58 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN'S MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE WWW.PROFESSIONALWOMANMAG.COM
DIVERSITY
&
INCLUSION
E
specially in recent years, companies have begun to emphasize diversity and inclusion efforts in uif!xpslqmbdf/!Cvu!tpnfujnft-!ju!dbo!cf!ejgdvmu!up! tff!uif!sfbm-!ubohjcmf!cfofut!uibu!dpnf!xifo!xf!qvu! diversity at the forefront. Whether you're just starting your D&I journey, or you need a reminder of why it's important, here are some of the real, tangible ways that diversity and inclusion improve your business:
Serving our communities and being socially responsible
The communities we serve are diverse. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the workforce and the public we serve are growing in the number of women, people with disabilities, people of color and immigrants each year. Currently, 54 million men, women and children have disabilities, but just over one-third of working-age Americans with disabilities are employed. This number is expected to increase by 10 percent a year as our population ages and the number of residents older than 65 doubles by 2050. By that same year, 54 percent of the population will cf! njopsjujft! )boz! sbdf! puifs! uibo! opo.Ijtqbojd-!
Research has shown that effective diversity management coupled with inclusive work environments improves organizational performance and innovation."
The Tangible Benefits to a D&I Program
tjohmf.sbdf!xijuft*-!boe!pof.uijse!xjmm!cf!pg!Ijtqbojd! ancestry. Diversity and inclusion increase an agency's capacity to serve and protect people with different experiences or backgrounds and enhance its ability to be receptive to different traditions and ideas. Law fogpsdfnfou!pgdfst!qsftfou!b!hppe!fybnqmf!pg!uif! critical need to have civil servants who look like the people and communities they serve. Indeed, we must nbjoubjo!b!xpslgpsdf!sffdujwf!pg!Bnfsjdbo!tpdjfuz! to provide high-quality, responsive and equitable ser- vices for the public. Simply stated, it is the right thing for a democratic government to do.
Increasing innovation
Increased creativity is another byproduct of cap- jubmj{joh! po! ejggfsfodft/! Ijtupsjdbmmz-! tpnf! pg! uif! most creative periods in civilization have emerged when people of different backgrounds have con- ubdu! boe! xpsl! uphfuifs/! Uif! Sfobjttbodf! hsfx! jo! part from the meeting of peoples from the East and the West. America's energy and inventiveness have been attributed to the diversity of thought born from uijt!obujpo!pg!jnnjhsbout/!Nboz!tdjfoujd!ejtdpwfs- ies and inventions have been developed by and for people with disabilities. More recently, research has shown that effective diversity management coupled with inclusive work environments improves orga- nizational performance and innovation. Employees from varied backgrounds bring different perspectives, ideas and solutions to the workplace, resulting in new products and services, a challenge to the status quo and new collaboration.
Getting a return on investment
Diversity and inclusion initiatives improve the quality of an agency's workforce and are the cata- lyst for a better return on investment in human cap- ital. One of the biggest budget items in any agency is the amount it spends on human resources in the gpsn!pg!tbmbsjft-!cfofut-!usbjojoh-!efwfmpqnfou!boe! recruitment. To get a healthy return on investment in human capital and maximize competitive advantage, an agency must engage in recruitment and retention efforts that focus on acquiring the best and the bright- est talent. We cannot secure the most talented individ- uals unless we reach out broadly to all communities where such talent exists. In addition, employees of all groups expect more from organizations - from nondiscriminatory, ha- sbttnfou.gsff! xpslqmbdft! up! fyjcmf! tdifevmft! boe! cfofut-!xpsl.mjgf!cbmbodf-!boe!dijmedbsf!boe!gbnj- ly-friendly policies. Agencies are ensuring that they have the conditions in place that facilitate diversity and cultivate inclusion in all aspects of their opera- tions. With these facilitating conditions, the return on investment is maximized, and employees are engaged boe!qspevdujwf/!Uif!sftvmu!jt!gbtufs!dpojdu!sftpmvujpo! which avoids costly litigation and settlements. These environments where all employees feel included and valued yield greater commitment and motivation, which translates into fewer resources spent on em- ployee turnover, grievances and complaints.
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