From Apple making 50% of their new hired from historically marginalized groups, to Google’s 25% female leaders, to more and more companies diversifying their workplace, it seems like the corporations world is finally taking action steps to provide more chances to qualified people regardless of their gender, religion, ethnicity, orientation, etc..

But in the wake of this new era, comes a more pressing question, what to do once you create a diverse workplace?

How to diversify your workplace?

Before tackling the main topic of discussion, let’s start by finding out how to have a diverse workplace, to begin with.

Well, there are multiple routes to that end, but we can focus a few ones:

• First, and most importantly, never hire people for the sake of diversity. Diversity is a tool to reach your goal, not the goal itself.
• As mentioned above, diversity is a means to an end, so check how diversity can help you reach more of your market.
• Broaden your search, qualified marginalized people sometimes don’t appear from the first glance, so you need to put an effort into it. A great starting to point is AIESECs’ partners portal where you can find qualified youth from all around the globe.

With these points, and more that you can check out in our previous blog, you’ll have your diverse workplace.

Empowering diverse employees:

Now you have a workplace that’s full of diversity of religion, gender, ethnicity and most importantly thought and experience. So, what to do now?

Well, there are a few steps that you can take so diversity wouldn’t just be a fad in your workplace:  

• Create a safe workplace, the worst thing a minority employee can face is bigotry in his/her workspace. Quickly identify and remove any toxicity that arises. Also, make sure to have the right checks and balances for it. You need to be proactive instead of reactive regarding this point.
• See each of them as individuals, rather than part of a group. Cater to their needs as individuals.
• Support them more for higher positions and promotions. Make sure the space is open and safe for them to excel, improve and grow inside your company.  
• The best kind of diversity is the diversity of thought, so make sure to let everyone express their individuality and own experience. Also, never reward conformity, your minority employees need to see and feel that being different and true to yourself and not conforming to the pre-existing norms is what’s welcomed and appreciated in your place. Because that’s what diversity is all about at the end.  

Diversity is now more needed than ever, and with the world progressing quickly towards more and more inclusion. You can check out our partners portal for your needs of diverse youthful employees from all around the world.