Diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of good people management. It’s about valuing everyone in the organisation as an individual. While UK legislation – covering age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation among others – sets minimum standards, an effective diversity strategy goes beyond legal compliance and seeks to add value to an organisation, contributing to employee well-being and engagement.
This factsheet explores what diversity means in the workplace and how an effective diversity and inclusion strategy can support an organisation’s business objectives. We look at the business case for diversity, and specifically how it impacts on people management issues, market competitiveness and organisational reputation. Finally, we outline the steps organisations can take to implement and manage a successful diversity strategy, from communication and training to addressing workplace behaviour and evaluating progress.
