Diversity is a growing theme in the workplace today, and it even has its own month, December. Studies on diversity, ethnicity, and inclusion (DEI) in business show that these factors improve employee satisfaction, workplace atmosphere, and the company’s bottom line, making more employers aware of the importance of DEI. (For more details on how DEI impacts the business world, check out this article by Obsidi®.)
While giving diversity its own celebratory month is a huge step forward in the path to equality, some employers prefer to demonstrate its impact on their company throughout the year. If that sounds like you, a few tweaks to your current activities can make this easy. These simple tips, implemented into the regular workday, will highlight diversity in your work atmosphere and remind your team that differences are to be celebrated and encouraged.
1. Dine in Diverse Style
Every culture is known for its unique contribution to the dining world. Still, many people outside the group don’t understand the various ingredients, spices, and cooking styles that make those flavors so popular.
In your workplace, consider celebrating a new cuisine with an in-office lunch every month. If you already have someone from that culture in your company, ask them for their thoughts on the top dishes to share to show off the heritage best. They may suggest cooking and bringing a meal themselves, which gives them a chance to shine and answer questions about the culture and food.
2. Let Them Speak
People often shy away from connecting with those from different cultures because they don’t think they have anything in common. By opening the floor up to guest speakers within or outside of your organization and letting them speak about their culture, perspectives, experiences, and traditions, your team becomes more familiar with a group of people who were once outside their comfort zone.
This speaking platform can happen during your normal training time, through webinars if you’re a hybrid or virtual employer, or through a company-sponsored lunch or dinner. In-person training is more impactful than videos or computer modules. However, if finding an expert to discuss a culture you’re trying to highlight isn’t possible, look for training modules approved by professional organizations from that specific group.
3. Get Creative
Similar to the unique cuisines of a culture, many different groups have customs that center around art and creativity. Go beyond the typical team-building exercises and get creative by bringing in someone to teach your staff how to make culture-specific art!
As an example, Argentina is famous for its tango. Hire authentic dancers to share the passion of the dance in your workplace, and let your workers practice the steps at their own pace! Even for those who can’t dance, learning the history of the tango and more about Argentinian culture can be impactful.
Hands-on celebrations through painting, sculpture, jewelry-making, and more are simple to incorporate by finding people from a specific background who master those skills, giving them a budget, and letting them share their love for their culture’s creativity with your team.
4. Take a Field Trip
Is your community putting on a celebration of diversity? Encourage your team to attend cultural festivals and activities, even during the workday. In fact, consider closing down for a few hours — paid — and taking a business field trip together!
“Playing hooky” from the day is a fun way to build up team morale while encouraging diversity. However, be cautious about making these field trips mandatory. Some of your team members may have deadlines they’re concerned about meeting or other legitimate reasons to stay behind.
Conclusion
Celebrating diversity in the office doesn’t have to be a once-a-year activity. With so many unique ways to bring culture into the workplace without breaking productivity, why not let your team get to know each other and new backgrounds on the clock?
Keep in mind that it’s crucial to ask for employee input and consider any objections. Verify that the activity you sponsor accurately and respectfully reflects the culture by using approved experts or companies who have direct links to those represented.
By bringing in various backgrounds to highlight in your company, you show everyone that you encourage and embrace differences, no matter what they look like, and you turn your workplace into a safe space.
