Diversity in the Workplace - Enhancing an Organization's Success

The world has changed. As the number of women and minorities continue to grow in the workplace, corporate America is finally getting the message: diversity in the workplace can greatly enhance an organization’s success.

By integrating workers from culturally diverse backgrounds into the workforce, organizations can tap into their specialized skills and knowledge about the marketplace. This is especially true in today’s global markets, as companies interact with different cultures and clients. Diversity in the workplace enables organizations to develop more innovative and effective programs and services for the diverse clients it serves. The results? More business, more sales, more targeted and satisfied customers which can mean more dollars on the company's bottom line.

At the same time, good diversity management helps organizations minimize unnecessary costs associated with turnover, absenteeism, low productivity and even legal fees/settlements. Managing diversity means creating a corporate environment where diverse employees from the African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic , Native American, Women , Gay and Lesbian, Mature Worker, Veteran and Disabled communities can flourish. When employees feel their skills and knowledge are recognized and they have the opportunity to succeed, they are more engaged in contributing to an organization’s success.

Creating diversity in the workplace comes without problems. Organizational conflicts are inevitable but they are important factors of social processes and developments. Having a more diverse workforce in the workplace may increase the amount of conflicts that arise and potentially, they can be constructive or destructive. Organizations, therefore, should be able to identify and analyze the pros and cons of diversity and manage both in order to reap its remarkable benefits. Policies, programs and diversity awareness training, when well planned and implemented, could deliver maximum value to the organization. With increased diversity awareness and skills, employees will learn not only how to foster a respectful workplace but also overcome conflicts and improve their interpersonal and communication skills with individuals different from themselves.

But unless the participation rate of qualified diverse graduates increases, diversity in the workplace cannot increase. Much needs to be done on building diversity into the context of our higher education system to produce a greater pool of diverse graduates who are well equipped to meet the demands of the diverse business environment.

Sustaining and valuing diversity in the workplace is a long-term process and requires hard work. Diversity in the workplace should be solidly integrated into the systems, processes and culture of the organization - board, management, employees, suppliers - wherever possible, in order to increase its performance contribution to the bottom-line.