What is diversity in the workplace?

Workplace diversity refers to the level of differentiation among the people working in an organization. Although anything that makes people different contributes to diversity, common factors include age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disabilities and sexual orientation.

The differences among people impact their motives, communication approaches and perspectives. Having a diverse workplace benefits an organization because it promotes different points of view, different approaches to problem solving and an attitude of mutual respect. Companies with a diverse environment must invest time and resources to protect employees against discrimination and promote an environment where people respect each other's differences and work together as a team.