By Anthony Crutcher, CIO, Activus Connect
Ask successful entrepreneurs about the importance of workforce diversity in creating a healthy business, and you will find a typical response: without it, you are limiting the firm’s potential.
Building a diverse company isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s hugely beneficial to the bottom line. McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile of ethnic and gender diversity were 35% and 15% more likely, respectively, to see above-average financial returns.
Now that virtual employment is pervasive in almost every industry, organizations have a massive opportunity to enhance their workforce diversity and tap into those gains. Let’s explore why.
Opportunities for Reduced Mobility Workers
For most people with injuries, disabilities, or debilitating medical conditions, commuting to work can represent a substantial physical or financial burden, which unfortunately limits their access to non-virtual job opportunities. In 2018, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 19% of people with self-identified disabilities had gainful employment.
Work-at-home employment empowers reduced mobility workers to earn a living from a comfortable environment designed around their individual needs. When companies remove the obligation to work at a physical site, they immediately open the door to hundreds of thousands of well-educated, experienced, and enthusiastic individuals who can bring their valuable perspectives to the table.
Welcoming Work Environment
Bias and ignorance can turn traditional workplaces into toxic environments that prevent many people from going to work. Between 2009 and 2018, over 900,000 people filed official workplace discrimination complaints in the United States, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
When colleagues show a lack of sensitivity to others or discriminate based on personal factors like age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion, many people might become fearful of that face-to-face personal contact. Brands that offer work-at-home employment can attract those who felt discriminated against in their previous workplaces, giving them an option to perform at their highest levels while avoiding any unwelcome comments or activity.
Employing Job Market “Outliers”
How many retirees do you know who would love to be working again? What about stay-at-home parents with college degrees and years of work experience? While a full-time office-based career might not suit them, many would jump at the chance to work from home on a part-time basis.
Companies that tap into these two demographics through virtual employment can instantly scoop up that talent, acquiring some much-needed life experience and family-centric perspectives that contribute significantly to diversity.
Building a Culture of Belonging
Virtual employment allows you to create a culture of belonging for everyone, no matter where they come from or how they choose to live their life.
One of the underutilized benefits of a work-at-home workforce is the ability to bring everyone together on a personal level. With video conferencing tools and collaboration solutions—like our very own SmartVirtualTM platform—people can interact and communicate instantaneously, giving them a chance to learn more about each other and form bonds with geographically distant co-workers.
No Geographical Limits
Companies now have access to a dynamic pool of talent rather than only hiring within the local area of traditional owned or leased brick-and-mortar buildings.
As an exclusive work-at-home service leader in the United States, Activus has successfully tapped into this expertise since its founding in 2018. Our founders had the foresight to launch the 100% virtual company with above-market wages, career growth opportunities, and a commitment from all employees to serve their local communities, unlocking a vast workforce that regularly exceeds our client’s expectations.
When people come from various locations and diverse backgrounds, they begin to broaden each others’ minds through their daily interactions, helping them understand what life is like for others. Not only does this improve internal communication and relationships, but it also makes a significant impact on customer experience—the better our Ambassadors can empathize with others, the better they can provide exceptional customer experiences consistently.
By creating an interwoven tapestry of races, genders, cultures, and creeds, your company can tap into an endless pool of fresh ideas that lead to innovation, high performance, and success. As a certified Women and Minority-Owned, 100% virtual business, Activus Connect checks all of these boxes, and I’m proud to be a part of it.