Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: An Evolving Initiative

The business world is changing for the better as companies continue to discover the value of diverse employees. Historically, a push for cultural diversity in the workplace stemmed from programs such as affirmative action and efforts to comply with the law. However, businesses that have incorporated diverse training into corporate strategies have found that the benefits of incorporating diverse talent into the workforce not only improves productivity, but also creates a well balanced pool of knowledge, experience and creativity.

 Building upon differences among team members can strengthen the bonds formed with clients and customers throughout the world. Ethnic diversity in the workplace enables businesses to serve a broader base of clients with ease. However, this practice should not be a long term planning strategy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, minority groups are encompassing an increasing share of the population. In fact, four states (Hawaii, California, Texas and New Mexico) have deemed white Americans as the minority. Therefore, organizations are recognizing the need for multilingual individuals to service customers and to enrich the office environment by employing minority recruitment strategies.

Most people would agree that cultural diversity in the workplace utilizes our country's skills to its fullest, and contributes to our overall growth and prosperity.  The reality of the situation is that it hasn't happened and progress remains slow.  While we are in the midst of the longest period of economic growth this country has ever seen, the gap between the "haves" and "have nots" continues to widen. 

One of the reasons for this has been the lack of diversity in corporate America.   By not developing a diverse workforce from the top down, African, Hispanic (Latino), and Asian Americans are unfairly relegated to lower-skilled, lower-pay positions and are not able to fullfill their true potential.  Many corporations have recognized that diversity contributes to the bottom line by:  making it easier to retain good employees, lowering costs by developing skills in-house, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees.   This is especially important with the economy doing so well, and the demand for skilled labor at record levels.

If you are an African, Hispanic (Latino), or Asian American trying to advance your career, working for a company that values workplace diversity is extremely important.  This will give you a good indication whether your employer will value your contributions, grant you promotions, train you to take on more responsibility, and pay you accordingly.

What is diversity?  Here are some key indicators that help provide a proper definition for diversity:

·         Diversity at the Officer, Board of Director, and Senior management levels

·         Diversity amongst the highest salaried employees in the company

·         Diversity amongst the company's workforce as a whole

·         Recruiting for new hires in Ethnic American publications

·         Recruiting at Ethnic American cultural or professional events

·         Membership in Ethnic American professional organizations

·         Charitable contributions to Ethnic American organizations

Discrimination tops list of "Terrible Ten" workplace behaviors

Discrimination tops the list of most offensive workplace behaviors, according to P.M. Forni, director of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University.

When asked to score 30 different behaviors based on their offensive nature, 615 employees from two Baltimore based companies determined that discrimination in any employment situation is the worst thing they encounter on the job. The list of unacceptable behaviors also included treating service providers as inferiors, making jokes or mocking statements about race, gender, disability, sexual preference or religion, misuse of handicapped privileges and smoking either in non-smoking areas or in front of non-smokers without permission.

Also included in the list of the "Terrible Ten" workplace behaviors were erratic driving (for commuters), taking credit for the work of another employee, littering or spitting, having aggressive children, and interrupting conversations or meetings to use cell phones.