Diversity has been a debated topic over the past years and many large organisations strive to ensure their Human Resource Management strategies address the issue of diversity in the workplace.
Diversity, which is a way of managing equal opportunities in the workplace, aims at recognising that people differ in a variety of ways, such as according to their gender, ethnicity, religion and social – to name a few.
Companies who embrace diversity have reported a benefit to their organisations, as their diverse workforce offer different values and approaches which ultimately enrich the company, and through their diversity and inclusion strategies, these organisations have added value by contributing to employee wellbeing and engagement.
Furthermore, a diverse workforce can relate to a diverse customer base in a more meaningful way, directly contributing to business growth.
According to Michael Carter, European HR Director at Assurant – a global provider of risk management services – diversity, equality and inclusion are viewed as a strategic business and leadership imperatives which will be a key enabler to Assurant’s continued success. (https://www.womenintech.co.uk/discussing-diversity-and-inclusion-in-tech-during-covi-d-19).
Managing diversity has different challenges depending on the sectors and industries. A recent survey of the technology industry undertaken by Women in Tech* in 2019 shows there may still be a long way to go for diversity to be truly embraced.
Over 81% of the women surveyed stated, in fact, that they believe there are more males than females in technology workplaces and that the industry would benefit from having a gender-equal workforce.
However, attracting women into the industry has proven challenging, because of inherent perceptions among female applicants.
At KMsoft, not only do we pride ourselves on embracing all types of diversity, but we place a great deal of emphasis on the contribution which women can bring to our industry, so much so that 75% of our employees are female.
We are so passionate about helping attract more women into the technology industry that several of our employees are STEM Ambassadors who regularly partake in events aimed at changing inherent perceptions among young people.
