Small firms that promote diversity in the workplace will experience a real benefit to the way they operate, a new report claims.
According to the Talent not Tokenism report, published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Trades Union Congress (TUC), firms that appoint staff on the basis of their abilities, rather than other factors stand to gain in several ways.
Embracing diversity can lead to higher morale, improved productivity and staff retention rates as well as helping to cut recruitment costs, the report states.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: "The need to unlock the talents of all - to create a truly representative workforce - is even more crucial at a time of economic uncertainty.
"The issue is not whether business can afford to diversify, but whether it can afford not to."
Recently, a report by the Work Foundation urged firms in the UK to make use of highly-skilled workers from overseas to help them compete in the global market.
