WORKBOOK

More Diversity and

Inclusion in the Workplace
Reflection Exercises for Companies
W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Introduction

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental requirements for a functioning

society because they enable an open and flexible perspective on the
world around us. These values make it easier to become integrated and
strengthen the community by bringing together different ideas, points
of view, and experiences.

For companies it’s also ever more important to create an inclusive

and diverse working environment: A workplace characterized by a
multicultural and diverse community not only mirrors the society in
which we live, it also reinforces a sense of belonging, drives innovation
forward, and attracts new talent. But how can you achieve diversity
and inclusion in a company? At Babbel for Business, we would like to
support you in this undertaking.

Diversity in a company is a complex and sensitive topic — that’s why

we would like to emphasize from the beginning that Babbel itself isn’t
perfect in this regard. Over the years, however, we’ve learned from
our own experiences and those of our employees, who come from
more than 50 different countries. Learning is a lifelong challenge.
We try every day to find new, better ways to promote diversity in our
company. Having said that, we’d like to use this opportunity to tell you
what we’ve learned about the importance of diversity and learning a
new language.

This workbook should help you create a more inclusive and more
diverse working environment by focusing on language learning. After
you learn about the fundamental concepts in the first part, you’ll then
find a practical questionnaire to evaluate diversity and inclusion in your
own company. You’ll also find numerous useful recommendations to
take an active role right away.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Contents

1 T H E O RY

Everything you need to know about diversity and inclusion

2 PRACTICE

What role does diversity play in your company?

A questionnaire

3 YO U R T U R N

Recommendations for taking an active role

4 How Babbel can help

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

T H E O RY

Everything you need to know

about diversity and inclusion

As a first step, it makes sense to get to know the most important

concepts related to diversity. That will make it easier for you to
bring up the topic and recognize the potential advantages and
challenges for your company.

Diversity
Diversity covers the entire spectrum of differences that define people.
That includes, among others, ethnic affiliation, race, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical limitations
or characteristics, religious convictions, ethical values as well as
nationality, and political beliefs. The concept of diversity is based
on acceptance, that is, recognizing everyone’s unique and individual
characteristics and learning about each other’s differences in a safe,
positive, and encouraging environment.

Diversity in the workplace

Diversity in the workplace means that there is a diverse workforce
within a company, that is, people with different individual
characteristics. A company that embraces diversity works against
discriminatory practices and guarantees equal opportunity for its
employees, regardless of who they are.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Inclusion
Inclusion covers all the activities that focus on integrating individuals
into a community or organization and creating a sense of belonging.
An inclusive environment recognizes the value and dignity of each
person and makes an effort to protect and promote their uniqueness.
In an inclusive company, every employee feels accepted and
appreciated. They know that they have the opportunity to develop.

Equity
Equity means guaranteeing that everyone has access to the same
possibilities. That means recognizing that there are obstacles and
differences, and that not everyone has the same starting point. It’s
not just about treating everyone the same, but rather recognizing
fundamental inequalities and working to balance them out. At the
workplace, equity shows to what extent a company offers people with
disadvantaged starting conditions the same chances to develop and
contribute — regardless of their identity.

Cultural diversity is
as necessary for
humankind
as biodiversity is
for nature.
Art. 1, UNESCO Universal Declaration on
Cultural Diversity

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Facts on diversity and

inclusion in the workplace

Numerous studies have shown that globally we’re far from true balance
in terms of diversity. Even if the situation has improved in the past few
years, there’s still much to be done.

40 % of LGBTQ employees have not

come out to their colleagues

54 is the number of years it would take

to overcome the gender gap in
Europe at the current pace

59 % of Europeans believe that racism

is widespread

Sources: Boston Consulting Group (2020) / Global Gender Gap Report (2020) / Eurobarometer “Discrimination in the European Union” (2019)

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The gender pay gap

Numerous initiatives have led to visible development in a positive

direction, but when it comes to diversity and equal treatment in the
workplace, we still have a long way to go.

