8 Ways to Encourage Diverse Perspectives in the Workplace

🤝 Why are diverse perspectives important to businesses?

Study after study has shown the benefits of a diverse workforce. McKinsey & Co. found that corporations that identified as more diverse and inclusive are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. A People Management study revealed that diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions. 

But it’s not enough for a company to just look diverse. To reap the benefits, companies must effectively integrate the diverse perspectives that their employees have. When you do this, several things will happen.

• Your employees will feel understood and heard, which can contribute to increased job satisfaction.
• There will be more innovation and creativity.
• The status quo will be challenged, opening up new opportunities for your company.
• Problems will be solved quickly and effectively.

Let’s take a look at what your company can do to encourage diverse perspectives in the workplace.👇 

How to encourage diverse perspectives 🔍 

Here are eight ways that your company can support diversity of thought and ideas in the workplace.

‍1. Hire for culture adds, not only culture fits ➕

Building diverse perspectives in the workplace starts with your hiring process. Oftentimes, companies try to only hire candidates that they feel fit their company culture. But when you’re only looking for people who will fit in, you will likely end up with a room full of people who all think the same way. And a room full of people who think the same can open the door to new problems like unconscious biases and groupthink.

Instead of just looking for culture fits, look for culture adds. 

‍Consider what a candidate can bring to your company, whether it’s a unique skill set, a different background, or outside-of-the-box thinking. Ditch the old mindset of “that’s the way things are done here” and replace it with an open mind when hiring.

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2. Encourage employees to share their thoughts in their own way 🤔

Some people love sharing their opinions and ideas in a group setting. Others prefer to discuss things one-on-one or document them in a knowledge management tool for easy access. There are even some who like to write out their initial thoughts first and follow up with a verbal discussion. 

‍All of these are valid ways to share ideas and concerns. 

‍Make sure that your company and leaders are allowing people to share their thoughts in ways that they are most comfortable with. This means opening up various platforms and opportunities for sharing, such as a combination of:

• One-on-one meetings
• An open Slack channel
• Weekly brainstorm sessions
• Open door policies
• Daily standup tools for better communication and tracking progress

‍When you only provide one way to participate, you may be unknowingly shutting some people out. Options = inclusion.

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3. Show employees that speaking up is worthwhile 🙋 

It’s one thing to be open to hearing people’s perspectives. It’s a whole different rodeo to actually put those different ideas into practice. The bottom line is that if you want employees to speak up, they have to feel like it's worthwhile.  

‍Some ways to do this include: 

• Highlighting when someone contributes something that leads to positive change
• Incorporating input into your decision-making process
• Creating a mentality of ownership by being transparent about company failures in addition to the successes

Don’t just tell employees that their voice matters. Show them.

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4. Create space for cultural shifts to take place 🔃

It’s no longer enough to simply talk about cultural shifts and inclusive behavior. It’s time to open up the floor to making genuine connections with your employees on a personal level so that they can feel more comfortable approaching you in times of concern and celebration.

In simpler terms, you have to create a workplace that reflects the values you already have!‍

The only way to create a truly inclusive workplace is to create a culture of trust, caring, and empathy within your leaders, your company, and your team.

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5. Create an environment where differences are celebrated  🎉

There are a ton of ways to celebrate differences at work. In fact, we could probably write a whole blog post about that topic alone!

‍But for now, here are some ways to acknowledge and uplift the things that make your employees unique: 

• Celebrate heritage months, internally and externally
• Recognize notable holidays from different cultures and make it easy to take off work in observance of these holidays
• Provide opportunities for your employees to learn about other communities and cultures
• Encourage and provide educational opportunities to teach your employees about different backgrounds and cultures

Not sure what holidays to recognize or what cultures people should learn more about? Start by asking! Send out a poll to your employees to see what sort of celebrations they might want to see.

How to get started 👉 Download Confetti’s Diversity Calendar to start planning your cultural celebrations! 

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6. Train leaders to listen👂

Your organization’s leaders should be pros at listening to their team members. Of course, this doesn’t always come naturally. It’s not uncommon for leaders to unintentionally steamroll brainstorming and decision-making on their team. But that doesn’t mean that it is something that your leaders can't learn. 

‍Invest in professional development opportunities that teach and encourage your managers to be better listeners. Courses, seminars, workshops, and other learning experiences can remind your company’s leaders how to be open-minded and responsive to what others have to say.

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7. Don’t suppress self-expression 📣

According to a JobSage study, 7 in 10 employees say that they adopt a different personality at work than they do at home. The number is even higher for Black and LGBTQIA+ employees. 

‍If employees feel like they can’t be their authentic selves at work, you probably are also missing out on their valuable perspectives. When an employee can be their authentic self, they develop a sense of trust and feel valued. By promoting authenticity and self-expression, your organization can foster transparency, increase productivity, and improve the overall employee experience.

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8. Embrace feedback 🔁

Creating an environment where feedback is valued can make a huge difference in empowering your employees. 

👎 Treating feedback as an attack creates employees who are afraid to be truthful.

👍 Treating feedback as an opportunity for honest improvement creates employees who want to contribute to the success of the company.

Seek out feedback from your employees often, and use the insights to make actionable changes in your workplace.

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 💭 Final thoughts 

Encouraging diverse points of view is a key to the success of any business— but they require companies to put in some work. If you want your employees to share their skills, knowledge, and voice with the company, you must create a culture where they are included and valued. We hope these seven steps send you in the right direction! 

To find the perfect team building activities to encourage diverse perspectives, visit our Ultimate Guide to Diversity and Inclusion Activities!

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Frequently Asked Questions ⁉️

How do you bring a diverse perspective?

Bringing a diverse perspective involves encouraging open and inclusive discussions and hiring employees from varied backgrounds. Creating diverse teams for projects ensures multiple viewpoints are considered. Providing training on diversity and inclusion helps everyone understand its importance and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard allows diverse perspectives to flourish. 

What does diversity in perspective mean? 

Diversity in perspective means having a range of different viewpoints, ideas, and approaches within a team or organization. It involves contributions from individuals with varied backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and identities. This diversity enriches discussions, decision-making processes, and problem-solving efforts. A diverse perspective leads to more innovative solutions, better understanding of different markets or audiences, and a more inclusive and dynamic work environment.

‍Why is a diverse perspective important? 

A diverse perspective is important because it enhances creativity and innovation by combining different viewpoints. It improves problem-solving by considering multiple approaches and increases employee engagement and satisfaction. Having diverse perspectives strengthens team performance and broadens market understanding and customer insights. Promoting a diverse perspective also fosters a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture.

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