Discovering the Importance of Diversity in Leadership Roles

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Did you know that England has more than 19 different nationalities represented in the population? With such a diverse population, understanding the benefits of diversity in your leadership roles is critical. How can you ensure your non-profit leaders are championing diversity and that you are doing all you can to build a diverse team? 

Read on to learn about the benefits of diversity in leadership for your non-profit organisation. 

Benefits of Diversity in Leadership

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is used to describe three values that many organisations today strive to embody to help meet the needs of people from all walks of life. These three factors are paramount in ensuring that diversity is a part of your operation.

But what does diversity consist of? Many people believe that diversity lies in the nationality and ethnicity of a team. While this is one factor, there are many other things to consider.

When considering the diversity of your leadership team, think about:

• Culture

• Gender

• Education levels

• Disability status

• Socioeconomic background

• Cognition

• Sexual orientation

• Age

These qualities will give a full look at the diversity of your team. Diversity starts at the top, so remember to consider the profile of your board as well as your senior leadership team to ensure that everyone feels welcome at your organisation. 

Here are the three primary benefits of diversity in your leadership team and board. 

1. Better Employee Relationships

One of the greatest benefits of diversity amongst your leadership team is an improvement in your employee relationships. Employees are more likely to feel valued and represented if their demographic is part of the leadership team and this can lead to better employee retention. 

Employees will also feel that concerns related to their demographic are more likely to be addressed. In most cases, this is more than appearance. A diverse leader is more likely to address issues without needing pressure from employees to do so.

For example, a leader with mobility disabilities will notice issues in the workplace that affect mobility. They can relate to employees that deal with similar problems. As a result, these issues are often fixed much quicker than in a workplace with a leader that doesn't fully understand them.

2. Greater Skillsets

Another stellar benefit of diversity in leadership is a wider range of skill sets. Some skills are cultural or are emphasised more in one demographic than another.

One strong example is diversity in age groups. Your non-profit may benefit from a young leader because they can sometimes have stronger knowledge of technology and social media. However, older leaders may well bring a depth of experience that can really benefit the organisation, so a range of age groups is preferable. 

Think of the different skill sets that some demographics will have. Bring these diverse leaders in to improve your team. 

3. Improved Organisational Profile 

A third reason for having diversity among your non-profit leadership team is that a more diverse team will appeal to the public more than one that lacks representation. In the charity sector, factors like the diversity of your board and senior leadership teams can influence how likely donors are to engage with your organisation. 

Ways to Focus On Diversity

Now that we understand diversity more, how can you focus on the metric? Diversity doesn't happen by accident, and you'll need a concentrated strategy to ensure diversity.

Here are some of the many ways to encourage a more diverse workplace.

Hiring Process

Diversity starts in the hiring process. One of the best ways to encourage diversity is to seek it out while hiring.

That isn't to say that you should discard excellent leaders for not filling a diversity quota. However, you should pick your leaders carefully so that you aren't filling the board or your leadership team with leaders that are all of the same demographic.

Search for a range of ages, sexualities, genders, nationalities, and more. By doing so, you'll find countless fantastic candidates that fulfil your team's needs and help your non-profit to grow. 

Encourage Employee Feedback

Encouraging feedback from your employees is a good way to ensure diversity. By doing so, you can see where you're succeeding as well as where your diversity protocols are failing.

Having employees speak to you about their experiences will allow you to see what sections of diversity you're overlooking. They may warn you about a lack of representation, a board being tilted toward a certain demographic or more.

Diversity for All

When we think of diversity, we sometimes make the mistake of focusing on one demographic. Hiring a single LGBTQ+ leader or a manager of a different nationality is not the end of your efforts.

Do your best to encourage diversity for all walks of life, cultures, sexualities, and more. In doing so, you help your team flourish and make your non-profit a place where everyone is welcome.

Promoting Diversity in Leadership Roles

Ensuring that your leadership roles and board positions are filled with a diverse range of individuals will help your organisation to succeed by bringing a range of skill-sets, experience and backgrounds. There's also evidence from the corporate world that the most diverse companies are more likely to be more profitable than less diverse peers. 

So, do you need to think about your recruiting and broaden the diversity of your organisation? If so, why not get in touch with our recruitment team to see how we can help you.