Diversity Revisited: Why We Need A Diverse Workforce

Diversity is something that on the surface may sound simple.

For example, the definition of diversity in the workplace is basically the variety of differences between people in an organisation.

These differences may include race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, education, background and more.

But diversity is actually a bit more complicated than that.

It not only encompasses how people perceive themselves - but also how they perceive others.

As employee management expert Josh Greenberg explains in an article for the respected US educational resource website The Multicultural Advantage - people’s perceptions affect their interactions.

For a diverse range of employees to function well together as an organisation, managing diversity is a major consideration in the workplace.

Usually entrusted to the human resources department, the job of managing issues such as communication, adaptability and change is all part and parcel of dealing with diversity.

And it is a growing industry, as organisations realise the urgent need for action and allocation of resources to manage diversity.

Recognising diversity in the workplace is important for many reasons – not  the least because it helps allocate the right employees to the right jobs, and assists an organisation to provide better solutions to its problems.

This is especially important with the rapid rise of globalisation.

Whether it be servicing customer needs or sourcing and allocating resources, the availability of a diverse selection of different skills and abilities (for example languages, or cultural knowledge) permits effective organisations to draw more efficiently from their talent pool.

Indeed, a diverse workforce that is relaxed about providing and receiving various viewpoints, leads to a much-improved collection of ideas and experiences within the organisation.

This in turn leads to greater output and productivity, and a better return for the company on its investment.

However, Greenberg maintains that for workplace diversity programs to work effectively, there are many challenges - not the least of which is good communication between management and staff.

Perceptual, cultural and language barriers also need to be overcome.

A customised strategy should also be implemented to maximise the effects of diversity, and training alone is usually not enough.

And for the full effects of the strategy to benefit the entire organisation, a diversity management plan must be fully accepted and adopted by every department or division.

For this to happen effectively the plan needs the personal commitment of the executive and managerial teams - and it must be comprehensive, attainable and measurable.

Also, when an organization does decide on the changes which need to be made - a timeline must be implemented.

Assessment and evaluation is also very important according to Greenberg, and he recommends the use of a customised employee satisfaction survey.

This will help the management team determine which challenges and obstacles to diversity are present in the workplace, and which policies need to be added or eliminated.

Other tips for workplace diversity include:

• Reducing employee resistance to change

By involving as many employees as possible in the planning and execution of diversity initiatives, people feel more included and happier to take part

• Encouraging an attitude of openness in the organisation

Employees are much more likely to express their opinions and attitudes about the diversity if any organisational barriers are removed

• Promoting diversity at the highest levels of the organisation

By making diversity high on the agenda in leadership positions, the initiatives attain a high profile - allowing the full benefits of diversity to be felt throughout the organisation.