workplace.”
Robert Cochran
Commercial Developer
Exxon Mobil/Asia Pacific
