Diversity is defined by a single word: variety – which basically means different. But very few people follow up with the question:
“Different in what way?” The next question we all want to ask, and don’t, is this: “How and why is diversity important in the workplace?”
We can all agree that we really just need to find the right skill, the right talent for our companies and clients. But I really want to explore further on why we NEED “different” perspectives. Because…
In my mind, “different” represents areas such as culture, ideas, values, lifestyles, classes, goals, and so forth.
“Different” – and therefore “diverse” – is NOT just about gender and/or skin color. It is so much more than that.
When asking a group of people what they think diversity means – recruiting professionals in particular – the perspective ranges all over the place. In our country alone we have a wide variety of different cultures, and when we discuss these differences from a recruiting perspective, they are all lumped into one common word, which is diversity. You see what I mean? To read more