October is Global Diversity Awareness Month, which means that employers throughout the world are thinking about how they can foster an environment where people of all backgrounds and ethnicities feel welcome. Unfortunately, many companies are failing to achieve that goal. Global research published in November 2020 shows that diverse employees, including women and people of color, are experiencing more severe work-related mental health struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic than other groups. Also concerning is the “Great Resignation” of 2021 — Gallup research shows that 48% of American workers are actively looking to change jobs.

What can businesses do to retain their most valuable employees? The abovementioned Gallup research found that the top three reasons why people are thinking about quitting their jobs are:

1. Not seeing opportunities for development
2. Not feeling connected to the company’s purpose
3. Not having strong relationships at work

All of the issues relate to employee engagement. Let’s talk about how such engagement can foster a diverse and thriving workplace.

What Is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement refers to an individual’s emotional connection to their workplace. It is different from being happy or satisfied at work. If an employee feels engaged, they feel that they are accomplishing something worthwhile, and they believe in their company’s goals and mission. Gallup research found that employees need a 20% pay increase to even think about quitting a job where they feel engaged.

Diversity and Employee Engagement

Diversity and employee engagement constitute a two-way street. While promoting engagement certainly has the potential to create and maintain a diverse workplace, a diverse workplace can be an important part of employee engagement. In fact, diverse and inclusive teams consistently outperform non-diverse ones.

What You Can Do

There is no “one size fits all” for achieving a diverse, inclusive workplace where employees want to stick around. However, there are some general best practices that might help:

• Ask for feedback. Asking your team for candid feedback about how they feel in the workplace can go a long way toward helping you design a plan to improve your diversity and employee retention.
• Think outside the box of traditional diversity. Ethnic, religious, and gender diversity are really just the tip of the iceberg. Other types of diversity, such as being willing to accommodate employees’ different schedules and lifestyles, is also important. For example, being able to choose their own work hours is considered a big perk by some employees.
• Invest in your team’s growth. Providing extra training to your team may cost money, but it can help them feel engaged and expand their skillset — in many cases, the return on investment is huge.

Is your workplace benefiting from a diverse, engaging environment? If not, now is the time to work on strategies that can help your business thrive throughout the Great Resignation and on into the future.