Organizations which are open to diversity in the workplace and seek to develop an inclusive workplace need to understand precisely what this means. Workplace diversity means having employees who differ by race, religion, age, or gender. The ability to hire different employees gives the company many advantages, such as a more comprehensive selection of candidates. Companies that do not use diversity in the workplace may miss out on talented and intelligent employees who can positively influence their work and generate revenue. Moreover, if the company plans to enter the international market, it will be helpful to hire employees of different ethnic groups since, with their help, international cooperation will be more successful than with employees of a single ethnic origin.
Diversity in the workplace will undoubtedly bring some benefits and results, but it has several challenges. The first one is hostility towards people of different racial backgrounds. Davis (2017) states that he had an unpleasant incident when he went outside and a group of strangers began to show aggression towards him, and he later learned that this was due to the color of his skin. To prevent this problem from escalating into something dangerous, managers should train their employees elaborating on what diversity is and remind them of the company’s values.
Another problem with diversity is the difficulty of communicating. Since variety involves hiring employees of different nationalities with their native languages, there may be a language barrier that interferes with communication and work. In this case, a company can agree on a common language used on the company’s territory and assist in learning this language. Moreover, it is possible to hold small meetings to teach basic knowledge of their native language. Hoeks (2014) claims that it is beneficial and exciting to know other languages besides your own and to be able to communicate with people of different nationalities. It will also help the company’s employees to develop their international communication.
In conclusion, human resources play a key role in introducing diversity in the workplace. They can enable employees to learn, develop, and achieve the company’s goals. They should also control the diversity, as this process is complex, multi-faceted, and requires constant monitoring. If diversity has not yet been introduced in a particular company, human resources should make this offer, helping the company achieve great success in the future.
References
Davis, D. (2017). Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies [Video]. Web.
Hoeks, V. (2014). Cultural difference in business [Video]. Web.