3 Factors leading to increased workplace diversity

On the whole, we live in a much more diverse world and this is reflected both in our communities and our workplaces.

Figure 2 Multiple generations in the same workplace

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An image of an office space showing workers working together. There looks to be at least two different generations of people.

Figure 2 Multiple generations in the same workplace

This increase in diversity is not due to one factor. There are several factors that have led to increased diversity in today’s workplace. These include:

• male-dominated industries have declined and gender-neutral service industries have grown alongside the erosion of traditional gender roles in society – leading to a rising number of women in the workplace.
• technological developments have facilitated the global dispersion of teams. Teams do not have to be in one place any more, which leads to increases in cultural diversity. Growth in and reliance on new technologies, including artificial intelligence, allows more flexible working and a more global marketplace.
• the trend towards remote working has grown significantly in popularity since the forced separation triggered by the global pandemic. This means that many people no longer have to travel to work, opening up opportunities for those with care commitments or disabilities to enter the workplace. For roles that offer the opportunity of hybrid working, employers report that people are willing to commute further if they are only in the office for one or two days a week (Carrington West, 2024).
• greater movement in the world’s population means teams tend to be more diverse. For example, the number of non-UK nationals working in the UK is now over 4 million (ONS Labour Market Review, 2023) leading to a wider variety of languages spoken, educational backgrounds, cultures and expectations in the workplace.
• an improving healthcare system and an ageing population in high-income countries means that several generations now work together. The abolition of the default retirement age in the UK in 2011, and the gradual increase in age required to claim a government pension, has led to people working for longer in part to protect their financial security and as a way to maintain their social connections. Analysis of UK national statistics by the Centre for Ageing Better (2023) reveals that more than one in nine (11.5%) workers are now working past their 65th birthday, which is double the one in 20 (5.2%) working in 2000.

Another key factor for the UK workforce was the introduction of new equality legislation in 2010, encouraging individuals who had previously felt excluded from the workplace to explore their options.