Diversity in the Workplace

The recruitment and retention of diverse candidates isn’t enough of an adequate endeavor to establish thriving diversity. There needs to be a comprehensive plan in place so that these candidates are able to flourish, progress and succeed within the highly competitive workplace of the contemporary law firm. The more festering issue is that leadership of many companies view establishing diversity as simply a thing they are obligated to do, rather than something that will offer direct benefit to their firms. A diverse workforce provides any business with a distinct advantage as each member of staff has had a unique experience in the world and a singular perspective. This paper will discuss the necessary pillars in place that will allow diversity to blossom and succeed within the workforce.

Implementing educational programs within a law firm will provide a solid backbone for diversity to build upon. Every member of the law firm needs to know what the realities of diversity mean and be empowered to take a long look at the multitude of internal biases many members of staff possess in regards to how they view diversity. Embracing diversity is not about simply opening the door to people of a different ethnicity or race. Rather, it is an intensive process where one needs to confront one’s own specific attitudes, beliefs, and potential prejudices about others. The goal of this educational process is to build appreciation among all members of staff in the firm. Much of the resistance that people have towards diversity or working with those from diverse backgrounds is founded in fear, often irrational fears of the unknown or the misunderstood. Staff members need to understand that tolerance of diversity only contributes to an imbalanced work environment. The educational program will repeatedly explore and demonstrate how diversity is something to value, above all else.

Realistically speaking, the diversity-training program needs to have clear objectives and function by actively engaging employees in a way that organically captures their interest and attention. For example, creating a work calendar that has a diverse number of holidays on it or events that encourage new perspectives can help build empathy, understanding and compassion. Other diversity related events could be holding games and competitions about diversity topics or other events that allow team members to connect.

Above all else, employees need to understand why diversity is so priceless. A diverse workforce contains individuals who can build upon one another’s weaknesses. Effective teamwork at its core means that people with distinct styles and methods come together to meet a common goal. A just and equitable society is one that empowers an appreciation of cultural diversity and where there is a strong impetus to breed acceptance and understanding. Schools that make such efforts have students who get higher grades and have lower incidences of bullying, as students feel more accepted and part of a community. Schools are a microcosm of society, and indicate that the same will be true in the case of big corporations and companies such as law firms.
Once the groundwork within the law firm has been properly laid to embrace and elevate a diverse environment, there needs to be a targeted plan to recruit the best candidates from a range of communities, as well as to reach out to current ethnic minority employees to bring in new ones. Recruiting within colleges that have a large minority populations is a good move, as is using blind resume screening tools. Selecting interviewers who are trained in interviewing diverse candidates and who know what questions to ask to establish merit and to find the value in the wide range of experiences minority candidates often possess, is crucial.

Finally, retaining diverse employees is pivotal to not only ensure and promote diversity, but so that they can thrive, ultimately taking positions of leadership. There needs to be infrastructure within the company that offers these employees unshakeable support in the form of mentoring programs. Establishing a diversity committee or consultant who is in charge of ensuring that diversity thrives within an environment that values it, will also be beneficial. Creating an environment of transparency is also essential: this means open communication policies and equal pay for all employees. Finally, all diverse candidates need to be a major part of all decision-making processes and in offering ideas and solutions for workplace challenges. These members of staff need to feel heard and valued if they are expected to stay.