Widen your choice of employees to improve competitiveness
The effect of staff diversity on your customers and suppliers
The business case for having a diverse range of employees
is compelling.
Encouraging staff diversity often leads to happier, more
efficient employees. This benefits productivity
and customers. Greater customer satisfaction
can help drive profits.
Businesses with a diverse workforce:
- can more readily recognise new markets
- can attract a wider customer base, from many
different communities
- have the ability to provide a more tailored service
or range of products
- can attract a broader range of suppliers
The following case studies identify tangible benefits
of building a workforce that better reflects your customers.
The average age of customer-facing staff at the
Home & Capital Trust, which arranges equity release mortgages
for homeowners in retirement, is 56. The business' 2,000 customers
range in age from mid-60s to mid-90s. Home & Capital has found
that older workers tend to deal with customers with the right amount
of sensitivity and care. Older customers respond better to staff
who are older, who may have more patience and may communicate more
clearly, and whose attitudes and experiences are more familiar to
them.
When employing a diverse workforce it is important to be aware
of different religious practices, dates and events
and what benefits these can bring.
The Littlewoods Organisation has adopted different initiatives
to promote ethnic minority differences. Female staff uniforms at
the Littlewoods Index stores are available in designs from the Asian
community.
Littlewoods stores located in large ethnic communities such as
Leicester and Birmingham, promote the Indian festival of Divali
and display Happy Divali window and in-store posters. This was brought
about at the suggestion of some Littlewoods' employees - part of
their diverse workforce. When this first started, the 22 stores
running the promotion noted an increase in gift sales of 24 per
cent.
Whether the firm is large or small, studies demonstrate that customers,
staff and suppliers have greater loyalty to businesses that seek
to be more representative of the communities they serve.
Subjects covered in this guide
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