What is diversity in the workplace?

Diversity in the workplace – often described in the context of broader initiatives such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) or belonging – refers to having an employee base that’s made up of people from a range of backgrounds, which can include various aspects of identity such as gender, race or ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion and educational background.

Why is diversity in the workplace important?

There are a number of reasons for companies to proactively prioritize diversity in the workplace. Here are a few of the main benefits of having a diverse workforce:

• Attracting candidates (and getting them to stay): 62% of job seekers would turn down a job offer if they felt the company did not value an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. When people feel cared about – and see that their peers are cared about – they stay (and they refer others).
• Sparking innovation: Teams comprised of people from various backgrounds and work experiences collectively come up with more creative ideas and ways to solve problems.
• Improving employee performance: Ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform their peers. This may be attributed to the fact that employees are more likely to feel comfortable, happy and confident in an inclusive environment.
• Expanding your market: When your company accurately reflects the world around you, you are more likely to build inclusive products and your org can more effectively and authentically market to a larger group of customers, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ or are differently abled.
• Boosting financial performance: According to a Josh Bersin study, highly inclusive organizations generate 2.3x more cash flow per employee and 1.4x more revenue, and are 120% more capable of meeting financial targets. Inclusivity = revenue. Those are definitely stats that can’t be ignored.

To explore this topic in more detail, see 5 benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

How does Greenhouse define diversity in the workplace?

At Greenhouse, we’re committed to building a workplace where everyone feels that their voice is heard, their ideas are valid and their whole self is valued. When someone is free to be their most authentic self and fully engage with their work, anything is possible. “Building belonging represents the highest outcome of all our crossfunctional DE&I efforts,” explains Jamie Adasi, Greenhouse’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Our long-term vision is a diverse workforce in which traditionally underrepresented groups are fully represented and included throughout Greenhouse, including in our management group. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken toward achieving that vision:

• Creating a diverse pipeline of qualified candidates
• Mitigating bias in the interview process
• Fostering an inclusive experience for all employees
• Formalizing employee resource groups with budgets and executive sponsors
• Establishing the Greenhouse DE&I Council
• Investing in DE&I product innovations and enhancements like our candidate name pronunciation feature
• Supporting initiatives that build belonging within our greater community

To learn more about our own journey of defining diversity in the workplace and how we outlined our initial steps, check out the on-demand webinar How to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace.