Module 5

Diversity Management in Present Context

In today's globalized and rapidly evolving business landscape, diversity
management is crucial for organizational success. It goes beyond simply having
a diverse workforce; it's about creating a truly inclusive environment where all
employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique
perspectives. This involves implementing strategies that address biases, promote
understanding, and foster a culture of belonging.
Why it matters?
Diversity management is no longer just a trend; it's a strategic imperative. A
diverse and inclusive workforce leads to:
• Increased innovation and creativity: Diverse perspectives lead to
better problem-solving and the development of new ideas.
• Improved employee engagement and retention: When
employees feel valued and respected, they are more likely to be
engaged and stay with the organization.
• Better customer relations: A diverse workforce is better equipped
to understand and serve a diverse customer base.
• Enhanced reputation and brand image: Organizations that
prioritize diversity and inclusion are often seen as more progressive
and responsible, enhancing their reputation.
Key elements of effective diversity management:
• Policy and procedures: Implementing clear policies and
procedures that prohibit discrimination and promote inclusivity.
• Training and development: Providing employees with training on
diversity awareness, unconscious bias, and intercultural
communication.
• Leadership commitment: Having strong support from leadership
is crucial for driving diversity initiatives and creating a culture of
inclusivity.
 • Communication and dialogue: Creating open and safe spaces for
employees to share their experiences and perspectives.
• Data collection and analysis: Tracking diversity metrics and using
data to assess the effectiveness of diversity initiatives.
• Community engagement: Partnering with local organizations and
communities to foster understanding and build relationships.
Challenges and opportunities:
• Overcoming unconscious biases: Addressing unconscious biases
within the organization is a continuous process.
• Balancing diversity with inclusion: Ensuring that diversity
initiatives are truly inclusive and do not marginalize certain
groups.
• Adapting to changing demographics and global trends: Staying
abreast of changes in demographics and global trends to ensure that
diversity initiatives remain relevant and effective.
• Leveraging technology: Utilizing technology to promote
inclusivity and reach diverse audiences.
Examples of diversity management initiatives in various organizations:
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Creating groups that bring
together employees with shared interests or backgrounds to provide
support and mentorship.
• Mentoring programs: Pairing diverse employees with mentors to
help them navigate their careers and build their confidence.
• Inclusive language and communication: Using language that is
respectful and inclusive of all employees.
• Flexible work arrangements: Offering flexible work
arrangements that can accommodate the needs of diverse
employees

Advancements in technology now allow companies to hire and manage

employees from around the world and in different time zones. Companies are
designing specific programs and policies to enhance employee inclusion and
promotion, and retention of employees who are from different backgrounds and
cultures. The programs and policies are designed to create a welcoming
environment for groups that lacked access to employment and more lucrative
jobs in the past.

The concept of diversity started in North America in the mid-1980s, spreading

to other parts of the world afterward. Then United States President, Ronald
Reagan, originally vowed to dismantle the equality and affirmative action laws
that were viewed as legal constraints. Equality and affirmative action employees
presented the argument that diversity management should be seen as a
competitive advantage to US companies rather than as legal constraints.

The discussion attracted research into the concept of diversity and the benefits
of diversity management. The globalization of the world economy and the
spread of multinational corporations brought a new twist into the concept, in
that diversity management does not solely refer to the heterogeneity of the
workforce in one country but to workforce composition across countries.

Types of Diversity Management

The following are the two types of diversity management:

1. Intranational diversity management

Intranational diversity management refers to managing a workforce that
comprises citizens or immigrants in a single national context. Diversity
programs focus on providing employment opportunities to minority groups or
recent immigrants.

For example, a French company may implement policies and programs with the
aim of improving sensitivity and providing employment to minority ethnic
groups in the country.

2. Cross-national diversity management

Cross-national, or international, diversity management refers to managing a
workforce that comprises citizens from different countries. It may also involve
immigrants from different countries who are seeking employment.

An example is a US-based company with branches in Canada, Korea, and

China. The company will establish diversity programs and policies that apply in
its US headquarters, as well as in its overseas offices.

The main challenge of cross-national diversity management is that the parent

company must consider the legislative and cultural laws in the host countries it
operates in, depending on where the employees live.

Characteristics of Diversity Management

1. Voluntary
Unlike legislation that is implemented through sanctions, diversity management
is a voluntary organizational action. It is self-initiated by organizations with a
workforce from different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, and demographics.
There is no legislation to coerce or government incentives to encourage
organizations to implement diversity management programs and policies.

