If we google what diversity is, we find the following results:
- Many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people.
- Many different ideas or opinions about something.
What do we mean by inclusion and diversity in the workplace?
Diversity is the mix of unique individuals and their identities. People have different backgrounds, upbringings and life experiences. These characteristics, including gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and physical abilities, are part of what make each of us unique. Our unique experiences, perspectives and ideas are what make us special.
Inclusion is about building an environment where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. We want our employees to feel a sense of belonging where everyone can collaborate to best meet customer needs and feel ‘at home’ at work.
Both concepts come together perfectly in a magic recipe, mixing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that takes advantage of a wealth of different talents. We must be aware that differences make us unique and valuable. Therefore, it is important to aim for inclusion of everyone in order to create a varied palette of colours, which inspires creativity and results in better productivity.
Types of diversity
There are many factors that impact our world view. Some of these diversity factors are visible to others, while other types might be more private; some we can control and others we are born with. In general, we can classify diversity into four dimensions: internal, external, organisational and world view:
- Internal diversity is what you are born with (including your current age), and you cannot change these factors even if you want to.
- External diversity is closely related to who a person is, yet we are able to influence or change these factors to some extent (income, education, experiences, religion, marital status etc.).
- Organisational diversity refers to work-related factors. It concerns the differences between people within an organisation, for example management status, work location, seniority, job function etc.
- World view usually deals with factors that we observe and the experiences that shape these views, like politics, historical knowledge and cultural events.
Global team
New forms of work, relationships and communication lead us to reflect on the vital importance of the diversity of working environments. Due to COVID-19, we were forced to leave the office and work from home instead of visiting our customers. With this change, we found ourselves in a new universe that has driven us to be even more flexible, and to accept different ways of working. Who thought at the beginning of 2020 that working remotely would be a new way of exploring the rhythms of work? What about the new way of managing teams? All these challenges invited us to be more inclusive and diverse to remain effective as a work team.
Companies committed to diversity have better results
It is a fact that attracting and retaining a diverse range of staff can help businesses identify opportunities and explore new solutions. Companies are facing new challenges developing, implementing and promoting a diversity strategy to ensure that the most talented professionals are in their teams, and also to facilitate an innovative approach to access more diverse talent pools.
I believe that diversity in the workplace improves productivity, creativity and innovation, improves employee retention, fights unconscious biases and elevates company culture.
Medline Iberia’s plan for diversity
Since June 2020, Medline Iberia has had an Equality Plan in place. We have worked hand in hand with our diversity committee, which consists of employee representatives, to draw up and approve this plan, with the full support and commitment of Medline’s management team.
Not only does this Equality Plan comply with Spanish law in terms of equal treatment, non-discrimination and integration in the workplace, but Medline Iberia wishes to take this a step further by ensuring that these values permeate every single policy, process and decision for its employees. In addition, this plan promotes access to professional development based on merit, objectivity and suitability for a position. It also promotes a healthy work-life balance. Finally, we aim to prevent workplace harassment and set up a framework to address any form of it, if needed.
María Martínez
Senior Human Resources Manager, Medline Iberia
María is passionate about working with others to achieve personal and professional development, and is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse society. Her Master's degree in Human Resources from Garrigues Law School in Madrid complements her educational background in business administration. Born in Alicante, she is proud to be a woman and work for Medline.
2 March 2021