This is apparent not least in the gender pay gap. In a 2019 study by job
site Glassdoor using data from eight countries, including the US, UK,
Canada, and Australia, women still earn substantially less than men.
When comparing the same job title, experience level, and employer,
women earn 3-6 % less than men, depending on the country, but when
comparing both groups altogether, the difference grows to 11-22 %
less. This is explained by “occupational and industry sorting,” where
women often work in positions or fields that tend to pay less overall.
But there’s also the concept of the glass ceiling, an invisible barrier held
in place partly by preconceptions of gender roles, which makes career
advancement more difficult.

Pay Difference Between Women & Men

3-6 %
With the same job
LESS

(same job title, experience level, and employer)

11 - 22 %
Gender pay gap in general
LESS

Source: Glassdoor Progress on the Gender Pay Gap (2019)

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity is good for companies

Companies that promote a diverse workforce and emphasize inclusion

are proven to benefit from numerous advantages. Here’s how diversity
management has an effect on various aspects of a company:

Companies with a diverse workforce achieve higher profits.

Numerous studies show that diversity in a company actively
contributes to higher profitability.

A diverse working environment encourages employee trust

and belonging and shows that companies welcome and respect
diversity. This has a positive effect on employer branding and
appeal, as well as overall employee happiness.

Team diversity is a treasure trove of ideas and experiences. That

enables viewing problems from different perspectives, finding
more effective solutions, and optimizing decision processes.

A diverse workforce is better able to understand the needs of

a diverse customer base. Awareness and respect for cultural
differences make it easier to adapt services and innovative
products for a target group, build customer relationships, and
enter new markets.

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Team diversity — the

advantages in numbers

Profitability
Companies with a diverse workforce reach 19 % higher profit.

Companies with high gender diversity have a 25 % higher probability to achieve
higher profits.

In countries with greater ethnic diversity, the probability even reaches 36 %.

Companies with a diverse management team surpass other companies when it

comes to profit.

Company image
72 % of full-time employees would leave their employer for a more inclusive
company.

67 % of applicants find it important to work in a diverse environment.

47 % of Millennials are more likely to support brands that invest in the topic
of equality in their advertising.

45 % of consumers under 34 years old are more likely to be a return buyer if
a company is LGBTQ-friendly.

Innovation and decision making

Gender diversity in teams leads to more effective business decisions in 78 % of
cases. In teams with only men, it’s 58 %.

If teams are also diverse in terms of age and origin, the number rises to 87 %.

Higher rates of diversity correlate with higher profits from innovative products
or services.

Companies with greater diversity report an average of 45 % “innovation income”

versus 25 % at less diverse companies.

Sources: Forbes (2018) / McKinsey & Company (2018, 2019) / “Discrimination in the European Union” – Eurobarometer (2019) / U.S. Chamber of
Commerce Foundation (2019) / Glassdoor (2014) / Boston Consulting Group (2018) / Google (2015) / Cloverpop (2017) / TED@BCG Milan (2017)

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The biggest challenges

of diversity

Alongside the indisputable advantages that come with actively

promoting diversity and inclusion, there are also potential challenges.
Differences in cultural ideas and personal characteristics are welcome,
but they can also lead to difficulty. That’s why it’s helpful to be aware of
these potential problems.

Unfortunately, not everyone has a positive view of diversity.

Some employees see different ethnic groups, genders, or
sexual orientations negatively rather than positively and stir up
stereotypes, prejudice, racism, and toxic behavior.

With a workforce coming from different countries, communication

can become complicated. Some team members might not be
confident speaking the company language, which can lead to
misunderstanding or even unintentional offense.

There are many different styles of working, which can reflect

cultural values and differences. If these aren’t recognized and taken
into account, opposing approaches can result in conflict and reduce
productivity.

