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Diversity has been defined as the condition of being diverse; as being different from one another; and as having qualities that are distinct. Some of the differences can be race, ethnic or national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and physical or mental capabilities. In the workplace, distinct qualities and abilities are assets. Individuals bring unique abilities and ideas.
Diversity impacts employers, employees, and customers.
Requirements like those enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs (OFCCP) set up some guidelines supporting diversity. However, complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and generating affirmative action plans are not the same as diversity.
No federal laws require organizations to be diverse. The statutes prohibit discrimination in employment and in employment decisions, but they don’t extend into requiring organizational diversity. Being diverse will, however, help you convince these agencies that you do not discriminate.
Diversity isn’t a new idea, but some employers have yet to embrace it, and some have paid the price in the courts. Many employers argue in support of diversity, reporting that it positively affects the bottom line, as well as other, more intangible areas of the organization.
As demographics have changed, the industrial market has evolved to a global one, and as such, organizations reflect this evolution. Diversity can strengthen and improve an organization by bringing a different viewpoint, a new method, a fresh approach, a broadened awareness, and a cultural expansion to it. Customers have become more diverse, and having employees who can understand them can help make organizations successful. Therefore, diversity is more than an outgrowth of political correctness. In many cases, it has become a business—a competitive—requirement.
Instead of wasting time, money, and effort responding to workplace members who feel they are discriminated against, organizations can be proactive and capitalize on the distinctions that individual employees bring to the competitive table. If quality employees feel undervalued, they may seek employment elsewhere, costing the organization in recruiting and hiring initiatives.
Beyond ensuring that your organization demographics reflect that of the surrounding community, and ensuring that the organization values the individual qualities of its employees, forward-thinking organizations capitalize on the differences.
Organizations in the early stages of incorporating a diversity initiative may want to obtain baseline information to compare to future data for return on investment reports. Such information as turnover rates, absenteeism, affirmative action plan information, and discrimination complaints can be used as a starting point.
A study conducted by the EEOC, indicated that leading companies adopted a SPLENDID approach to diversity issues:
Some organizations may not be poised for extensive and formal provisions of a diversity initiative, but implementing some level of effort should provide a return on investment.