Diversity Management

 

The term "diversity management" describes organizational initiatives that, through targeted policies and programs, seek to increase the integration of workers from various backgrounds into the structure of a company. In response to the increasing variety of the global workforce, organizations are using diversity management methods.

Managing diversity means acknowledging people's differences and recognizing these differences as valuable; it enhances good management practices by preventing discrimination and promoting inclusiveness. Good management alone will not necessarily help you work effectively with a diverse workforce. It is often difficult to see what part diversity plays in a specific area of management.

 

Types of diversity management:

Intranational diversity management: Intranational diversity management refers to managing a workforce that comprises citizens or immigrants in a single national context. Diversity programs focus on providing employment opportunities to minority groups or recent immigrants.

Cross-national diversity management: Cross-national, or international, diversity management refers to managing a workforce that comprises citizens from different countries. It may also involve immigrants from different countries who are seeking employment.

Characteristics of Diversity Management

1. Voluntary

2. Provides tangible benefits

3. Broad definition

Strategies

• Specify the need for skills to work effectively in a diverse environment in the job, for example: "demonstrated ability to work effectively in a diverse work environment."
• Make sure that good faith efforts are made to recruit a diverse applicant pool, particularly underutilized minorities and women.
• Focus on the job requirements in the interview, and assess experience but also consider
• transferable skills and demonstrated competencies, such as analytical, organizational, communication, coordination. Prior experience has not necessarily mean effectiveness or success on the job.
• Use a panel interview format. Ensure that the committee is diverse, unit affiliation, job classification, length of service, variety of life experiences, etc. to represent different perspectives and to eliminate bias from the selection process. Run questions and process by them to ensure there is no unintentional cultural or institutional bias.
• Ensure that appropriate accommodations are made for disabled applicants.
• Know your own cultural biases. What stereotypes do you have of people from different groups and how well they may perform on the job? What communication styles do you prefer? Sometimes what we consider to be appropriate or desirable qualities in a candidate may reflect more about our personal preferences than about the skills needed to perform the job.

 

Impact to the workplace

For an organization looking to cultivate a more diverse and inclusive workplace, it is important to understand what constitutes workplace diversity.

Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between individuals in an organization. Diversity not only includes how individuals identify themselves but also how others perceive them. Diversity within a workplace encompasses race, gender, ethnic groups, age, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship status, military service and mental and physical conditions, as well as other distinct differences between people.

Managing diversity in the workplace presents a set of unique challenges for HR professionals. These challenges can be mitigated if an organization makes a concerted effort to encourage a more heterogeneous environment through promoting a culture of tolerance, open communication and creating conflict management strategies to address issues that may arise.

Prioritize communication : To manage a diverse workplace, organizations need to ensure that they effectively communicate with employees. Policies, procedures, safety rules and other important information should be designed to overcome language and cultural barriers by translating materials and using pictures and symbols whenever applicable.

Treat each employee as an individual : Avoid making assumptions about employees from different backgrounds. Instead, look at each employee as an individual and judge successes and failures on the individual’s merit rather than attributing actions to their background.

Encourage employees to work in diverse groups : Diverse work teams let employees get to know and value one another on an individual basis and can help break down preconceived notions and cultural misunderstandings.

Base standards on objective criteria : Set one standard of rules for all groups of employees regardless of background. Ensure that all employment actions, including discipline, follow this standardized criterion to make sure each employee is treated the same.

Be open-minded: Recognize, and encourage employees to recognize, that one’s own experience, background, and culture are not the only with value to the organization. Look for ways to incorporate a diverse range of perspectives and talents into efforts to achieve organizational goals.

Hiring: To build a diverse workplace, it is crucial to recruit and hire talent from a variety of backgrounds. This requires leadership and others who make hiring decisions to overcome bias in interviewing and assessing talent. If organizations can break through bias and hire the most qualified people, those with the right education, credentials, experience and skill sets, a diverse workplace should be the natural result.

References

Dyson, E. (2019). Managing Diversity in the Workplace. [online] PeopleScout. Available at: https://www.peoplescout.com/insights/managing-diversity-in-workplace/.

Flood, R.L. and Romm, N.R., 1996. Diversity management. Critical Systems Thinking, pp.81-92.

Morrison, M., Lumby, J. and Sood, K., 2006. Diversity and diversity management: Messages from recent research. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 34(3), pp.277-295.

UC Berkeley (2019). Managing Diversity in the Workplace: Management Process | Human Resources. [online] Berkeley.edu. Available at: https://hr.berkeley.edu/hr-network/central-guide-managing-hr/managing-hr/interaction/diversity/process.