Although the advantages are clear, hiring a diverse talent pool

can be a challenge for HR: Balancing labor rights, relocation, visas
for international employees, and avoiding unconscious bias in the
selection process can be difficult.

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Now that you’ve learned about the importance of diversity and

inclusion, it’s time to reflect on the situation in your own company

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

PRACTICE

What role does diversity play in

your company? A questionnaire

Before focusing on promoting diversity and inclusion, it makes sense

to get an overview of the current situation in your company. For
that, you can use our practical questionnaire to find out what your
HR managers, team leads, and employees think about the degree of
diversity and inclusion in your company.

The idea of the questionnaire is to evaluate the most important

indicators related to diversity and inclusion in the workplace using
specific statements. The participants can rate the statements on a scale
of 1 to 5 and express their agreement or disagreement. The individual
ratings represent the following opinions:

Completely agree
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Completely disagree

In addition, there’s a free text field for each statement for concrete
feedback and examples.

After the questionnaire is filled out you can compare and evaluate
the answers from HR managers and team leads with those from the
employees using the matrix provided below.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Questionnaire – Topics

1 DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

2 A N T I D I S C R I M I N AT I O N

3 PROMOTING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

4 PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity management

Diversity in the company is characterized by multiple aspects.

These questions will help you get a first general impression. Is your
company truly diverse? What do managers and employees think?

Completely Agree Neither agree Disagree Completely

agree nor disagree disagree

The company actively

promotes diversity among the
employees

Everyone can be who they are

at work, without fear of being
judged

The company respects and

appreciates people from all
cultures and from different
backgrounds

Management at the company

actively promotes diversity

In your opinion, what could the company do to ensure more diversity?

Can you think of any specific examples?

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Antidiscrimination

Diversity and inclusion are primarily achieved by counteracting

discrimination in all its forms. Find out if there are discriminatory
practices in your company. Is there something you could be doing
better?

Completely Agree Neither agree Disagree Completely

agree nor disagree disagree

Racist, sexist, or
discriminatory jokes are not
tolerated in the company

All employees in the company

know how and where they can
report discriminatory acts

The company has strict

policies against every form of
discrimination

Management treats all

employees fairly and
appropriately

In your opinion, what could the company do to reduce or eliminate the risk of
discrimination? Can you think of any specific examples?

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Promoting an inclusive environment

Promoting diversity requires companies to create an inclusive

working environment and actively ensure that everyone is respected
and feels part of the community. Do you think that your company is
doing enough?

Completely Agree Neither agree Disagree Completely

agree nor disagree disagree

The company ensures that

the needs of employees with
disabilities are met

There‘s an atmosphere
where all ideas, opinions, and
convictions can be expressed
freely and openly

Employees are treated equally

in the company, regardless of
their age

I feel connected to the

company

In your opinion, what could the company do to ensure a more inclusive working
environment? Can you think of any specific examples?

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Promoting equity

Inclusion doesn’t just mean that everyone is treated equally. It’s

more about ensuring that every employee has the same chances and
opportunities to develop — regardless of existing disadvantages or
differences. What do you think? Is equity the rule for your company?

Completely Agree Neither agree Disagree Completely

agree nor disagree disagree

In the company, every

employee has the same
opportunities to develop
professionally

All employees are encouraged

to apply for higher positions

Employees are treated

equally in internal recruiting,
regardless of their
background

The company actively ensures

that employees are treated
equally

In your opinion, what could the company do to ensure more equity?

Can you think of any specific examples?

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

How does your workforce

view the topic of diversity
at your company?

After HR managers, team leads, and employees fill out the

questionnaire, it’s time to evaluate the results. How are diversity
and inclusion perceived at your company? Do the views of the
respondents overlap, or are the impressions far apart? This matrix
helps you situate the status quo.

The employees are satisfied with the diversity management in the company:
They find that they work in an inclusive and fair environment free of
discrimination.

