Business Benefits of Embracing Equality in the workplace 

Helping to create a more profitable business environment
A diverse workforce can make a real, sustainable difference to your business. Many companies throughout the UK have already implemented successful diversity programmes and are enjoying dramatic improvements in performance and productivity. They are reaping the benefits of an expanded recruitment base and exploring the wealth of new markets.

To view the six equality strands covered by Law click here.

What diversity means to your business?
Implementing diversity in the workplace makes sound commercial sense. It can increase profitability, deliver high standards of customer service and improve all-round performance.  The business case for diversity is all about making the most of the opportunities it offers. These include:

• A wider choice of potential employees with a range of skills and experience;
• Better understanding of new markets including access to a wider range of customers;
• Enhanced innovative practices and better understanding of diverse customer demands/needs;
• Better position to compete for public and private sector contracts.
Managing diversity, both as an employer and as a provider of goods and services, will allow the business to respond effectively to the varying needs of staff and customers.


Examples of companies implementing Diversity 
You can’t transform a business overnight but there are practical steps that can be taken to introduce diversity into your business. 

• Incorporate diversity into all business planning tools
Consider new product/service development - How do you deliver your goods/services to your customers? Web? Face to face? Through a partner?  Are you reaching as wide an audience as possible or is the channel you are using hindering the delivery or getting to market?  Do you know who your customers are?  Do they have any special needs/requirements you can meet/provide?  Can your product/service be altered to become more tailored to a specific group? Have you considered those customers with a disability or older age group?  Have you considered those from another culture or background? 

• Recognise diversity as being a critical link in achieving the businesses’ needs.  Sometimes having a diverse range of opinions and feedback can provide you with a greater insight into your business and in most cases at a very low cost or even free!  Why not consider using focus groups and/or customer feedback to develop your current product or service?  Consider the make-up or these groups with representatives across a variety of backgrounds e.g. gender, religion/belief, age, disability, ethnicity (including migrant workers), sexual orientation.    Will also these customers manage to get the best from your product or service?

• Start by developing a vision of what your future diverse and successful business will look like.  e.g. Ask questions like - How can the company find new markets? How can the company develop new products and services, How can the company create stronger teams that produce innovative ideas and solutions?

About EMB Equality Matters in Business (EMB) is a pioneering two-year pilot project, aimed at working with Scottish businesses to raise awareness of the business benefits of diversity in the workplace.  This is a Scottish Government funded project being delivered through Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. 

EMB works with a number of organisations across Scotland to increase the awareness of the business benefits associated with diversity.  Organisations like Investors in People (IIP), Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) and Business Gateway have all developed their own internal and external operations to include these concepts as part of the assistance they offer to Scottish Businesses. 

If you need more information on any aspect of developing your practices and policies within the workplace please telephone the Business Gateway Enquiry Service for free impartial advice;

Tel: 0845 609 6611 (Lines are open Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm.)
E: emb-enquiries@scotent.co.uk

Training workshops
SUSE are working with EMB and the Scottish Government to deliver diversity training workshops for businesses across Scotland in September and October.  If you would like to attend this free training please and find out the nearest event, please contact e-mail: emb-enquiries@scotent.co.uk