Graduate careers: Why does diversity matter in the workplace?

Businesses that hire and empower employees with diverse religious beliefs, who represent a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities and cultures, contribute to a more inclusive society.  

With inequalities widening over the past year, these efforts are especially significant. Organisations have the responsibility to lead company-wide conversations around equity and inclusion. 

“Diversity in all its dimensions is absolutely essential for companies today,” says Michael Landel, former CEO of Sodexo. “At the end of the day, when you hire people, you [tend to] hire people like yourself. If we don’t force ourselves to think differently, change will take a long time.” 

Companies are looking for responsible, thoughtful employees and leaders who are open to change and embrace differences of opinion. Top multinational firms also want skilled local talent who can advance company culture and help them achieve their goals. 

"For multinational companies, what helped you grow at home is not going to help you overseas,” says Stewart Black, Professor of Management Practice in Global Leadership and Strategy at INSEAD, a non-profit, graduate-only business school with campuses in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and a Hub in North America.  

He adds: “You can’t get new ideas without new and different people—people who grew up in the same educational system, culture, language and so on have similar thoughts. And you can’t get new ideas unless you have people who grew up outside of that system." 

MBA and MIM programmes will help students develop bold ideas and act as a launching pad for future business leaders and entrepreneurs. They develop the skills most sought after today: adaptability, strategic analysis, and effective communication. 

As these programmes diversify, they create new advantages for everyone in the classroom. They develop empathy and drive innovation by bridging cultures, experiences and ways of thinking. More importantly, they prepare graduates to make their mark on the world as responsible business leaders. 

"With the empathy you gain, you can go back into the world and make an impact. As you do so, you continuously learn and grow" says Susan Liu, MBA 20'D in her Be More video.  

INSEAD has built itself around diversity, from the curriculum to the student body. Its current MBA programme, for instance, includes 337 women and represents 110 nationalities. Its current MIM programme, meanwhile, is made up of students from 32 nationalities. Nearly 40 percent are women. 

INSEAD’s graduate programmes have over 63,000 alumni across 177 countries and are consistently ranked among the top in the world.  

Diversity drives innovation. It creates high-performing business environments where all employees feel valued and it helps shape better societies. 

Diverse companies can be transformative. They attract people who understand the powerful role their organisations can play in their communities. 

MIM and MBA programmes that embrace diversity, like INSEAD’s, develop leaders who answer this call in their professional journeys. These graduates are ready to rise to the challenges the world faces. 

"In a time in which everything seems to go against diversity, and in which global politics are under fire, INSEAD promotes multiculturalism and diversity," Marta Bento, MBA 17'J graduate from Portgual, says in her blog: "Say Yes to Diversity".