The importance of diversity & inclusion to the success of an organisation

International research shows that diversity is a key driver of financial success for organisations. McKinsey’s 2018 report ‘Diversity Matters’ provided evidence to show that gender diverse companies were 15% more likely to outperform the competition whilst racially and ethnically diverse businesses were 35% more likely to outperform. Their findings were based on one of the largest data sets ever analysed, encompassing 15 countries and more than 1,000 large companies.

There has been a huge cultural shift in Ireland over the last decade and organisations are now looking to implement cultural change in a lasting way. At WorkJuggle, Diversity & Inclusion is central to what we do. We understand that the recruitment process is critical to attracting diverse talent that will help you to grow your organisation.

A Diversity & Inclusion focused recruitment agency

Employers who contract WorkJuggle to assist with their recruitment requirements often do so because of our experience in and passion for Diversity & Inclusion. Our founder, Ciara Garvan, has worked with many high-profile Irish companies such as Ibec & Irish life on their Diversity & Inclusion strategy and trained entire organisations on Unconscious Bias.

The whole team at WorkJuggle are committed to helping our clients achieve their diversity objectives and, as a full-service recruitment agency (license number 4163), we specialise in recruiting staff for contract, flexible and remote work in sectors such as:

• IT (we love all things tech!)
• Sales
• Marketing
• Finance
• HR

What is Diversity & Inclusion?

Put simply, Diversity & Inclusion is about empowering the people within your team by respecting and appreciating what makes them different in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, education, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and national origin. Organisations that support Diversity & Inclusion allow these differences to be explored in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.

How do organisations improve their approach to Diversity & Inclusion?

Improving the diversity of your team starts with examining your company’s composition and identifying ways that you can make the work environment more appealing to diverse groups of people. Once you have defined and implemented changes to make your business more inclusive, you will then need to set targets for attracting more diverse talent into your team. For example, this could include setting the goal of having a 50/50 split of male and female people in senior executive roles.

What are key issues within Diversity & Inclusion?

Recent and important trends in the diversity sphere include the adoption of hybrid work to allow employees to work hours that fit with their other life commitments. This is particularly important for working parents; however, research shows that minority staff and older workers value the hybrid model too. Mental health is another important area that employees value highly, so empathetic leadership is key to a more diverse team. Allyship initiatives have been shown to make employees feel more comfortable in their roles, leading to lower staff turnaround and inclusive workplaces free of prejudice and bias.

Do you require assistance with your Diversity & Inclusion strategy?

Contact our recruitment specialist, Alison Power, at alison@workjuggle.com or call her in our Dublin office on 01-5649211.