Question

As discussed within the interactive lecture, our world continues to change. Based upon research and your own experiences, address the following:

1. Explain why you believe diversity is important in organizations.
2. Address how, as a current or future HR professional/leader, you will encourage workplace diversity.
3. Identify diversity-related trends that you believe will impact the workforce in the next five years.
4. Explain how these trends need to be addressed by HR professionals.

Answer 1

Diversity enables the organisations to enrich their work environment owing to inclusion of different viewpoints and experiences brought by the diverse employees onboard. Besides helping the organisation making more rational and well thought decisions, the diversity is known to enhance tolerance, sensitivity and acceptance within the workforce.

a manager / leader of HR, can encourage diversity by ensuring the inclusion of members from different races, age groups, ethnic origins and of both genders with diverse educational backgrounds and cultural attributes. This can be ensured through a compehensive recruitment policy meant for this purpose. For ensuring that they stay with the organusation, he /she should manage the diversity by inculcating tolerance, empathy and sensitivity towards members of other cultures, races and ethnic background, through prividing ample opportunities of employee interaction and training interventions.

Owing to greater globalisation, one would see inclusion of more members from centres of educated and skilled workforce in asia and latin america, in the workdforce of the US, EU and other developed economies. There would be more participation of women and greater tolerance for special groups like LGBT in the workforce.

HR professionals need to make sure that the organisation benefits from the increasing workplace diversity, by preparing the framework for making the workplace welcoming for diverse workforce by designing training methods, defining policies for selecting and retaining the diverse people, and developing a culture of tolerance, trust and acceptance, much before the sweeping changes make it a must.