Diversity within a company is invaluable. In the not too distant past, differences tended to disappear, often because of company values. Also thanks to ad hoc laws such as Equal Opportunities (Law 165/2001), today inclusion and diversity are central issues for every company and especially for managers and human resources managers.
Diversity is a very broad concept: every social group is marked by peculiarities and differences that can concern age, skills as well as culture, but also ethnicity, sexual orientation as well as religious and gender identity. Managing these differences and enhancing them, in fact, has become increasingly important in the HR world, so much so that in some companies the management of diversity is a real approach that has taken the name of diversity management.
Diversity alone, however, does not automatically generate value for a company. It is not enough for a team to be diversified, that is, to have in itself the richness that comes from diversity so that it can really work in balance.A diverse team works well when you start talking about inclusion and you proceed in every possible way to implement it. People feel included in the workplace so they are not discriminated against for what they are nor over exposed, they simply have the same opportunities as everyone else.
In order to be able to speak of diversity it is therefore necessary to introduce also the term inclusion: diversity and inclusion are not sides of the same coin. You have to hire your own collaborators, make them feel part of something greater, to convey that their contribution is fundamental.
An inclusive work environment brings many benefits: an inclusive company has a reputation and moral wealth, but it can also have a return in terms of productivity. According to the Diversity Brand Index 2022, brands that invest in Diversity & Inclusion can increase their revenues by up to 23%.
And in this scenery, what can human resources do?
The Hr must implement recruitment strategies that remove prejudices, but they must also commit to building a company that is diverse and cannot do it alone, must involve first of all the members of their team and at the same time those who have top roles. They must try to lay the foundations for a culture of diversity to become a major part of the corporate culture.