The topic is on everyone's lips: Anyone who takes a look at medium-sized and large companies cannot avoid diversity and inclusion management (D&I). The aim here is to promote a positive approach to the diversity and heterogeneity of the company's own employees, to actively exploit the resulting advantages, and to avoid discrimination. D&I thus includes not only religious or cultural minorities, but also groups of people who stand out from the crowd because of their age, gender or sexual orientation, but also because of mental or physical disadvantages.

Diversity & Inclusion: These are the advantages you should know about

Statistics show that too few companies still recognize the scope of the issue and its business implications. Although management levels in particular still lack diversity, 40 percent of companies in Germany see no need for action. Yet active D&I management can bring considerable benefits for companies and employees:

Diversity increases productivity:  A diverse team that combines a wide variety of talents and networks can contribute to efficient problem-solving by combining its own approaches, thus increasing the company's productivity. This is particularly true when international competencies and a change of perspective are required, for example in dealing with target groups. This means that solution-oriented and globally active companies in particular, as well as those with a diversified service portfolio, can benefit from the diversity of their employees.

Diversity promotes creativity and innovation: Where diversity and individual differences are not only tolerated, but become part of the self-image and thus also part of the corporate culture, creativity finds an optimal breeding ground. For example, the feeling of belonging and inclusion significantly increases the innovative spirit of individual team members. When creativity and inventiveness are part of the business model, D&I becomes a strategic management approach and can also become a decisive competitive advantage.

Inclusion is an expression of social responsibility: The integration of physically or mentally disadvantaged people is part of the social responsibility that companies bear in our society. Those who actively promote D&I in their own company are thus making an important contribution to the social and political goal of inclusion. It is also important to overcome conventional approaches and social perceptions - moving away from integration toward inclusion. The aim is thus to achieve equal status within the team, with heterogeneity and diversity being taken for granted.

D&I improves opportunities in the labor market: millennials and Generation Z in particular, i.e. all those born in the early 1980s through to the 2010s, attach great importance to a diverse and discrimination-free working environment. The Millennial group alone makes up around 20% of the workforce in Germany - those who rely on active D&I management can therefore sustainably improve their chances of success in the search for qualified employees.

More tolerance through more diversity: A diverse work environment encourages employees to engage with other people and their special characteristics, but also with themselves. This reflection and the direct and continuous exchange promote openness and tolerance, and at the same time reduce negative implications such as homophobia, racism or sexism. This has an impact not only on the working climate, but also on the employees' private environment.

D&I can increase profits: More innovation and productivity with increasing tolerance and thus diminishing friction within a team can increase sales and profits for the company. This is especially true in the global business environment, where employees with different cultural and social backgrounds, as well as appropriate skills, are often better able to serve specific customer groups.

Simply: Fair!: Regardless of the company's prospects for economic and strategic success, tolerance, acceptance and reflection are a basic prerequisite for promoting fair dealings with one another and the constructive management of conflicts.

Diversity & Inclusion: ALSO a strategic model with prospects for success

This makes it clear: D&I is anything but just a trend that follows changing social views. For companies, it is becoming a strategic model that can not only increase the work and performance of their own employees, but at the same time sustainably increase their chances of success in competition. Reason enough to train employees and managers on this topic and make them aware of the numerous advantages of D&I in their own companies.