Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1178690
44 | AD Today 2019 | ALL IN According to Neil Cohen, AD Senior Vice President of Human Resources, the achievement of greater diversity in the workplace -- by ensuring appropriate representation of demographic characteristics like race, gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, and religion as well as factors like education, experience, values, skills/abilities, knowledge, and socio-economic status -- isn't just a noble and/or compliance-related goal, but offers numerous benefits to your business. THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DIVERSITY "There are concrete business reasons for organizations to focus on diversity," Cohen said. "Among those, greater diversity broadens your applicant pool, increases creativity and innovation, and promotes better understanding of and service to your customers as well as better decision making, faster problem solving, higher employee engagement and retention, and increased profitability." For example, he said, "a recent McKinsey & Company study found that racially-diverse teams outperform non- diverse teams by 35%, while a study by industry research firm Bersin & Associates found that inclusive companies who employ a team of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market." At the same time, a diverse workforce can help sell a firm to prospective employees, with recent research by Glassdoor confirming that 67% of job seekers feel that a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers. Based on her experience, Heather Gerrie Kwant, Co-President & CEO of Gerrie Electric Wholesale Ltd. in Burlington, ON, Canada, can attest to all of these benefits. "Greater diversity has absolutely made us better, stronger, more vibrant, and a true reflection of the communities we live in and serve," she said of successful measures they've taken to boost diversity at Gerrie Electric. RECRUITING TIPS TO HELP BUILD A DIVERSE WORKFORCE Why a diverse workforce is beneficial to your business and 10 strategies to enhance your diversity recruiting strategy.