The UK Government has recently announced its Strategy for Diversity and Inclusion until 2030. The plan outlines measures to bring in people from more diverse backgrounds, and explains why this would benefit the Defence sector and those who work within it.
The defence sector inherently relies on the skills and experiences of those who work within it, a better team means better performance and security, and a deeper understanding of the people they’re protecting.
Beyond that, Defence has a moral imperative to be as inclusive as possible, allowing people from all different backgrounds, races, religions, sexualities, and body types to work in the sector.
One of the main benefits of having a more diverse organisation is that the decision makers will have different viewpoints, giving them a more solid foundation from which to make objective decisions. A team that can utilise their own experiences will be more prepared, and more able to deal with unexpected problems.
Having people from different backgrounds means that your team has more total life experience than a team of people from similar backgrounds. If everyone on a team had the same experience, that team may as well be made up of one person. A team relies on having people from different walks of life, and as defence is a global concern, having a diverse team can help businesses and organisations work with others from around the world.
Diverse teams have higher levels of empathy and understanding, and will be more effective at resolving disputes, understanding the values at play for other cultures, and changing their tactics accordingly.
Teams and companies that have higher levels of diversity are able to solve problems faster, and will come up with more innovative solutions. In fact, diverse companies are 1.7 times more likely than non-diverse competitors to be innovative leaders in their markets, and are 70% more likely to capture new markets.
Increased diversity also means that you’ll be more likely to have multi-lingual people in higher levels of the sector, allowing for more effective communication.
And lastly, companies with the highest levels of diversity bring in around 15 times more revenue than those with lowest levels of diversity.
People already working in the Defence sector are best positioned to move into D&I schemes within the military, and other defence organisations and businesses. They understand the needs of the industry, the people that work in it, and the challenges it will have to face moving into the future.
Managing diversity can be rewarding in an entirely new way for people used to Defence roles. Being involved in D&I means dealing with people, and helping give opportunities to people who might never have had them before.
If you’re interested in working in the Defence Industry or D&I, contact Maxwell Davies.
Read more about why you should change your job, or learn how the UK Defence Sector can defend itself against cyber-attacks.
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