Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions

Workplace diversity refers to the variety ofsuccessful in world-class organizations are:
differences between people in an organization.
That sounds simple, but diversity encompassesAssessment of diversity in the workplace - Top
race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality,companies make assessing and evaluating their
cognitive style, tenure, organizational function,diversity process an integral part of their
education, background and more.management system. A customizable employee
satisfaction survey can accomplish this
Diversity not only involves how people perceiveassessment for your company efficiently and
themselves, but how they perceive others. Thoseconveniently. It can help your management team
perceptions affect their interactions. For a widedetermine which challenges and obstacles to
assortment of employees to function effectivelydiversity are present in your workplace and which
as an organization, human resource professionalspolicies need to be added or eliminated.
need to deal effectively with issues such asReassessment can then determine the success of
communication, adaptability and change. Diversityyou diversity in the workplace plan implementation.
will increase significantly in the coming years.
Successful organizations recognize the need forDevelopment of diversity in the workplace plan -
immediate action and are ready and willing toChoosing a survey provider that provides
spend resources on managing diversity in thecomprehensive reporting is a key decision. That
workplace now.report will be the beginning structure of your
diversity in the workplace plan. The plan must be
Benefits of Workplace Diversitycomprehensive, attainable and measurable. An
organization must decide what changes need to
An organization's success and competitivenessbe made and a timeline for that change to be
depends upon its ability to embrace diversity andattained.
realize the benefits. When organizations actively
assess their handling of workplace diversity issues,Implementation of diversity in the workplace plan
develop and implement diversity plans, multiple- The personal commitment of executive and
benefits are reported such as:managerial teams is a must. Leaders and
managers within organizations must incorporate
Increased adaptabilitydiversity policies into every aspect of the
organization's function and purpose. Attitudes
Organizations employing a diverse workforce cantoward diversity originate at the top and filter
supply a greater variety of solutions to problemsdownward. Management cooperation and
in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources.participation is required to create a culture
Employees from diverse backgrounds bringconducive to the success of your organization's
individual talents and experiences in suggestingplan.
ideas that are flexible in adapting to fluctuating
markets and customer demands.Recommended diversity in the workplace solutions
include:
Broader service range
Ward off change resistance with inclusion. -
A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g.Involve every employee possible in formulating
languages, cultural understanding) allows aand executing diversity initiatives in your
company to provide service to customers on aworkplace.
global basis.
Foster an attitude of openness in your
Variety of viewpointsorganization. - Encourage employees to express
their ideas and opinions and attribute a sense of
A diverse workforce that feels comfortableequal value to all.
communicating varying points of view provides a
larger pool of ideas and experiences. ThePromote diversity in leadership positions. - This
organization can draw from that pool to meetpractice provides visibility and realizes the benefits
business strategy needs and the needs ofof diversity in the workplace.
customers more effectively.
Utilize diversity training. - Use it as a tool to shape
More effective executionyour diversity policy.
Companies that encourage diversity in theLaunch a customizable employee satisfaction
workplace inspire all of their employees tosurvey that provides comprehensive reporting. -
perform to their highest ability. Company-wideUse the results to build and implement successful
strategies can then be executed; resulting indiversity in the workplace policies.
higher productivity, profit, and return on
investment.As the economy becomes increasingly global, our
workforce becomes increasingly diverse.
Challenges of Diversity in the WorkplaceOrganizational success and competitiveness will
depend on the ability to manage diversity in the
Taking full advantage of the benefits of diversityworkplace effectively. Evaluate your organization's
in the workplace is not without its challenges.diversity policies and plan for the future, starting
Some of those challenges are:today.
Communication - Perceptual, cultural and language---------------------------------------------------------
barriers need to be overcome for diversity
programs to succeed. Ineffective communicationThis article may be reproduced provided it is
of key objectives results in confusion, lack ofpublished in its entirety, includes the author bio
teamwork, and low morale.information, and all links remain active.
Resistance to change - There are alwaysFor additional employee surveying resources go to
employees who will refuse to accept the fact
that the social and cultural makeup of their
workplace is changing. The "we've always done it2004 © AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights
this way" mentality silences new ideas and inhibitsReservedJosh Greenberg is President of
progress.AlphaMeasure, Inc. located in Boulder, Colorado.
Implementation of diversity in the workplaceAlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a
policies - This can be the overriding challenge to allpowerful web based method for measuring
diversity advocates. Armed with the results ofemployee satisfaction, determining employee
employee assessments and research data, theyengagement, and increasing employee retention.
must build and implement a customized strategy
to maximize the effects of diversity in theThe AlphaMeasure Employee Survey System is
workplace for their particular organization.fully-customizable and allows you to target the
organizational topics and challenges facing your
Successful Management of Diversity in thestaff today. Designed by HR professionals from
Workplace - Diversity training alone is notthe ground up, the AlphaMeasure Employee
sufficient for your organization's diversitySatisfaction Survey System provides an
management plan. A strategy must be createdaffordable, feature rich solution for deploying
and implemented to create a culture of diversityfully-customized employee satisfaction or
that permeates every department and functionemployee engagement surveys.
of the organization.
Click here to learn more about the AlphaMeasure
Recommended steps that have been provenEmployee Survey System.