Managing a Diverse Workforce- #diversityworks!

Why do many companies find increasing and managing diversity to be difficult challenges? 


The workforce in the United States has a growing minority population that includes people from all over the globe. Managing diversity effectively includes encouraging a heterogeneous workforce with all races that are employable. Some factors affect an organization’s ability to effectively manage diversity, they include the shifting of the economy to a service oriented one, the new business strategies that calls for more teamwork, mergers and acquisitions that bring different cultures together and the changing labor market that has seen more women and minorities being educated and upwardly mobile. New laws governing the employment of people with disabilities and the need to hire employees who can directly relate to the customer base is also driving companies to adopt diversity and its challenges. 

Under what circumstances might using a consulting firm be most useful in addressing issues with diversity ? 

In the event that there is a problem with employees from different cultural backgrounds, where language is a barrier to communication, a consultant could bring in language experts. Different cultures view things like hand gestures and even personal space in public from different angles. These minor infractions can cause problems between workers and affect productivity. Having someone with the same background moderate this fuss can be effective. The solution of the problem amicably is the job number one. The consultant should encourage employees to discuss openly any issues that affect the conflicting employees and provide feedback to management for future reference. Kudos on a good work week everyone, cheers!