It has been said that companies that have racial and ethical diversity in their workplace are 35% more likely to perform at a higher level(1). This should be a significant statistic to look at because it proves that racial and gender diversity does in fact have a positive effect for workplaces. It not only benefits the face of a company, but strengthens its worth when embracing inclusivity, which is a modern cultural principle that workplaces should follow. The term may sound daunting, but the more you understand what it is and what it stands for, then you’ll consider why it’s a successful concept to have in the workplace.
What is Gender Diversity?
It revolves around the idea of fairly representing not only male and female genders, but people of non-binary genders. When working in places that offer a sense of gender diversity, you support the fact that genders of all kinds can work together in harmony. Consider the importance behind. What are some significant aspects?
Importance of Gender Diversity in the Workplace
One of the top factors that contribute to the importance of gender diversity is the concept of inclusivity. It should be essential that workplaces be placed with the challenge of gender stereotypes. I mean, workplaces have a tendency to keep up with their reputation, so why not start now? When providing a voice for various genders in the workplace, you amplify the ideas and principles of what it means to be an inclusive team.
Benefits to Gender Diversity
There are plenty of benefits that go with establishing and encouraging gender diversity. To name a few, here are four beneficial factors that come into play.
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Enables More Problem Solving
The more people in the workplace, the better. When you enable more people to figure out a problem, it leads to making suitable decisions.
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A Plethora of Perspectives
Having gender diversity brings in a lot of different views. Because everyone is entitled to their own opinions, having different aspects towards an idea can allow increased creativity, work productivity and problem solving amongst a team.
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Greater Profitability
Based on a study conducted by a management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, companies with gender diversity are 21% more likely to attain profitability that’s above average(2). Companies who increase their gender diversity are more likely to succeed with higher profitability than most companies. Take note of that.
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Improves Corporate Reputation
The face of your company matters. When bringing it into the picture, it enhances its image even more with the idea of inclusive in that sense. Every company wants to make a change, and gender diversity is another way to make that happen. Hence, the reason why this tends to be considered as a powerful tool for job recruitment.
Issues on Gender Diversity
Despite the benefits that come with gender diversity, let’s not forget about the issues that it tends to encounter, especially in the workplace. Although it has a successful rate with recruiting members for a team, issues that gender diversity tends to run into can still occur in the workplace.
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Unequal Income
Yes, this can still apply to gender diversity especially with women. On an average, women are deemed more educated than men. Yet, because of the number credentials they have, they still continue to get paid less than men. In essence, when it comes to income, women continue to get paid 80% of what men receive as their income(3).
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Sexism
According to a blog post from Culture Amp(4), it’s been recorded that a majority of women in the workforce feel excluded when it comes to decision making and voicing their own opinion. Gender discrimination has always been a constant run-in with workplaces. Overall, issues such as paternity leave, child support and other pro-family benefits should increase for the sake of this issue.
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Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment, despite whatever gender you identify with, still continues to happen in the workplace. 45% of Americans in the workplace have experienced discrimination and/or harassment(5). As a result, people of any gender continue to suffer any form of sexual harassment despite the policies that many workplaces have against sexual harassment.
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The Fear of Selling Yourself Too Short
Yes, there’s constant fear of asking how much you should get paid. This issue, however, tends to dawn upon women because of the stereotype that women are seen as desperate and greedy with money. Hence it’s an unfortunate result that 70% of women tend to accept their salaries without negotiation than 52% of men(6).
Final Thoughts
Encouraging gender diversity in the workplace can benefit your chances of making your business more successful. This concept can be complex at first, but with time comes a greater understanding of why it’s important that others become aware of the effects of gender diversity and how companies can succeed at establishing it in the workplace.
Since we live in the 21st century, it’s no surprise that companies that include gender diversity in their foundation as a whole often receive greater revenues over time. It’s time that businesses consider what different perceptions amongst various genders will bring to the table in order to help a company succeed in its goals.
