15 examples of diversity in the workplace described

67% of job applicants consider diversity at work a top priority¹.

Yet, the reasons for collaborating with a diverse workforce go way beyond recruitment and employee satisfaction. It also plays a significant part in increasing profits and business growth. While gender, race, and underrepresented communities are among the best-known examples of workplace diversity, many more are equally important. 

Working with multiple types of diversity offers much more than collaborating with colleagues with the same professional and personal background. It is about gathering talents from all communities, valuing each others’ individuality, and growing together. 

Experts usually refer to seven core types of diversity in the workplace. But these are just the tip of the iceberg. Workplace diversity goes much beyond differences in skin tones or beliefs, and more detailed forms of diversity must be considered to create a successful, diverse team. It is time to understand better what diversity in the workplace means, why it can be pivotal for your organization, and the impact of flexible work on this topic.

Types and examples of diversity in the workplace

The 4 types of diversity

Before introducing the following 15 examples of diversity, you must know that diversity is divided into four categories: internal, external, worldview, and organizational.

Internal diversity

When asking somebody in the street what diversity is, forms of internal diversity are often the ones most people know about and the first that comes to mind. It refers to the range of inherent differences among employees within an organization. It includes characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, and cultural background. This type of diversity encompasses the diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities that employees bring to the workplace.

External diversity

External diversity relates to individuals' differences based on factors that develop and change over time. Life experiences and people often shape these identity traits. This includes education, socioeconomic status, marital status, parental status, military experience, geographic location, and work experience. These factors influence how employees perceive the world and interact with others. These types of diversity contribute to the dynamic and evolving nature of diversity within an organization or community.

Worldview diversity

Worldview diversity encompasses individuals' perspectives and belief systems based on their cultural, religious, philosophical, and personal experiences. It reflects how people interpret and understand the world around them and influences their values, behaviors, and decision-making processes. Encouraging worldview diversity in the workplace can significantly benefit a business. It fosters more effective collaboration by exposing organizations and employees to a wider range of insights, innovation, and approaches to addressing challenges and opportunities.

Organizational diversity

Organizational diversity refers to the differences within the company, such as job functions, work experience, or management levels. Having employees with different seniority levels is paramount to developing a business successfully. This is an example of organizational diversity. Junior team members learn from their more experienced colleagues while exposing them to new and fresh perspectives and ideas. It’s a win-win for everyone and an essential aspect to encourage in the workplace.

15 examples of workplace diversity

Workplace diversity is often narrowed to seven types:  gender, age, religion, race, sexual orientation, culture, and disability. Yet, it is essential to recognize that diversity includes many other aspects. Here are 15 forms of diversity that you can find in a professional environment.

1. Gender diversity (internal)

The first and most famous example of workplace diversity is gender diversity. It involves equitable representation and inclusion of all genders in the work environment (female, male, and nonbinary). The gender gap is still significant, although gender-diverse organizations are proven to make more profit. For example, women make up only 10.6% of the CEO workforce at Fortune 500 companies.² The lack of gender inclusion and equity is the main reason for this low number.

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2. Cultural diversity (internal)

Cultural diversity means having a workforce with varied cultural backgrounds and practices. It includes differences in language, traditions, religious beliefs, and customs. A multinational company with employees from India, Brazil, and Germany can be an example of cultural diversity in the workplace. This diversity has various benefits, including a better understanding of the global market. Celebrating cultural diversity can involve recognizing holidays like Diwali, Carnival, or Oktoberfest. Sharing these cultural events fosters an inclusive environment that values and learns from diverse cultural perspectives.

3. Racial diversity (internal)

Racial diversity includes and represents people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds within your company. This diversity brings varied perspectives and ideas, enhancing creativity and decision-making. Examples of race are Africans, Asians, Hispanics, Aborigines, Indians, and so on. Promoting racial diversity must be combined with equitable hiring practices and cultural competence training to foster an inclusive environment that respects and values racial differences.

4. Religious diversity (worldview)

Working with people from different religious backgrounds is also a form of diversity in the workplace. Religious diversity involves including individuals from various faiths and spiritual beliefs (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism...). To support religious diversity, you might provide prayer spaces, accommodate holidays like Ramadan or Diwali, and organize events promoting mutual respect and understanding. This approach creates an inclusive environment that recognizes and values different religious perspectives and practices.