HR managers and team HR managers and team

leads aren‘t satisfied leads are satisfied
with the diversity with the diversity
management in the + management in the
company: They‘re aware company: They find
that more could be that the company‘s
done to create a more environment is
inclusive environment. inclusive, fair, and free
of discrimination.

The employees are not satisfied with the diversity management in the
company: They have the feeling that the environment isn‘t inclusive enough,
see unequal treatment, and believe that the company hasn‘t done enough
against it.

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 W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

N O W I T ’ S YO U R T U R N

Recommendations to
take an active role

Which quadrant does your company fall into? For each situation
you can now take concrete measures. Here are a few practical
recommendations that can help.

If employees are satisfied, but HR managers and team leads aren’t, you
should set more ambitious goals for diversity in the company.
Our recommendations:

Review your company guidelines on diversity and inclusion. The fact that the status quo
is viewed positively might come from a lack of diversity among the staff.

Work on new guidelines to ensure that the hiring process is inclusive and attracts a
diverse workforce.

Communicate clearly what to do in case of discrimination or unequal treatment.

Congratulations! Your company is characterized by an inclusive culture and

a truly diverse working environment. Such a positive result doesn’t come by
chance — it’s the result of commitment, sincerity, and transparency.
But don’t stay complacent with the status quo:

Listen to your employees, sensitize management to the topic, and continue to make diversity
a priority.

Make sure you hire people whose values align with those of your company culture so as not
to endanger your results so far.

Give your employees the opportunity to suggest new initiatives or benefits that further
promote diversity in the company.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

If both employees as well as HR managers and team leads are unsatisfied,

you should take this feedback seriously, learn from mistakes, and try for a
reset. Our recommendations:

Based on the questionnaire results, start a discussion on how you can improve the current
situation and develop a diversity management strategy that focuses on your company’s
weaknesses.

What policies have other companies introduced to create a warm, genuine, and inviting
working environment? Get inspired!

Optimize your internal communication to overcome potential language and cultural barriers.
Investing in language courses for your company is often the first step to create an inclusive
working environment.

If HR managers and team leads are satisfied but employees don’t agree,
you should focus on the needs of your team. Our recommendations:

Organize internal training on diversity or create a framework where employees can

pose questions on the topic in a safe and constructive way.

Carefully evaluate your company’s compensation policy to do away with any salary
discrepancies.

Consider introducing regulations that guarantee the same promotion opportunities

for all employees.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

How Babbel can help

At Babbel, we know that the key to success comes from a diverse

workforce. To help companies overcome language barriers and
promote diversity and inclusion, we’ve developed three different
products. They not only help you learn a new language, but they also
convey knowledge of other cultures and the topic of diversity.

Babbel Professional
Babbel Professional offers access to our language learning platform, available as an app
or on the web. Our Account Management team is available for all your questions.

Diversity in focus: The 15-minute online lessons focus on inclusive vocabulary and use
images and examples that promote diversity.

Babbel Live
In addition to the language learning platform, Babbel Live provides your employees
with access to group video lessons with up to six participants and certified teachers.

Diversity in focus: The group video lessons enable interaction between learners who
might not know each other and promote accepting ways of living different from their
own.

Babbel Intensive
Babbel Intensive provides access to both the language learning platform and individual
video lessons with certified teachers.

Diversity in focus: Through the interactions with native-speaking teachers, the employees
learn more about the culture of the language they‘re learning and quickly expand their
language comprehension and intercultural competence.

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W O R K B O O K : More Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Next steps

Thank you for taking the time to read our workbook. We hope that the
questionnaire gave you a better idea of diversity in your company and
how you can actively approach the topic.

We can help you overcome language barriers and create an inclusive

working environment. The products from Babbel for Business
were specially developed to reach language goals and promote
understanding between different cultures and ways of working.

We look forward to growing with you and creating a more just and
inclusive working environment. Feel free to get in touch, we’ll be glad
to hear from you!

Email: corporates@babbel.com

Website: babbelforbusiness.com

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