HR Glossary: Workplace Diversity

In the past decade, diversity and inclusion have been central topics across nearly every sphere of life, from complex political discussions and large-scale social change movements to buzzwords used in the marketing of common consumer goods. Whether you are an active advocate for the values these terms represent, a skeptical traditionalist wary of their impact, or somewhere in between, one thing is clear: in the professional world, diversity is here to stay. As women gained historically unprecedented access to the labor market and globalization deepened the ties between cultures and economies, today’s workplaces are more diverse than ever before.

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For HR professionals and team leaders alike, understanding what diversity means, the challenges it presents, and knowing how to apply inclusive practices is essential knowledge. This edition of the HR Glossary – a blog series where we explain the industry’s key terms professionally and with ease – is dedicated to workplace diversity, interculturality, and inclusion. For more HR-related knowledge, make sure to also check out Onboarding, Payroll, Time Off, and  Termination.

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While we all intuitively understand what diversity means in broader social contexts,

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What are the common types of diversity in the workplace?

At its heart, workplace diversity refers to a versatile mix of attributes among employees, from age, gender, ethnicity, and personal history to thinking style and problem-solving approach. Research shows that such representation in teams brings about creative breakthroughs and better business performance. Of course, this is only possible when diverse voices are not merely present, but actually impact organizational strategies and culture. To ensure this, the following types of diversity should be present within the company structure:

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• Demographic diversity, which refers to differences that are obvious or easy to track: age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical ability. It is often ‘the surface level’ of diversity for companies as they shape inclusive workforces.

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• Cognitive diversity, which refers to differences in how people process information, solve problems, and make decisions, is on a deeper level and therefore often overlooked – and for no good reason, as teams with different thinking styles are reported to outperform more homogeneous ones. To create cognitive diversity in the workplace, recruiters and decision makers must be able to identify different personality types and thinking styles and include individuals who represent those in the team dynamics.

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• Experiential diversity, which refers to education and career-related as well as unique personal experiences that an employee brings to the company’s table. These may include social backgrounds, cross-cultural exposure, and even family dynamics, as all of these shape how the person adapts, collaborates, tackles challenges, and contributes to meaningful outcomes.

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Ideally, all the above-mentioned levels of diversity should be cultivated within companies. But recruiting versatile individuals isn’t enough; diversity is implemented through a series of inclusive practices. That said,

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What is the difference between diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

While workplace diversity is seen as the presence of differences among employees, workplace inclusion refers to the intentional practices, behaviors, and norms that ensure every team member feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute. In other words, diversity reflects who is present, and inclusion refers to how they are treated. Inclusive cultures turn individual differences into sources of insight, creativity, and collaboration, unlocking the full potential of a diverse workforce.

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When discussing workplace inclusion practices, it is impossible to ignore the fact that many present-day teams derive versatility not only from individual traits but also from broader cultural dynamics. To foster inclusion, one must understand what interculturality means and how it manifests in team dynamics.

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What is interculturality, and why is it important for global teams?

Interculturality is a process in which individuals from different cultural backgrounds interact to learn about and question their own and each other’s cultural values, beliefs, and practices. In the workplace, interculturality refers not only to person-to-person interactions but also to how cultural norms shape cooperation, leadership, decision-making, and feedback. As outlined in Erin Meyer’s famous work The Culture Map, teams may clash over different attitudes toward hierarchy, confrontation, or punctuality, often without realizing that culture is the cause.

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Cultural diversity in the workplace calls for cultural inclusivity, which, in turn, requires competence in intercultural communication – the process of exchanging ideas between team members who may differ in values, communication styles, and expectations due to cultural and language backgrounds. According to Erin Meyer, different cultures fall at different points along eight key dimensions that reflect how people tend to behave and work. These include communication, persuasion, leadership, decision-making, trust, disagreement, and scheduling. By understanding these dimensions and recognizing how culture shapes workplace behavior, teams can minimize misunderstandings, build trust, and work together more effectively.

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What is unconscious bias in the workplace?

Unconscious (implicit) biases are stereotypes and assumptions that impact hiring, promotions, and daily workplace interactions – not intentionally, but due to a lack of awareness. When these biases persist, employees from underrepresented groups are either excluded from teams or denied equal agency and opportunity within these teams. According to Joan C. Williams and her work Bias Interrupted: Creating Inclusion for Real and for Good, there are five basic patterns of unconscious workplace bias:

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• “prove it again” (some groups have to prove themselves more than others)
• “tightrope” (some groups find it harder to navigate workplace policies than others)
• “tug of war” (bias against a group fuels conflict and unhealthy competition within that group)
• “maternal wall” (employees who are mothers are seen as less competent and committed than others)
• biases that only apply to a specific race or ethnicity

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Companies can implement a blend of social practices and analytical approaches in hiring and employee management to overcome these biases and foster genuine workplace diversity and inclusion.

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This requires in-depth competence and commitment from the HR team, which can be especially challenging for remote, multicultural companies and businesses with limited in-house resources.

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To implement inclusive practices, improve employee retention, and enjoy numerous other benefits of outsourced HR support, we invite you to explore HR Plus, our comprehensive service package. To get in touch with us for more information, simply book a meeting with our expert or submit a request form.