The Business Case for Building Inclusive Workplaces
As
today’s U.S. and Global markets become increasingly
diverse, businesses are adapting in order to stay competitive, reach
new markets and maintain the highest quality of staff. Listed below are
five ways a well-managed multi-cultural and diverse workforce contributes to long-term
business success.
Diversity enhances the quality of problem-solving and innovation.
Many studies now show
that diverse teams view situations from a broad range of perspectives, producing more
creative solutions to problems and greater product innovation.
Workplace diversity enhances productivity.
When employees feel valued, they can perform
at their fullest potential and highest productivity.
Customers and markets are changing.
Customers are becoming more diverse. For many U.S.
businesses, growth means new international markets. Businesses that reach and understand
new customers, markets and cultures will create and maintain marketing and business advantages.
The workforce is changing.
The workforce is becoming more diverse as the 2000 census
data demonstrate.
Cultural diversity affects costs in many ways.
Managing workplace diversity effectively
can save money by attracting top talent, reducing turnover, developing
the potential of all employees, and preventing costly lawsuits.
Companies with women and
people of color in executive positions and on their Boards of Directors outperform the
stock performance of companies without women or people of color in these positions.
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Best Practices for Valuing Cultural Diversity
The following practices are those being used by organizations that report
progress in adopting the paradigm of valuing cultural diversity in the workplace. They
help accelerate adoption of change, enhance efficiency, increase clarity and reduce the
potential for missteps.
Setting the Context
for Change. Linking cultural diversity to the organization’s
goals, customers, suppliers and workforce. Integrating workplace diversity
with other organizational development so it is part of the entire context,
as opposed to an ancillary or standalone program.
Providing Ongoing
Communication. Including cultural
diversity awareness in virtually all organizational communication, both
formal and informal. Leaders including it in speeches and written communiqués.
Providing information regarding success and progress to reinforce organizational
commitment.
Committed,
knowledgeable leadership. Senior-level sponsorship and ongoing executive
coaching and management training.
Rewarding Effective
Diversity Management. Including
workplace cultural diversity measures in executive score cards, and in
employee evaluation systems, pay systems and promotion systems.
Measuring Results. Identifying
quantifiable success measures, collecting data and using it to underscore
successes. A caution comes from Robert Hayles, who found that workplace cultural diversity
training initiatives yielded no measurable results for three years, after which there
are significant measurable changes between 3-10 years, with improvements leveling off
at the ten year milestone.
Providing Ongoing
Awareness and Skills-Based Training. Neither
executives nor employees can be held to workplace diversity performance
measures if they are not first provided with the necessary awareness, skills, and information
with which to improve performance. Cultural diversity should be considered in all workplace
training programs, regardless of topic.
Providing Flexible
Benefits/Scheduling
to ensure that they recognize the diversity
of employee needs.
- Family-life benefits including child care, elder care, flexible insurance, domestic
partnership benefits, transportation, flexible hours, and breast feeding stations.
- Development opportunities, including career development classes, tuition reimbursement
and mentoring programs.
Partnerships with Employees to achieve the organization’s goals and demonstrate
that employees are valued and respected.
- Employee Network Groups
- Use of employees as internal cultural diversity trainers
- Special events focusing on specific cultural groups or issues
- Employee involvement in community volunteerism or community events
- Employee recognition programs
Partnerships with Vendors and Service Providers through use of Minority and Women Business
Enterprises.
Partnerships with the Community through sponsorship and assistance
with community events.
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