DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF DIVERSITY significant rewards . Young millennials often help older baby boomers with new technologies while baby boomers can model appropriate career ladders and behaviors for advancement . These situations provide a “ win-win ” scenario for everyone involved .
The best HR teams understand that in today ’ s workplace , there are groups who feel marginalized or may at times feel left out or as if they don ’ t belong . When employers make an effort to create diverse teams , these employees feel included and supported and are likely to be happy and more productive .
How does a company that has always had a fairly homogeneous workforce begin to embrace diversity and integrate it into the company culture ? The answer is that it is not easy and requires buy-in from the executive suite to be successful . Management must show commitment , taking a deep look within and assigning their company a “ diversity grade .” Where does your company fall in terms of welcoming in diverse personnel ? Do you provide accommodation for those with unique religious observances , work / life situations , or physical abilities ? Do groups tend to cluster within like demographics rather than integrate inclusively throughout the team ?
After analyzing your situation , it may be time to adjust your hiring practices . Take a hard look at whether your workforce composition matches both your target market and geographic location . Figure out what areas are lacking and reach out to employees representing these diverse groups for referrals , contact appropriate cultural institutions and religious organizations , and use the web to find the right outlets to “ market ” your company . Make it part of your company brand message that yours is an open company that welcomes people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds . encourages them to do their best work . When you have a team of happy achievers all working toward a common goal , your company will attract outstanding job candidates and customers .
If you would like to learn more about introducing a culture of diversity and openness , contact Marcotte ’ s HR Consultant Denise Christiansen at ( 402 ) 970-3361 to get the ball rolling . +
Denise Christiansen is a Human Resource Consultant within Marcotte ’ s Employee Benefits division . She brings over 25 years of diverse human resource and leadership experience including positions with fortune 100 firms as well as independently providing HR Consulting Services to a number of local businesses . Denise assists Marcotte ’ s clients across a wide range of HR challenges including compliance , benefit enrollment and HRIS systems analysis , employee handbooks , personnel file and I-9 audits . Denise attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha studying HR Management . Denise believes Human Resources is the foundation which serves the people , from managers to employees , and that the evolution of the HR function gives credence to the fact that people are an organization ’ s most important resource . She believes that people are an organization ’ s asset and that employees must be hired , satisfied , motivated , developed , and retained . In her spare time , Denise enjoys spending time with her family at the lake , hosting Sunday family dinners and watching the Huskers and Cowboys !
Company-wide acceptance and internalization of more diverse values takes time and may require managers at every level to enroll in diversity training programs . These programs teach participants to become more socially aware of people of differing backgrounds and suggest ways to promote a spirit of inclusion throughout the company . This can be done by developing written diversity policies , promoting the concept of strictly merit-based pay and advancement opportunities , and establishing a central resource to answer questions about your company ’ s diversity culture .
Finally , don ’ t forget about retention . It takes a lot more work to recruit a new individual to your team than it does to retain a current one — regardless of ethnic considerations . Be sure that your diversity policies extend to current employees just as it does new employees . In order to be long-lasting and effective , policies should be reevaluated and modified based on continual feedback .
Through the power of social media , everything your company says and does — or maybe just even hints at — becomes public information instantly . Keep in mind , job seekers evaluate your company long before the first interview . They are conducting internet searches , looking for feedback from job candidates , customers , and ex-employees .
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Ultimately , the goal of a corporate diversity program is to ensure that your firm ’ s culture attracts the top available talent and
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