2. Provides tangible benefits

Unlike in the past when diversity management was viewed as a legal constraint,
companies use the diversity strategy to tap into the potential of all employees
and give the company a competitive advantage in its industry. It allows each
employee, regardless of his/her race, religion, ethnicity, or origin to bring their
talents and skills to the organization. A diverse workforce enables the
organization to better serve clients from all over the world since diverse
employees can understand their needs better.

3. Broad definition
While legislation and affirmative action target a specific group, diversity
management uses a broad definition since the metrics for diversity are
unlimited. The broad definition makes diversity programs more inclusive and
has less potential for rejection by the members of the majority group or
privileged sections of the society.

Best Practices of Diversity Management

Organizations can implement these best practices to maintain a competitive
business advantage and also capitalize on the potential of their diverse
workforce. The following are the best practices that an organization can
implement:

1. Commitment from top management

Workforce diversity can succeed if it is adopted by a shared vision within the
company’s top management. The senior executives of an organization are
responsible for policy formulation, and they can promote or eliminate
workplace diversity depending on the policies they make. When the senior
management fails to show commitment to implementing the diversity strategies,
the diversity plan becomes severely limited.

2. Identify new talent pools

In an organization where more people are leaving the workforce than are being
hired, management must immediately employ fresh talents. Most companies
prefer traditional new-employee sources, such as competitor organizations and
graduate schools, to recruit the best talent.

Companies should look beyond the traditional new-hire sources and explore
other talent pools, such as veterans exiting the military, minority groups, and
talents from other regions or countries. Hiring individuals with diverse skills
and knowledge can help companies to deliver better quality services to a global
client base.

3. Provide a safe avenue for dialogue on diversity-related issues

Organizations should create resource groups where employees from similar
backgrounds can connect and communicate their concerns in a safe
environment. People from minority groups often feel isolated from
organizations and may, therefore, increase employee turnover.

Creating avenues for mentorship, networking, and socializing helps to increase

employee engagement and performance levels. Successful staff members can
demonstrate how they found success within the organization and mentor new
staff members.

4. Make diversity part of the company’s objectives

An organization that practices workforce diversity should not shy away from
letting the world know that the organization embraces diversity and works with
people from all backgrounds. The organization can start by encouraging and
supporting its staff who volunteer for different causes such as a disability walk
or an HIV/AIDs awareness forum.

It can sponsor fund drives to raise funds to support vulnerable and

underrepresented populations. The organization can also offer internships and
scholarships to minority groups.

5. Distinguish between diversity and affirmative action

Various governments around the world have implemented affirmative action
programs to provide opportunities for women and other minority groups. While
such affirmative actions complement diversity, organizations should make a
distinction between affirmative action and diversity.

Diversity is proactive rather than reactive, and it requires a change in the

organization. People from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs bring a
range of work styles, thoughts, and perspectives that an organization can use to
improve efficiency and encourage creativity in product development

Corporate training for building diverse and inclusive workplace

Corporate training in diversity and inclusion aims to foster a workplace where
all employees feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities. This
involves educating employees on diverse perspectives, unconscious biases, and
creating inclusive interactions. The goal is to build a culture where differences
are celebrated, and individuals feel they belong.
Key aspects of diversity and inclusion training:
• Awareness and Understanding:
Training helps employees understand the importance of diversity and
inclusion, recognize their own biases, and appreciate differences in cultures,
experiences, and backgrounds.
• Inclusive Practices:
Training equips employees with the skills to communicate effectively,
collaborate with diverse teams, and create a more inclusive work environment.
• Addressing Bias and Discrimination:
Training helps employees identify and mitigate unconscious biases, learn
about discrimination, and know how to respond appropriately when
encountering it.
• Promoting a Culture of Belonging:
Training emphasizes creating a workplace where employees feel valued,
respected, and have a sense of belonging, regardless of their background.
Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion Training:
• Improved Employee Engagement and Retention:
When employees feel valued and respected, they are more likely to be
engaged and stay with the company.
• Enhanced Creativity and Innovation:
Diverse perspectives lead to more innovative ideas and solutions.
• Better Decision-Making:
Diverse teams are better equipped to make informed decisions that reflect a
wider range of viewpoints.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction:
A diverse workforce can better understand and cater to the needs of a diverse
customer base.
• Stronger Organizational Reputation:
 Demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion can improve the
company's reputation and attract talent

What is a Diversity Training Program?