5. Sexual orientation diversity (internal)

Sexual orientation diversity refers to the inclusion and acceptance of individuals with different sexual orientations, such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. For example, a workplace that supports LGBTQ+ employees by implementing non-discrimination policies and offering identical benefits to same-sex partners as it does for heterosexual families fosters a more inclusive and equitable environment.

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6. Age diversity (internal)

​​Age diversity involves including individuals from different age groups. Having a multigenerational workforce is also very beneficial for businesses. It enhances the range of perspectives and experiences. For instance, a marketing firm with both recent graduates and seasoned professionals can blend fresh ideas with industry expertise. You can support age diversity by providing mentorship programs where older employees mentor younger ones and vice versa. These knowledge exchange and values contributions from all age groups help you develop a more dynamic and innovative environment.

7. Disability diversity (internal)

In a workplace promoting disability diversity, people with mental, cognitive, and physical disabilities are given the same chance as other employees. Adapting both physical and digital work environments to employees with disabilities is crucial to enable them to do their jobs properly and succeed in their professional lives. Accessibility and assistive technologies are paramount to help disabled employees contribute effectively and feel respected within the organization.

8. Educational diversity (external)

Educational diversity encourages the inclusion of people with varied educational backgrounds and experiences within the workplace. For example, a research team with engineering, psychology, and business degrees can be more innovative and collaborate better because they approach problems from unique angles. You can promote educational diversity by valuing diverse qualifications and experiences, not solely traditional academic paths. Having a team with multiple educational backgrounds encourages broad perspectives and creative problem-solving, which is crucial to thrive in an increasingly complex business environment.

9. Skills diversity (organizational)

Skills diversity is often one of the pivotal aspects HR teams focus the most on at the beginning of a hiring process. In the workplace, it refers to the variety of skills and competencies a workforce encompasses. Having a mix of employees with hard and soft skills enables teams to tackle challenges effectively, be innovative, and learn from each other. Encouraging skill diversity involves cross-training, diverse hiring practices, and valuing both technical and soft skills.

10. Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity recognizes the natural variation in human brain function, including conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. In the workplace, neurodiverse teams bring enhanced creativity, unique problem-solving approaches, and varied perspectives. For example, employees with autism might excel in pattern recognition and attention to detail, offering innovative solutions. Considering and embracing neurodiversity in your recruitment process fosters an inclusive environment, leverages diverse talents, and improves overall team performance by valuing and integrating different cognitive strengths.

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11. Seniority diversity (organizational)

Seniority diversity varies from age diversity. For example, someone who has made a career switch at 40 would be a junior in her new position and could be mentored by a senior employee who is 35 but has been working in this role for the last 10 years. Seniority diversity values how long employees have worked in the same role or company. While people who have been by your side for years have a lot to share with new joiners, junior team members might suggest innovative approaches and fresh points of view.

12. Personality diversity (internal)

Focusing on having a workforce with various personality traits is also a form of diversity in the workplace. Diversity based on personality includes a mix of introverts and extroverts, detail-oriented individuals and big-picture thinkers, and risk-takers versus risk-averse people. It might also involve having team members who are highly organized alongside those who are more flexible and adaptable or those who prefer analytical tasks versus creatives. These diverse personality traits contribute to a well-rounded team capable of approaching problems and projects from multiple angles and perspectives.

13. Job diversity (organizational)

Job diversity refers to the range of different roles and functions within an organization, encompassed by varied skills, responsibilities, and expertise. For example, a company may have engineers, marketers, HR specialists, and customer service representatives. This diversity enhances cross-functional collaboration and is essential to business development and growth. Job diversity enables you to adapt to changing market demands more effectively and create a dynamic, resilient workforce that supports and values the unique contributions of each role.

14. Socioeconomic diversity (external)

Another important form of diversity in the workplace is socioeconomic diversity. Collaborating with colleagues from different social and economic backgrounds brings a new range of valuable perspectives. For example, team members from different socioeconomic statuses (SES) can contribute unique insights into customer needs and preferences. Socioeconomic status is based on a person's education, income, and occupation levels.

15. Linguistic diversity (external)

Our last example of workplace diversity is linguistic diversity. Encouraging this type of diversity means your employees can speak multiple languages and dialects. It enables you to access broader markets and improve customer relations by effectively communicating with a diverse clientele. It also fosters inclusive environments that value multicultural perspectives and support global operations and collaboration. Multilingual teams can bridge cultural gaps and facilitate smoother international interactions.

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The benefits of encouraging these examples of diversity in the workplace

Disclaimer: The following benefits of workplace diversity highly depend on applying effective inclusion and equity practices.

