There’s an old saying that goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” These Statement also runs through many companies. You will hire someone, if the person is similar to you. But this limits companies in their own potential, because it shows: Diversity Management is the key to success.
In the search for the right employees, managers often tend to repeatedly hire the same type of person. One that is very similar to themselves. Why? In short: You know each other, you like each other. Explained in more detail: companies try to function as smoothly as possible. People who share the same values, the same views and even come from the same culture seem to generate less friction than those who are very different. However, friction can also generate positive energy that companies should utilize. Diversity management is one method of bringing a breath of fresh air and thus regular new impetus into a team.
Diversity management is desirable on many levels
There are many reasons why companies should pursue diversity management. One possibility, for example, is the discrimination and fairness approach. The basic idea here is that everyone should be given the same opportunities, regardless of gender, origin or other factors. Another possibility is the access and legitimacy approach. This approach is based on economic considerations. For example, managers hope to tap into new markets and target groups by hiring employees with the appropriate attributes. Of course, an integrative approach that combines economic and moral reasons is also conceivable.
Above all, companies are required to respond to the current opportunities and problems offered by the labor market. For example, companies are confronted with demographic change, globalization, a change in values, falling employment figures and a shortage of skilled workers. In addition, more and more women and people with a migration background are entering the labor market, who have different needs and to which companies must adapt. Demographic change in particular is a cause for concern for many company managers. In the next 20 years, around 24 million people will retire. At the same time, fewer and fewer children will be born to fill this gap. According to estimates, there will be a shortage of over six million workers by 2025. However, many companies are already noticing this now. In addition, the trend is for the retirement age to increase, which means that companies are faced with the challenge of meeting the needs of Generation Traditionals through to Generation Z .
Utilizing potential
In order to utilize the full recruitment potential, companies should therefore not limit themselves, but instead make a point of ensuring that their team is diverse. Attributes such as age, gender, national and cultural origin, religion or ideology, sexual orientation or identity as well as disabilities should therefore not be a criterion for exclusion. In this way, companies can benefit not only from the professional expertise of employees, but also from unusual perspectives, different experiences and different solutions. This means that the company is less stuck in its mindset, can react more flexibly to problems, avoids shitstorms and strengthens its public image.
Companies that maintain good diversity management appear more international and cosmopolitan to the outside world. This not only makes them attractive to different potential candidates, but also to different customer bases. This also has positive effects internally. When employees feel that they can be themselves, this has a demonstrably positive impact on performance and also improves the working atmosphere. In addition, the operating profit of listed companies with both male and female board members is significantly higher than those with only male board members.
It all depends on the right planning
Good diversity management can rarely be implemented overnight and should therefore be firmly anchored in the corporate structure. On the one hand, the corporate culture and market presence must be adapted so that they appeal to diverse talents. On the other hand, recruitment and work processes should be checked for possible discrimination. It can also be helpful to bring in external consultants who have a certain distance to the company and are therefore more likely to be aware of unconscious discrimination. Talented individuals should also be given the opportunity to develop and feel that their individual characteristics and circumstances are valued. In addition, equality and anti-discrimination are legal obligations and employees can sue for their rights. If you have good diversity management in place from the outset, you minimize the risk of not behaving appropriately towards your employees.
Self-reflection is the first step towards good diversity management. In the course of this, the personnel structure must first be analyzed to define the company’s own needs and the personnel requirements must be planned for the long term. Furthermore, the company’s own management style should be reviewed and adapted if necessary. It is also important to encourage other managers and in-house or external recruiters to build diverse teams in line with the corporate strategy. Workspaces and working hours should also be tailored to the needs of all employees. In addition, a strategy can be developed on how the potential of individuals can be best utilized. Other measures include Gender management (promotion of women to management positions), the provision of company kindergartens for employees with families, programs to retain older employees (age diversity), the creation of workplaces for people with disabilities, concepts for reconciling work and leisure time (work-life balance/work-life integration) and the development of international cultural management.
Even small changes can create an atmosphere in which employees and potential candidates feel (more) comfortable. But if you want to utilize the full potential of a diverse team in the long term, you need to systematically anchor diversity management in your corporate culture. This can ultimately not only improve a company’s performance, but also its image.
