Addressing Cultural Diversity Within Organizations

Companies embracing diversity attract a wider range of candidates. Such organizations are viewed as progressive and appeal to individuals from various backgrounds. Does your organization have an inclusive workplace culture? An inclusive workplace is extremely effective, as it fits the ever-evolving world, by appreciating unique ideas, different perspectives, experiences, and people.

How to promote diversity and inclusion at your organization?

Organizations and individuals, as well as societies, struggle with the complexities associated with changes in demographics. Growing age diversity and workforce aging is not momentarily, while their impact is increased with a combination of factors such as increased migration and mobility, gender as well as ethnic diversity.

Working alongside people with varied experiences, working styles, and cultural backgrounds has its own perks. It creates room for innovative and creative concepts while brainstorming ideas from shared feedback and suggestions.

Creating a workforce of diversity must be intentional and should start at the top of the leadership hierarchy with the president, executive officers of the c-suite, and then cascade to senior-level leaders and all other employees. Employees are often watching and observing the behaviours of their leaders, and many will take on the same characteristics in how people are to be treated and respected.

It may take time to develop a clear plan, however, understanding the needs of the organization should be the first step to begin creating a successful diverse, and inclusive program that will be applicable to any size organization.

Being an Inclusive Leader

With an increase in workplace diversity, leaders must innovate and bring in organization-wide transformation. The changes are due to a number of factors, such as offering more age technology platforms, educational opportunities and challenges, an aging workforce, and generation gap, along with ever-changing workforce demands.

These factors lead to enormous challenges and opportunities for organizational leaders and leadership development. What these trends call for are leaders to be more engaged and sensitive to the changing needs of their workforce and become attuned to the changing diversity of the 21st century workplace, which includes an aging workforce, increasing technology, a global presence; and a need for a more educated workforce.

While working in diverse organizations, individuals from different backgrounds offer a variety of talents, skills, and experiences, that benefits both the organization as well as its productivity.

Etech understands, the process of interacting with employees of differences may take time to create, however; the plan should also be visible in an outline of policies and procedures for the organization to have in writing and often refer to as reminders.  It may be challenging for leaders to engage in others, therefore senior teams must be aware of the need to hire those that can embrace an organization that promotes diversity and train those employees to be successful in their roles regardless of the role.