Diversity: The Key to Greater Organizational Empathy

Organizations that proactively develop a diverse workforce encounter multiple benefits

Organizations often emphasize diversity in the workplace because it’s ethical. It is the “right thing to do.” But rarely is it emphasized for its ability to increase understanding, both inside and outside the corporate walls. 
 

Employees from a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, social identities and cultures can make a company more creative, more market-aware, wiser, and more productive. Diversity can drive the humanity of a company’s brands as well as the organization itself. By encouraging heterogeneity, teams become smarter—and that intelligence can lead to greater operational performance and increased profitability.

At Confirm BioSciences, we’ve discovered that diversity has numerous practical and competitive advantages. Beginning with our founders who came to the U.S. from Turkey, Confirm BioSciences has always sought a varied workforce. There’s a 40-year age range across our departmental teams, nearly split between female and male. Ethnicities and career backgrounds vary greatly as well. In our experience, a fertile employee base not only ensures greater social and market awareness, but also helps identify product opportunities faster and then refines those ideas to fit specific customer preferences.

Organizations that proactively develop a diverse workforce encounter multiple benefits:

They become more innovative. By its nature, inclusivity fosters a more collaborative and creative environment. Groupthink is reduced and unexpected ideas bubble up faster. One of our company’s latest solutions is a health and wellness product line built around hormone assessment. We were able to pick up on the trend—despite our core competency in drug testing products—because our product team has representation from a wide spectrum of people, including post-menopausal women and individuals who understand the problems associated with chronic stress.

They often better reflect the company’s customer base. A wide range of voices is a direct link to those we serve. It leads straight to product solutions and messages that are inherently inclusive. The best way to fuel a team’s energy is to staff it with members who can connect personally with the feedback they receive from all types of customers. It’s a benefit that works both ways: not only does it provide a more sensitive understanding of customer input, but it also helps ensure that customers are not misheard or mass-messaged with out-of-touch information.

They increase the company’s “knowledge bank.” Diversity unleashes an organization’s potential to step outside of well-worn paths. It helps uncover audiences that are not normally heard, allows employees to solve problems collectively, and increases organizational agility. Most importantly, it promotes greater acceptance both inside and outside the organization.

Broadening the corporate workforce is highly desirable—but it doesn’t happen automatically. Executive leadership must provide both awareness and emotional intelligence. It must foster an environment that is inclusive of new voices and makes space for those voices in the company’s professional landscape, as well as in day-to-day operations. A constructive atmosphere must exist in which employees can be heard, and their viewpoints are amplified. The idea is to clear the barriers for each individual to make a direct impact. Doing so creates a sense of belonging, and keeps the floor open for new ideas.

HR must also lead in this effort. It’s vital to establish a baseline with new hires about their opportunity—and obligation—to work within an inclusive environment. HR should also conduct anonymous surveys, periodically checking in to measure progress and identify roadblocks in the company culture. If there is any sense that individuals are not being heard, it’s time to initiate dialogue on the topic and make space for people to speak up without fear of repercussion.

It’s important to realize that diversity and inclusion should never be used simply to fill a corporate checkbox for political correctness. Diversity is a key element of an approach to culture building. It’s important to identify the human, societal and business advantages of a rich and varied workforce. Pursuing that goal sincerely and intentionally demonstrates to employees that they are heard, and that their contributions are a major part of company success. They know that workplace diversity is smart business—not to mention, it’s the right thing to do.

Sara Holtmeyer is Director of Business Development for Confirm BioSciences, a San Diego-based provider of drug and health testing solutions for organizations and consumers. Visit www.confirmbiosciences.com  Connect Sara Holtmeyer