The workforce is become and more and more diverse. Various experiences, perspectives, skill sets are invaluable or the creation of growth of every company. Diversity in a workplace refers to the range of differences between employees with a company, it not only includes how employees identify themselves but also how others perceive them. The current trends in workplace diversity include age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical/mental abilities (Kinicki & Williams, 2018). My organization has undergone several initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion, so the ethical, as well as the economic importance of diversity, is well established. One of the most positive changes that diversity brings to the organization is that the company can achieve a competitive advantage when they include all types of experiences and backgrounds (Grafstein, 2019). Diversity will provide insight into multi-cultural markets, improved marketing, and customer services through a better understanding of different backgrounds. When people from different backgrounds are brought together, the generations of ideas will be much better, thus increasing productivity for an organization. One of the challenging effects of diversity that Kinicki & Williams (2018) discussed is fear of discrimination against majority group members. In my company, I see that challenge when it comes to promotions for employees. Since leaders and managers have D&I goals, they have to meet, it can become an issue trying to do what is right.
The diversity subject requires leaders and managers to recognize the complexity of it and since the emergence of diversity, scholars have accomplished a lot studying the dynamics and effects of diversity in an organization (Nkomo et all, 2019). Leaders and managers need to include diversity and inclusion in how they operate, how they communicate, how they interact with all. It cannot be separated from everything else they do. It all starts for them with hiring to build a diverse workplace. With globalization and interconnectivity workplaces are becoming more complex requiring diversity and inclusiveness. One of the initiatives we rolled out in our company as part of D&I culture, is incorporating diverse panel hiring, which will enable our company to hire based on aptness for the position and avoid any bias. We created training for managers on how to conduct those interviews, including what we can vs cannot ask. Since we are an IT company, our workforce is predominantly males. To hire more females into the organization, we are also working with different professional groups to help. In addition to hiring practices, our manager is responsible for upholding different D&I policies, like a zero-tolerance policy that we have. This policy outlines that is no tolerance for any ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, religious jokes. If such occurs, we provide employees with a safe, confidential way to report any misconduct within the organization.
Positive and Challenging Effects of Diversity
Diversity can affect an organization positively or negatively. Positive organizational effects include multiple vantage points and connectivity. When an organization is diverse, the collaboration of employee ideas will be different and wholistic at the same time. Having not everyone thinking alike, has the potential to produce outcomes that work for everyone involved. Additionally, millennials are never more than an arms-length away from any Internet-connect device (Grafstein, 2021). Having immediate access to products, resources, questions, answers, etc can assist the way an organization progresses towards the future.
Diversity can also be detrimental to an organization if not carefully managed. For example, having a millennial leader in charge of an older gentleman may not have the best outcome. The best thing to do for both individuals and the organization may be to move the elder gentleman or young leader to a different section in order to have the older gentleman placed directly subordinate to someone closer in age. The generational difference between the two could be taken as disrespectful if the two parties involved do not communicate effectively (Reiser, 2019). Therefore, the age and cultural diversity in this scenario would impact the organization negatively unless remediated quickly.
Leader Roles and Responsibilities in Creating Inclusive Work Environments
Leaders have the inherent responsibility to create an inclusive work environment for people from different backgrounds. This is ultimately achieved by treating all employees with respect, valuing all employees for their strengths, and doing what is right (Grafstein, 2021). When a leader engages with every employee with respect, a unique consideration is taken by that leader. The leader is showing flexibility and awareness in their leadership style to best include the employee in all aspects of work and leader/employee relations.