Diverse teams are more creative, productive, and successful

How do you create a successful team? Skills are essential, but there is something even more important: diversity. What happens when people from multiple backgrounds, with different lives, various professional experiences, and distinct visions, are brought together is much more valuable than anything else. These teams' innovation, productivity, and success boom because they share their knowledge and are appreciated for who they are.

Workplace diversity increases employee satisfaction, happiness, and well-being

The importance of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) in the workplace keeps increasing for various reasons. One is the impact of DEIB initiatives on employee satisfaction, happiness, and well-being.

For example, the Workforce Happiness Score is 10 points higher in diverse teams. Valuing pluralism meets the expectations of workers from underrepresented communities and other staff members who expect to see more diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work environment.

Corporate diversity boosts talent attraction and retention

Companies that allow their employees to be part of a diverse team have a significant advantage in talent attraction and retention. According to the Glassdoor 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Survey, 32% of job seekers would deny a position at an organization that lacks diversity. This number will undoubtedly keep increasing in the future, as 48% of Gen Z comes from racial or ethnic minorities.

Workplace diversity improves brand image and reputation

Not only is diversity a topic in the workplace, but it is also a social aspect that is part of our daily lives. For this reason, organizations that act on this matter are also better perceived by their partners and customers. Most people care about social and ethical issues. They would rather support a company that gives everyone the same opportunities than a business that doesn’t. 

Businesses with diverse workforces make more profit

48%². This is the difference in terms of profit between the most highly diverse companies and the least diverse businesses. Culturally and ethnically diverse teams bring 36% more profit.² All the benefits of diversity in the workplace mentioned above make organizations that focus on this aspect intrinsically more profitable and successful than others. However, this only happens if equity and inclusion are part of your strategy.

👉 Discover key statistics and insights about the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

The impact of flexible work practices on workplace diversity

Flexible work facilitates the application of these examples of workplace diversity

A strong advantage of flexible work is that it helps lift barriers and create more diversity. Have you ever looked at LinkedIn profiles thinking, "This person would be great in our team," but didn't reach out to them because they lived too far from your office? 

This is the perfect example of how implementing a “work from anywhere” policy can make your recruitment process more diverse, inclusive, and fair. 

You open hiring opportunities to a broader range of people, no matter where they are located. Talents who live far away from your office and can’t come on-site daily can finally apply to your job openings! Not only is it a win for them, but it is also a win for you as you can reach out to talents you wouldn’t have before because of location and time difference issues.

Flexible work enables a wider range of career opportunities for all

Balancing personal and professional life can be challenging. However, doing one's desired job is more complex for some minorities than for others. People shouldn’t have to give up on their professional goals because of their differences. 

For instance, people with disability might encounter issues coming to the office daily, but they might also be the best person in their field. With a hybrid work schedule, it is easier for them to maintain a professional activity while taking the opportunity to work from home when they want. 

Parental status is also an example of diversity in the workplace. Employees who have children shouldn’t have to struggle to thrive in their working lives. Flexible work arrangements allow them to better juggle parenthood and work.

The potential drawbacks of flexible work toward equity and inclusion

Although flexible and hybrid work tends to support DEIB initiatives, it can also prevent companies from improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially if no policies are in place or applied strictly. For example, if employees can choose to come to the office or work remotely, managers can start giving more attention to the people they physically see the most. Proximity bias, or any type of favoritism, is the opposite of what you want to observe in a modern and people-centric work environment. 

However, flexible work arrangements remain as important for coworkers as DEIB initiatives. These aspects empower workers and are crucial to meeting today’s employees’ needs. As you shouldn’t reduce flexibility, it is a must to be clear with your management teams about your expectations regarding DEIB matters.

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Encouraging the above examples of diversity in the workplace is paramount and pivotal to your business's growth and success. However, creating a diverse workforce is almost worthless if inclusion and equity are not applied and considered as important as diversity.

We believe that allowing more flexibility in your team members’ schedules can genuinely contribute to promoting DEIB at work. The deskbird app helps you improve efficiency and fairness in your hybrid workplace management. For example, thanks to our resource booking system, your employees can reserve the car spot, the desk, or the meeting room they need according to their requirements. 

Request a free demo to discover valuable functionalities, like our hybrid work policy feature, desk booking software, week planning tool, and many more!

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¹ 60+ Incredible Diversity In The Workplace Statistics [2023]: Facts You Need To Know, Zippia.

² 46 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics to Know, Builtin.