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Let’s get something straight, diversity does not just mean race. Diversity can mean a lot of things: race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, cultural background, perspective, you name it. For some reason, when we talk about diversity in the U.S. people automatically think of race. Among these people are hiring managers and company’s decision makers. It is a known fact that the majority of CEOs in large corporations in this country are men… White men. You can count how many women are in the same position and if we look at how many people come from aย diverse background, then we really don’t have many out there.

 

Now, I am all about equality and doing the right thing. However, theย point I want to make here is that by having a diverse executive team and workforce, companies can make more money as well as increase their productivity. Why? Because different groups do things differently. Allow me to explain. Different cultures and subcultures learn to process things in a different way. We all belong to certain groups and every group has a set of behaviors unique to that particular group. People from different countries here in the U.S., for example, not only speak at least another language, but they also see the world from a different perspective. They have a blend of their own culture as well as the American culture. Different ethnic groups are the same. Research shows that African-Americans and Latino are trend setters, whereas Caucasians tend to be followers. Caucasians, and all Anglo cultures, tend to follow processes whereas in other cultures we are a little more open to doing the same thing in a different way. Regardless, the end result can be the same or better. The idea here is that there is not only one way of doing things.

 

So where does diversity play a role in productivity and profitability?ย By having like-minded people with very similar backgrounds running a company and departments, the tendency is that you will have the same style of work, the same performance, the same way of doing things. However, if a company has a more diverse group of people come together to apply different strategies, come up with out-of the box ideas, and many times, shying away from processes that have been in place for years and years, the result can be surprising. Productivity will increaseย because there will be different ways of reaching the same goal. Many times flexibility is key to getting things done. But how to do this if we are used to the same methods and the same way of thinking? Profitability will increase because a more diverse company will be able to reach different demographics because in its core, it has a representation of all the groups out there.

 

Trust me, I know it’s not that easy and a lot of companies claim that the majority of the qualified people out there are of a certain kind. But I challenge you to stop and think. Is it really? When you are hiring, do you already have in mind the kind of person you are looking for? Chances are you are more inclined to hiring someone who is more like you. What if you tried different? Not too long ago women couldn’t even work. Look where things are now! Not too long ago people didn’t speak other languages and now, with the ever so growing Latino demographic, companies are doing what they can to hire people who speak Spanish so they can reach that demographic and make money. These days, the most tech-savy people in the market are not from this country. They not only bring their high end technological expertise but also their culture and background. There are so many examples all around us. Just stop and think.

 

Diversity is good business. Let’s start looking at itย as a way to increase creativity, productivity,ย profitability, and of course, inclusion. If we as businesses hire people who can add value to our companies and departments without judging their religion, sexual orientation, race, age, gender or cultural background, we will all be better off in every aspect. We live in a global world. This notion of doing things one way just blocks us all from growing. Let’s change the mindset and cultures of our companies and move things forward.

 

 

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simone Santos

I am Brazilian by birth, American by heart! I created Cool N Chic with the intent of spreading the message that we are all "cool" in our own and authentic ways. Cool N Chic was created to bring people of all backgrounds together through mindfulness, self-development, healthy living and the desire to be fearlessly authentic. Even though I created this blog, it is not mine. It is ours and I welcome you, your wisdom and your energy.

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