Manage a Diverse Workforce --

¶ … Manage a diverse workforce -- making diversity an asset

Is diversity in the workforce an asset to organizational productivity and unity, or a detriment? Perhaps the answer is that diversity can be either a corporate asset or problematic, depending on how it is managed. On one hand, diversity can lead to conflict between individuals with different values and worldviews. However, ultimately, creating a workforce of individuals from many different cultures, ethnic, regional and racial groups can create a workplace environment that is more educational, creative, and more reflective of the public the organization serves.

The first step to managing a diverse workforce is to create awareness of differences, and respect for those differences. Allowing workers to discuss their different backgrounds in orientation activities, conducting sensitivity and diversity awareness workshops, showing photographs of the company's diverse workforce in the corporate literature, even having different cultural days where workers can eat the food of a particular culture in the cafeteria are simple ways to show that the organizational culture is pluralistic and tolerant.

Within individual branches and workplace teams, fostering a spirit of education and dialogue is essential to breaking down ignorance and communications barriers created by different cultural backgrounds. Stressing the need for cooperation between all workers and that working as a diverse team is essential to being a good worker must be shown by rewarding organizational leaders who work together with everyone and try to learn from the experiences and backgrounds of others on their team. This is especially important in today's global environment, where, for example, a worker with an international background can provide valuable advice on the types of ideas that might be persuasive to a world audience. When diversity is made to work for the organization, everyone wins, but workers who show that they value diversity in their words and deeds must be rewarded for their efforts.