1. EXPERT ADVICE
Promoting diversity
in the workplace
Diverse backgrounds and experiences
can produce more creative ideas
By Nicola Turner
Special to Jobs & Careers
T
he UAE has a diverse society. Individuals have constant access to
a multitude of nationalities not only on a social level but also in
the workplace. Diversity refers to the range of differences among
people in an organisation. It includes race, gender, ethnic group, age,
thinking style, tenure, education and background.
Diversity not only benefits the employees but also provides the
company with a competitive advantage. When firms implement
diversity plans, multiple gains are reported including increased
creativity, adaptability, innovation and a broader service offering.
Teams with employees from diverse backgrounds and experiences
can produce more creative ideas and approaches to solving problems.
Workers from diverse backgrounds each brings specific talents and
experiences which, as a collective, can provide the team with different
ideas. A larger pool of ideas and thoughts can help individuals and the
company adapt better to fluctuating markets and customer demands.
Research by Hewlett and colleagues (2013), mentioned in the Harvard
Business Review, provides evidence that diversity can unlock innovation
and drive market growth. The researchers looked at two different
kinds of diversity: inherent and acquired. When correlating diversity in
leadership with market outcomes, they found that leaders who exhibit at
least three inherent and three acquired diversity traits out-innovate and
outperform other companies.
A varied collection of skills and experiences within a workforce can
allow companies to provide services to a wider range of customers. This
is particularly relevant in the UAE as companies here provide services
globally with a huge variety of clients to serve.
Embracing differences is important not only to increase creativity,
adaptability and innovation, but also to inspire employees to freely
express their views and perform to their highest ability.
The writer is Organisational Psychologist, HRI&C
Handy Hints
• Encourage the sharing of different ideas in your organisation
• Broaden knowledge by learning about a new culture, language
• Inspire employees to freely express their views, perform better
gncareers.com