Managing Diversity

Managing Diversity

In order to tackle diversity concerns, think about the following: which organizational policies, practices, and ways of thinking affect diverse groups differently? What adjustments to the organization's structure are necessary to fulfill the needs of a diverse workforce and to help every employee reach their full potential so Berkeley is prepared for the challenges of the twenty-first century?

The golden rule treat others how you would like to be treated is accepted by most people. It's implicit that people behave in ways that they would like to be behaved in. However, if you approach this proverb from the standpoint of variety, you start to wonder: what does respect look like, and is it the same for everyone?

                                                                                                    

Source: (Shutterstock, 2024)

Tips for Managing Diversity:

Managing diversity is a complex challenge for HR teams worldwide. Taking local circumstances into account means that a successful approach in one region or organization might not be suitable somewhere else as a result, there is no simple, straightforward plan to follow (Glowacka, 2023):

1. Identify stereotypes and biases

Identify and challenge any stereotypes and biases that might already exist within the company. For instance, is there any (conscious/unconscious) bias in job specifications or the recruitment process? Does the business have an inclusive and open work culture for and all levels? Are senior management positions filled by a diverse range of people, or as is often the case are they dominated by one particular demographic?

Identifying any areas of weakness is vital to successfully resolving these diversity management issues. Having an open and honest conversation with employees and other stakeholders is one of the best ways to uncover experiences and problems related to diversity. Problems can only be fixed once they have been identified.

2. Remove communication barriers

Remove barriers to facilitate effective communication. For example, you can translate work documents into different languages or offer corporate language training to your staff.

You should also consider the needs of people with vision impairment or hearing loss. This might include ensuring that materials, such as signage, incorporate images and text that color-blind people can easily understand.

Or you could provide specialist IT hardware (e.g., braille displays, screen magnifiers, hearing loops, visual/vibrating alerts) or software (e.g., text-to-speech software, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software).

Failing to cater to the specific needs of everyone is a sure-fire way to make people feel excluded from your company. It can be very isolating to be on the “outside” of a conversation everyone else is participating in.

3. Make sure the work environment is accessible

Ensure that the work environment is physically accessible and appropriate for everyone. One way to achieve this is by providing suitable access to the building for people with restricted mobility (e.g., lifts, ramps, automatic doors). Or an appropriate number of lavatories for each sex.

 Similarly, people from certain cultures might be reluctant to share a large, open locker room with their colleagues, so private stalls should be considered.

Adjustable chairs and footstools might need to be provided to ensure a comfortable seated position for people of all heights.

The list above is certainly by no means exhaustive, as there are far too many considerations to show here. This is why a comprehensive assessment should be made at each workplace to ensure that all local circumstances are taken into account.

Once again, putting physical barriers or impediments in place is another sure-fire way to generate feelings of exclusion in the workplace. It can be interpreted as a blatant sign that someone’s presence is not valued or welcomed.

4. Provide training

Offer training to educate employees on issues regarding diversity. Also, your staff should be encouraged to interact with each other, both within the workplace and outside of it (e.g., team-building events, retreats, holiday parties).

The aim is to inspire employees to be more open-minded and develop their cultural sensitivity to better understand and appreciate each other’s differences. By breaking down cultural barriers, the employees can be a more productive, efficient, and unified team.

5. Establish policies and procedures

Create documented policies and procedures to protect the rights of all employees. This action will help ensure everyone is treated equally and fairly in the workplace.

An obvious example is ensuring equality for all regarding salaries and promotions. There should be transparency on this issue to identify and address any discrepancies.

A defined and objective complaints process by which an employee can raise a grievance is also required genuinely listening to those who have been discriminated against is essential if intolerance is going to be eradicated from a work environment.

A zero-tolerance policy toward bigotry and prejudice at all levels of the organization, from the shop floor to the senior leaders, must be adopted and effectively communicated within the business.

Transparency, openness, and accountability will contribute to creating a corporate culture of diversity and inclusion.

6. Diversify your workforce

At a company that desires to diversify the workforce, proactive efforts should be made to recruit underrepresented groups or minorities.

This could be accomplished by offering flexible working hours to better suit employees with children or restricted mobility (who might struggle on busy public transport during peak hours, for example).

It might also involve posting job advertisements where certain minority groups are likely to see them.

As a part of this recruitment drive, establishing a diverse interview panel to conduct and lead the recruitment process can help eliminate bias. It will also demonstrate transparency and the organization’s clear efforts to eradicate discrimination.

7. Celebrate diversity

A good way to increase awareness and understanding of diversity at work is to celebrate special days or events for a wide variety of groups and religions. For example, this could mean holding special celebrations at work to mark Pride events, the Hindu Diwali festival, or International Women’s Day.

This is a great way to stimulate conversations around culture and diversity; consequently, it can also be very beneficial for team-building.

The celebration doesn’t have to be particularly onerous, costly, or detrimental to day-to-day work duties, as even the simplest activity can make a major difference in promoting awareness and understanding.

Most people are often naturally curious about others from different cultures and backgrounds, and they might welcome the opportunity to learn more about them. 

                                                 

         Source: (Fnp, 2024)

8. Hire a diversity manager

In some situations, it might be necessary to create the role of a diversity manager within your company. They are responsible for identifying problems relating to managing diversity and designing and implementing strategies to boost diversity.

Someone who can dedicate 100% of their time to addressing the issue should ensure that problems are tackled and things get done. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when managing diversity simply bolts onto someone’s other primary duties.

Alternatively, another option is to establish a diversity council or panel, which has the same responsibilities, although spread across many (hopefully diverse) people. This option is often the best for large companies or where there are serious problems around the lack of diversity.

                                                

          Source: (Pinterest, 2021)

Conclusion:

It is now more crucial than ever to manage diversity in the workplace. It calls for awareness, tolerance, education, candid communication, and conflict resolution, as you have witnessed.

Unfortunately, there isn't a single, universal approach to handling diversity. This implies that your diversity program needs to be customized to your specific situation. By doing this, you can make sure it has the best possible possibility of having a significant and long-lasting effect on the company.

Furthermore, it needs to be implemented by the company's highest level of management, who must demonstrate strong leadership and a steadfast commitment to diversity.

References:

Fnp, 2024. fnp.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fnp.com/quotes/womens-day
[Accessed 14 04 2024].

Glowacka, M., 2023. preply.com. [Online]
Available at: https://preply.com/en/blog/b2b-8-tips-for-managing-diversity/
[Accessed 14 04 2024].

Pinterest, 2021. Pinterest.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/487796203395169271/
[Accessed 14 04 2024].

Shutterstock, 2024. shutterstock.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/management
[Accessed 14 04 2024].