Reply to Dr. David Lindenmuth
After starting intentional efforts to include more people of color in its workforce, a pharmaceutical company is experiencing a few staff members not showing much support for these efforts. Some of them have questioned the extra work required to include people of minority and other under-represented groups in its workforce. Some of them expressed the belief that this may be a type of reverse discrimination against qualified candidates from the majority population, and that it will result in less qualified people as part of its workforce. How can the organization’s leadership address such reactions and attitudes.
MY POST:
Finding and retaining a workforce that is diverse in terms of color is challenging for many organizational leaders. Additionally, leaders that manage to diversify their labor force in terms of color face fierce resistance from workers who do not appreciate the change. This study discusses measures for the pharmaceutical company leadership to take to address the color diversity reactions and attitudes from its employees.
Educating the employees on color diversity helps change how they take the issue. Most workers resisting the efforts to increase more people of color in the company do not understand diversification well. Workers need to know that the world is changing and growing fast, and diversified companies are doing so well in the market. Persons from different races are talented differently, and there are very bright people from all over the world whose contribution is beneficial to the company.
Workplace ethics do not give room for color bias. A leader must ensure that their workforce is disciplined enough to observe the company's rules. Leadership is putting in a lot of effort in fighting discrimination. When workers respect each other and keep work discipline, they learn to appreciate each other. Color of colleagues becomes a non-issue, and workers learn to appreciate the capabilities of their work-mates rather than majoring on the bias. Leaders should be strict to ensure that workers in the pharmaceutical company follow company rules and workplace ethics.
Discrimination of each other in terms of color is not new in many companies. Encouraging workers to embrace their diversity and work together to discover the better parts of their differences helps create a more productive team. Leaders are on the forefront in ensuring their subordinates understand the benefits of a diverse workforce and in doing so, negative attitudes among employees will cease.
Questions by Dr. Lindenmuth:
Brenda,
How would you begin the process of getting staff "onboard" with diversifying the workforce?