Move from compliance to diversity as a business strategy…In 2014, promoting diversity is an expected commitment; like workforce safety, it’s now a ticket to play. And while unwavering support is claimed, far fewer organizations can talk to the benefits of diversity beyond the attraction of talent and reputation. Why is that? Surely a focus on diversity is the way to uncover and optimize talent? Is it focus, effort, a failure to move diversity from the fringe to the center, or level of difficulty?

One clear factor, according to our global survey, is that only one company in five (20 percent) believes it is fully “ready” to address this issue. The gap between the urgency of this trend and companies’ readiness to address it is particularly wide in Japan, South Africa, and China.

Why are so many companies falling short? One view is that many companies still treat diversity primarily as a matter of compliance—a regulatory box to be checked. Not enough organizations take the next essential steps of creating a work environment that promotes inclusion in all its variations. Taking a step back from individual organizations to a more country-based analysis, we can see that most countries do not have a strong sense of readiness and most hover around a medium sense of urgency.

Using this lens, we see two major themes emerging that can help companies transition from simply meeting minimum regulatory requirements for diversity to building an inclusive workplace that inspires all employees to perform at their highest level:

1. Diversity of thinking as a business imperative
2. A focus on inclusion as well as diversity itself

Source: Deloitte Insights website. Read full summary