20 Aug 2025
ArticleWhether in the workplace or any other environment, diversity and inclusion are two of the most important pillars in building a strong and united community.
From an employer's perspective, having a diverse and inclusive workforce is imperative in forming a happy and cohesive team. Companies that are knowledgeable about the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and those who implement programs to achieve such goals, tend to share common success factors
Deloitte Australia's study proves that an inclusive team stands out by 80% percent. They have half the staff turnover and have proven in 65% of cases to have better productivity in the workplace. Hence, if a company follows a culture of diversity and inclusion, the individual employees can:
What are diversity and inclusion?
Are they the same? To better understand the difference between diversity and inclusion, let's start with an example.
Diversity is your differences. When you are different from someone else— for instance, differences between genders, age, ethnicity, and background.
Inclusion is a process that brings together people from diverse backgrounds to improve the organization's performance. It’s when you bring together people from different backgrounds to create a team that can achieve greater results.
As an example, someone with different professional experience may lead a project. Someone that has worked in a non-profit organization may provide technical expertise to a team. This doesn't mean that they work together, but they can bring their own experience and expertise together to form a team.
And that's the beauty of an inclusive team. They may have different work skills, but they can share their experience, knowledge, and expertise together.
How do they relate to each other?
Diversity and inclusion are two different things that have a symbiotic relationship. Diversity makes the team inclusive, and inclusive teams create diversity. Here's how it works.
When you form a team based on diversity, each member will bring their unique strengths to the team. This can result in different ways of working within the team. Whereas, when you form a team with an inclusive approach, you will create diverse experiences and perspectives within the group.
So, a diverse set of skills and experiences makes an inclusive team. But why are inclusive teams more effective?
What are the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the new hybrid work environment?
Due to economic crisis, technology, and social media, the world has become a global village, and everyone knows everyone. As a result, people find it easier to interact with people they may not know in real life - online. Because of this, we now have a hybrid work environment.
While interacting with people you may not know is a great benefit of the hybrid work environment, it can also create a lot of challenges.
The first big challenge is the lack of understanding of what each person brings to the table. If a team member has a different skillset from another, how would they work together? They may not even realize the skill set they have.
The second challenge is the diversity of experience within the team. While it's great to have different skills, not everyone may know the same things. Someone being experienced with a software platform that another person is new to could create a situation where the team does not work together as well as they could.
Is there a way to overcome these challenges?
What steps can managers take to create an inclusive team?
1) Consistency - consistency in how you work and treat people. If you are consistent with handling situations and interactions, it will come across as authentic. Another way to explain it is if you are consistent with how you treat people, they will be more likely to trust you.
2) Mutual respect - respect and trust are the cornerstones of an inclusive environment. It's not just about working well together but also feeling respected. If you do not respect the other person, there is an issue.
3) Be open to feedback - it's important to be open to feedback from people who are different from you about how you are treating them. If you are getting feedback from such people, it could mean that someone is not feeling respected within the team. This can be a sign to look at what is happening within the organization and how you treat people.
Bottom Line
For a collaborative team working for finance, technology, product, finance, and marketing, you will need to look at how to work together with different people. This includes bringing different skills to the table.
Establishing an open culture will enable you to achieve the best results.