Many leaders experience an uneasy relationship with diversity. There are vastly different opinions on the ‘need’ to have or maintain a diverse workforce, as well as the impact that diversity could or should have on an organisation.
The way an organisation manages the issue of diversity is influenced by the relationship between its organisational values and the values and opinions of its senior leaders.
Despite outward appearances and verbal commitments to diversity, this is not always the case internally. Opposing sub-culture/s are often the real driving force behind employee behaviour with colleagues, customers and end users. The perception of that behaviour serves as an outward reflection of what an organisation truly stands for.
For those leaders working towards creating a diverse workforce or evaluating the effectiveness of their current structure, it may be useful to consider the following questions.
- How do you engage with your colleagues to establish what a diverse workforce actually is and how it should work?
- Do you inadvertently or purposefully ignore the subject matter altogether?
- If so, Why?
- Would be happy to create a visibly diverse workforce and leave it at that?
A visibly diverse workforce is something that some leaders actively aim to create; it’s quick, easy and looks the part. Box ticked. It can also help to avoid deeper scrutiny of a leader or an organisation.
I contend that the creation of a diverse workforce is a ‘scalable asset’ by which I mean that an organisation can actively engage with its diverse workforce to improve service delivery, product design, problem solving and planning for the future etc. The better it becomes at these elements, the more effective it is; potentially increasing profits along the way. Having a diverse workforce allows an organisation to tap into new sources of information, opinions and feedback from individuals, groups and communities who are more likely to engage with you because they see themselves in the people you hire. People with whom they have a perceived shared identity.
That being said; avoid hiring people because they fit some sort of idealistic ‘diversity profile’. Regardless of the range of diversity that you are seeking to attract, the best people want to know that they have been selected on merit, and not because of an attachment to a group/s they seem to represent.
Once in place, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just sit back and watch the magic happen. The drive towards your continuous and collective development should be stimulated, in part by your leadership and vision of the future.
Diversity doesn’t have to be the contentious, politically correct or divisive entity that some fear it to be. If managed correctly, it can be a valuable asset.