Diversity training in a workplace provides awareness and knowledge of the
unique identities of the employees- race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
gender, socio-economic status, mental ability, etc. And how they come together
to form a workplace culture.
Diversity in the workplace is not only about tolerance but also about
acceptance. And a work environment that eradicates workplace
harassment and discrimination. Where workers coordinate and complete their
projects with utmost respect and dignity to create positive company culture.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace cannot entirely transform a person's
mentality. But, it aids in breaking down existing barriers and educating oneself
about underrepresented groups.
Many companies and leaders like to believe that such training programs help to:
• Develop a sense of understanding amongst coworkers
• Emphasize and celebrate the cultural, ethnic, and gender differences
• Eradicate unconscious biases.
• Encourage workers to stand against discrimination.

6 Types of Diversity Training for Effective Business Growth

If you’re a manager or a business leader looking to make your workplace
diverse and inclusive for increased employee engagement, you must focus on
diversity training. Here are some effective types of diversity training you must
focus on:
1. Awareness Training
Awareness training is one of the most effective types of diversity training. We
believe every company leader must learn the skill of diversifying their
workforce.
Awareness training is nothing but a training session where employees know
about various people from multiple backgrounds. For instance, colleagues, old
and new, get to know about sexual minorities, gender minorities, racial and
ethnic identities, and many more.
You must ensure every staff member is aware of the concept of workplace
equity. They must treat everyone equally, irrespective of their marginalization or
identity.
Organizing an awareness training helps in:
• Collective problem-solving and decision-making
• Promoting respect and value amongst co-workers
• Uplift underrepresented people in the mainstream world
• Creating awareness about employees’ differences
• Emphasize the need for change and eradicate prejudices
2. Skill-based Diversity Training
In order to operate effectively with diverse teams, inclusive businesses must
train their new workers to develop interpersonal skills
Meanwhile, current employees must learn how to communicate and work as a
team with their diverse team members.
This is highly relevant in the age of remote work and distributed teams.
This training focuses on specific areas such as:
• Creating new ways to communicate with a diverse workforce
• Reinforce existing skills
• Encourage skill-building methods
• Technical skill training for administrative purposes
3. Diversity Audits
Diversity audits training are regular dip-checks that help HR professionals
mitigate and identify discrimination in the workplace.
When it comes to types of diversity training, leaders must consider diversity
audits for their HR professionals. These audits are a daunting task for HR, and it
requires ample training to do it effectively.
These audits help in:
 • Assessing the happenings around the office and peer relations.
• Managing employee attitudes toward coworkers and ensuring that
company policies are fully observed.
• It helps to identify discrimination of any sort
• Encouraging employee transparency
Hence, when HR receives the proper diversity audit training, they will learn to
align employee behavior with the company values. Also, these audits ensure
that no discrimination happens right from the hiring stage until the employee
exit. Thus, it helps enhance employee experience in a company.
4. Intermediate Diversity Training
As an employer, you must provide employees with the necessary tools to
implement change and create an inclusive culture in the workplace. And this is
what intermediate diversity training does.
This is probably the most effective training where employees with tangible
skills learn to work with people who are different or do not fall into the
mainstream societal norms.
Intermediate training discusses personal behavior along with systemic issues.
Some of the benefits of such training include:
• Identifies unconscious/implicit bias and knowing how to mitigate them
• It accommodates people with different beliefs, values, or abilities and
builds a sense of belonging
• Eradicates microaggressions and makes a workplace free of stereotypes
and discrimination
• Encourages cross-cultural communication and team bonding
5. Basic Diversity Training
The primary goal of basic diversity training is to foster respect and empathy
among coworkers. It is about openly addressing all the issues related to culture
and identity in the workplace.
Although basic training does not change company culture, it does promote
better awareness of diversity.
Thus, as a leader, you must not skip this training to create a company culture of
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
A basic training program will cover these modules:
• Anti-racism training
• Anti-sexism training
• Educating about sexual orientation and gender identities
• Cultural sensitivity training
• Human resource compliance training
6. Mobile Learning
When you are amid a global pandemic, going digital with diversity training is
what your remote team needs. In 2021, diversity and inclusion have taken center
stage in every company's priority lists. Your new hires need to understand your
policies, especially diversity and inclusion, in such a scenario.
When we talk about new-age types of diversity training, mLearning
immediately strikes our head. It is convenient, cost-effective as well as
accommodative.
With the help of this training type, you can organize diversity training for
remote workers as well. It will help you connect your staff with their peers and
accept individual differences with dignity and respect. Also, mLearning is more
accessible for people with disabilities, chronic health issues, or people from a
distributed global team.