Surveys For Diversity

I recently read an article by Rieva Lesonsky that piqued my interest. Rieva suggested that increasing diversity in the work place is the best thing you can do for the success of your business.

Rieva’s article is based on more than a half-baked hunch. She formulated her ideas based off of a study that was done by Kristyn Scott, a Ryerson University Professor. Professor Scott found that the commitment to diversity must be real and deep, not just for show. She also suggests that our definition of diversity must be broad, including ethnicity, age, level of experience, and educational background, among other things.

Scott suggests that if these things are actively implemented on a meaningful level, they can have a real, positive impact on a business’s success.

There are all kinds of steps you can take to start increasing diversity in the workplace, but it’s tough to increase diversity if you don’t even know what kind of diversity exists there to begin with.

Get started by sending a demographics survey to everyone in your office. Ask them about any groups they identify with, about their past work experience, and any skills, talents, or hobbies that have that you might not know about.

Getting to know more about the background of the people we work with has inherent value. Finding out how people identify, what kind of experience they’ve had, and what makes them feel comfortable is an important part of creating a good working environment.

Plus, the more you know about what they people you work with did in their previous life before they worked with you (shocking that they had one, I know) the more insight you have into the tools they could be bringing to the table.

The results might surprise you. Maybe you have an expert guitar player in your midst, and you didn’t even know it. This information might not directly help you make sales, but it may come in handy as a free form of entertainment for you, and an opportunity for the employee to showcase her talent.

There are all kinds of benefits that come from getting more information about the people you work with. Once you know what you have, it will be easier to find out what types of people (and the skills and perspectives that come with them) you’re missing.

Take it from Rieva and Professor Scott. A diverse workplace will pay off when it comes to your company culture, and it will translate to your bottom line.