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Leveraging Diversity in
“Not-So-Diverse” Environments
May 2009 The United
States has
been called a "melting pot" of culture and ethnicity. This term was
coined in 1908 when the US population was only 88.7 million and
People of Color made up a total of about 11% of that population. Since
then the population has nearly quadrupled and People of Color now
comprise about 34% of the entire population. The US Census Bureau
projects that by 2042, People of Color are expected to become the
majority, and will reach 54% by 2050. Clearly, this shift in
demographics will have a significant impact on our workforce and
marketplace.
That being said, companies across the United
States are realizing the indisputable value Diversity and Inclusion
practices hold for an organization. From increased productivity,
collaboration, profitability, and customer service to reducing
turnover and legal litigations, diversity practices give strong
competitive advantages to companies that promote inclusive
environments.
But
what about companies located in typically "not-so-diverse"
environments? Despite being a "melting pot," racial diversity is not evenly distributed across the
United States. How can a company leverage diversity if it doesn't seem to be
present? At a first glance of the following U.S. Census map, one might
agree that in areas with a low index of racial diversity, this may
be a daunting task.
Click here to enlarge, or download the
full report
here (PDF).
In fact, as of 2007, some states reported surprisingly
high numbers of Caucasians as a percentage of population - over 90%
- Vermont 96.2%
- Maine 95.5%
- New Hampshire 95.0%
- West Virginia 94.3%
- Iowa 92.9%
- Idaho 92.1%
So, if your company is located in an area with very
little diversity, does this mean that diversity training is not a
good fit for that company? No! Even in the above areas reporting the
lowest index of racial diversity, a company can still leverage
diversity. Diversity is EVERYWHERE if you know where to look. A common misconception when approaching diversity is to assume
that diversity pertains only to race and gender. Yes, race and
gender are two “obvious” forms of diversity. However, diversity
encompasses equally significant forms of “less-obvious" dimensions
including age, sexual orientation, physical abilities,
socio-economic status, educational background, religious beliefs,
political beliefs, marital status, and parental status.
Below are effective pointers which you, as a manager or
supervisor, can utilize to broaden your outlets of
diversity.
- Discuss “Less-obvious” Forms of Diversity
•
Age:
Look around you. It is not uncommon nowadays to see a
60-something career employee working alongside a 20-something
recent college graduate. In fact, our current workforce is made up of
four
different generations of workers - more than ever before at one
time. What are some attributes of each of their working styles?
What experiences have been most influential to each of them and
how may have they sculpted their career choice?
• Sexual Orientation:
Gay Lesbian Bisexual and
Transgendered (GLBT) issues are on the
forefront of political and social debate. But this is not
something you can identify at a glance. Chances are that someone
you know is GLBT whether you know it or not. How might your
organization be more aware to this, and what are the
consequences if awareness to the issue is not addressed?
• Socio-economic Status:
Without bringing up
bank accounts, talk about the differences in perspective that
might be present due to financial situations. How might a salaried
employee view things differently than an hourly employee? In the
same sense, rural area outlooks vs.
an urban area?
• Educational Background:
Much of who we
are today has been sculpted by our experiences in our country's educational
system. How might someone with "book smarts" view things
differently from those with career experience? College vs.
trade school?
• Family Situation:
Our
families affect almost every aspect of our daily lives. How might
someone from a large family view things differently than someone
from a small family? Someone with siblings vs. an only child?
Someone that is married with children vs. someone that is single
with no children?
- Find strengths in each of these attributes
• As it
applies to work that is conducted within the company:
Using
the findings from your previous discussion, think about how can
you make the most from each employee’s strengths and experiences.
How can you use your newfound understanding of each other to
communicate better, reduce conflict, and conduct work functions
more efficiently?
• As it applies to your consumer
base:
Using the findings from your previous discussion,
think about how certain employees might have a better
understanding of a specific market, or how they might relate
better with a specific client. How might your new understanding of
a specific market or client contribute to the innovation and
creation of new ideas for new or existing products or services?
- Leverage diversity and maximize resources
•
Practice Inclusion:
The best way to maximize your human
capital is to ensure that all of the talents and strengths of
your diverse workforce are being utilized in every business
operation. Involve everyone and blend ideas from a variety of
people. Remove organizational barriers that might be preventing
success because of differences in values and strengths.
• Create diverse teams:
In team activities, we often
place similar people together because we think that they will
work better as a team. But try building teams of people with
different personalities, backgrounds, and perspectives. Studies
by leading organizations have shown that teams composed of
diverse candidates outperform the "strongest" individuals.
You will find that a diverse group of people is more likely to
provide creative and innovative ideas, and more effectively
support a broader customer base. Simply put, diversity
tops individual ability.
• Increase motivation
through inclusion:
Studies have shown that the
average employee wastes as much as two hours of "on-the-clock"
time every day. Nationally, this adds up to about $759 billion
worth of productivity every year. With a better understanding of
the people you work with, you will be able to customize new
strategies to challenge and motivate your employees through
inclusion. Additionally, employees that feel appreciated
tend to also feel loyalty towards their company and are less
likely to look for a different employer. A survey in 2008 by
CareerBuilder.com showed that of people that feel disloyal to
their company, 61% feel that their employer doesn't value them
and 52% feel that their efforts are not recognized or
appreciated. By providing a motivating and appreciative work
environment, you will be directly reducing turnover, increasing
productivity, and positively affecting your company's bottom
line.
Race and gender will likely always be the most obvious aspects of
diversity topics. But, there are also so many avenues for harnessing
the "less obvious" forms of Diversity. If
you find yourself in a "not-so-diverse” environment, look at the
broader definition of diversity and see how awareness and inclusion
might have an impact on both your work environment and your
productivity. You might be surprised at how diverse you and your
employees really are and the many attributes they can contribute to
your organization!
To request more information or for a no-obligation trial of our
products, please email
info@knowledgestart.com or call
toll-free 877.650.0454.
Who We Are
KnowledgeStart is an employee development company which, for the past seven
years, has specialized in online training for its U.S. and global clients.
We are a leading provider of award-winning e-learning programs and platforms
that maximize learning, increase collaboration and retention, and improve
competitive edge. Over the years, we have excelled in
enhancing organizational and individual productivity in topics such as
Diversity and Inclusion,
Generational Differences,
Harassment Prevention,
Business Ethics, and
Substance Abuse Prevention.
KnowledgeStart understands that every decision made by your employees eventually
crosses someone's path somehow and can often have a "ripple effect" across your
entire organization. Even the smallest of decisions can have a BIG impact on
your company and the people around you. Your workplace is an incredibly
inter-connected environment.
Through this understanding and our collective skill sets and experiences with
leading companies, we are proud to deliver innovative approaches to employee
training, compliance, and outcome measurement software.
Visit our website:
http://www.knowledgestart.com
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