New research makes it increasingly clear that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially.
We know intuitively that diversity matters. It’s also increasingly clear that it makes sense in purely business terms. Research by McKinsey & Company finds that companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. Companies in the bottom quartile in these dimensions are statistically less likely to achieve above-average returns. And diversity is probably a competitive differentiator that shifts market share toward more diverse companies over time.
While correlation does not equal causation (greater diversity in corporate leadership doesn’t automatically translate into more profit), the correlation does indicate that when companies commit themselves to diverse leadership, they are more successful. More diverse companies are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction, and decision making, and all that leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns. This in turn suggests that other kinds of diversity—for example, in age, sexual orientation, and experience (such as a global mindset and cultural fluency)—are also likely to bring some level of competitive advantage for companies that can attract and retain such diverse talent.
Read more: Why diversity matters