A new report conducted in conjunction with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) and audit, financial advisory and risk management services company, Deloitte, reveals diverse workplaces create more happy workers.
The research, which was conducted by interviewing 1,550 employees, shows that employees who feel their workplace is more committed to diversity and inclusion also feel that their workplace is a successful one.
Further research revealed that not only was a more diverse and inclusive workplace perceived as being more successful, it actually was. The report reads, “Analysing the relationship between inclusion and ‘hard’ data on absenteeism and employee performance ratings, we found that the more included an employee feels, the more likely they are to be at work (i.e. reducing the cost of absenteeism) and to receive a higher performance rating. Making this a little more specific, the data from one organisation demonstrated that if just 10 percent more employees feel included, the company will increase work attendance by almost one day per year (6.5 hours) per employee.”
Entitled Waiter, is that inclusion in my soup? A new recipe to improve business performance, the report also found that employee innovation levels increased when employees felt they were in a more inclusive and diverse workplace.
While the survey was only conducted among three organisations, the researchers believe it is indicative of wider feeling.
“The results show that there are clear economic benefits from recognising cultural diversity. By being more inclusive and supporting workplace diversity, you can create an environment where innovation and a different way of thinking are brought to the table by employees with culturally diverse backgrounds,” said Deloitte spokesperson Alec Bashinsky.
Some of the key findings from the report included the extent of an employee’s ability to manage their work/life balance was seen as a measurement of their feeling of inclusion, and an employee’s feelings towards customer responsiveness and team collaboration were boosted according to how they perceived the company’s diversity and inclusion policies.
The report comes two months before the national event, A Taste of Harmony, designed to encourage workplaces to celebrate diversity through experiencing food from different nations.
