What Does Diversity Really Mean for HR in Malaysia?

We hear a lot about diversity in the workplace, but what does it mean? Companies use this term a lot because they think they have a diverse workplace, but in reality they don’t.

Let’s see what diversity in the workplace actually means.

Equal opportunity for everyone

It all begins with the hiring process. A company’s recruitment approach has a big impact on whether the company has a diverse and inclusive environment. It also has a direct effect on employees that bring different viewpoints from various backgrounds.

Diverse hiring means that all individuals have an equal opportunity to work at your company. This means no matter their background, country of origin, race, gender or age, they all share the same opportunity to work at the company. Their qualifications for the job is based on the their skills and suitability for the role, not anything else.

That’s why it’s important that companies advertise their job postings on a variety of sites and platforms that reach different audience.

Creating equal opportunity in hiring is important in order to hire a diverse workforce.

The elimination of unconscious biases

An organisation can be dedicated to promote a diverse workforce but still have biases that it isn’t even aware of. These biases could be deep-rooted based on people’s upbringing, and could appear in judgements based on where or whether people went to school, their language ability, their economic status or other qualities.

Training can help employees take care of their unconscious biases and learn ways to get rid of them during the hiring process. These biases can be built into recruitment material as well, and it is important for hiring managers to be aware of this.

An inclusive environment

It’s not enough to hire diverse employees, your company needs to promote an inclusive work culture that welcomes people of different values, backgrounds and beliefs.

Inclusivity and diversity go together. Employees of different backgrounds can feel supported to succeed, thrive and be themselves through a positive and nurturing environment.

HR professionals, managers and company leadership need to initiate ways to create an inclusive environment. It is important to lead by example, communicate a consistent message and create steps employees can take toward a more inclusive work environment.

Less stringent on cultural fit

Recently, there has been much focus on work culture. Companies brag about ping pong tables, free lunches, and other perks as elements of a positive work culture. A positive work culture is so prioritised that companies commonly assess candidates on whether they will fit in with the culture.

While this sounds great in theory, insisting on whether the candidate fits the work culture can prevent your company from hiring talents that could be very beneficial for them.

It’s common practice for companies today to have “cultural fit interviews”, but these can have an opposite effect because they can create a workforce that is very uniform and resistant to diverse backgrounds.

Accept different work ethics and social attitudes, and let employees bond over their commitment to helping the company achieve its goal and practice its values.

Do not be blinded by tradition

Diversity means a wealth of rich viewpoints, perspectives and opinions. Though many companies have different ways of hiring, the unique voices of their new employees may be wasted by a blind commitment to old ways of doing things.

Workflows, best practices and company traditions should never be treated as permanent. Instead, company leadership in a truly diverse workforce are open to reviewing old ways of doing things and potentially even revising them or throwing them out in favour of new, improved processes.

Diversity in the workplace is a trending topic, but not many companies know what it really means in practice. The values above are the signs of a truly diverse workforce, and can help the organisation and its members can reach new heights of success.

How does your organisation promote a diverse workplace? Hire more candidates from diverse backgrounds with A Job Thing and achieve true diversity in your organisation.

This article is based on Allie Kelly’s “What does diversity in the workplace actually mean?”