Valuing Diversity: The Dimensions are Abundant
There has never been a more crucial time for workplaces to show that they respect diversity and inclusion. The demand for talent, the expectations of workers, and the weak economy all influence the need for highly engaged workers, which is aided by an inclusive and diverse environment.
Whenever I mention that I lead diversity, equity, and inclusion training, here in the Middle East, most people think of gender diversity. While valid, gender is only one of many variables that factor into creating a diverse workforce.
What is Diversity and What are its Dimensions?
Being a diverse organization entails hiring employees with a range of traits, including race, gender, age, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities or attributes, religion, and political views. These are considered primary categories of diversity. The dimensions of diversity are vast.
At the secondary level, some examples of dimensions of diversity include:
Marital status
Personal values
Parental status
Number and type of languages spoken
Geographic location
Educational attainment
Work ethic, and more.
There are also organizational, institutional, and generational categories of dimensions of diversity. These are often overlooked and yet quite relevant. For instance, within an organization, there are differences between:
Managers vs. non-managers
Junior (new) tenured staff vs. senior staff
One department or unit vs. another
Newly experienced workers in a field/discipline vs. very experienced workers in that field/discipline
Generational differences are an example of how the broad category of age becomes less relevant. Yes, there can be differences between old vs. young; separately, generational differences between 20- somethings and 40-somethings may also be dramatic and relevant.
These differences between workers can be divisive or exclusive, or they can be leveraged to build inclusion. An organization is diverse when multiple human differences are well represented within its structure. Any given group can be called diverse if a variety of these demographics are represented. Inclusion is, however, necessary for diverse people to be involved and empowered within the organization. This is achieved by recognizing and honoring each person’s inherent dignity and value.
