Diversity is important in the healthcare workplace for many reasons. In general, diversity among employees gives a facility a wide range of perspectives and opinions when caring for patients in a healthcare environment. Since the healthcare marketplace is serving a very diverse base of customers/patients, having a diverse team of employees can better reflect the needs of the customers they serve.
From an employee perspective, diversity practices can boost morale, allow for better productivity, enhance the feeling that everyone's contributions are important, and provide an environment that discourages assumptions, misunderstandings, prejudice, and fear of those who are different from themselves.
From the healthcare facility perspective, companies are able to gain a competitive advantage when developing and supporting diverse employee groups in various ways. For example, encouraging diversity in the workplace allows for better talent selection, since the base of applicant variety is broad. In a survey published by the New York Times, it was found that 90% of job seekers think diversity programs make a company a better place to work. More potential candidates are intentionally seeking employers with a solid reputation for promoting and fostering diversity in the workplace. In addition, a recent Gallup study published findings that hiring a demographically diverse workforce can improve a company's financial performance. Diversity ensures equitable hiring practices by organizations that have instituted diversity practices. For these reasons and many others, diversity is playing an important role in the success of healthcare workplace environments.
