The debate over remote work has been one riddled with both praise and criticism, but a report suggests that one big benefit of this arrangement is diversity.
Just this week, Meta announced that it has outpaced its diversity and inclusion goals thanks to the expansion of its remote working capabilities.
“For the first time, we’re hiring individuals who are fully remote and working from locations where we don’t have offices, increasing the diversity of our candidate pool and workforce,” said Maxine Williams, chief diversity officer at Meta.
Since 2019, Meta says it has doubled the number of Black and Hispanic workers in the U.S., as well as the number of women worldwide. Other underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ employees and those with disabilities have also become a larger part of the firm’s staff.
Diversity and inclusion have become must-haves for forward-thinking companies. Prioritizing these aspects not only improves the reputation of a company in the eyes of future prospects and consumers, but it also has a direct impact on the bottom line.
For starters, a remote or hybrid work model means workers are more likely to stay on at their jobs, which helps alleviate any additional turnover costs.
Plus, research has shown that there is a direct correlation between flexible work arrangements and the productivity of workers, helping spread the good word about an employer to other talented job applicants from around the world.
