Management and Diversity Essay

Susan Jackson states in Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resource Initiatives that, â€Å"Surveys of business leaders confirm the perception that interest in managing diversity successfully is widespread. In a study of 645 firms, 74% of the respondents were concerned about diversity, and of these about one-third felt that diversity effected corporate strategy.† This means that the majority of organizations feel diversity is important, and see the need to take action, however; implementing the process can be more difficult. This paper will outline a human resources strategic plan that includes diversity training for all employees to include managers and frontline staff. It will focus specific diversity training segments to address management’s perspectives, and will use a change model to persuade management to implement needed modifications to the organizations practices. This paper will also propose a brief training outline of diversity content. Finally, this paper wil l recommend a comprehensive method of evaluation to ensure the training will create the needed changes. Mark Winston states in The Importance of Leadership Diversity: The Relationship between Diversity and Organizational Success in the Academic Environment that, â€Å"Fostering diversity in organizations is generally considered a priority in relation to the increasing diverse population, as well as inequities, current unfairness, and underrepresented.† To have a diversity strategy that becomes a strategic part of organization it must align with the overall goals of the organization. Nagel, CEO for Cisco states in the Hewlett Associates Creating a Sustainable Inclusion and Diversity Strategy: Build on Your Company’s Goals and Strengths that, â€Å"This position of inclusion and diversity must be an integral part of the company’s key business goals, rather than an add-on whose value and cost constantly need to be justified. A successful and sustainable I&D (inclusion and diversity) strategy cannot be built in a silo. Similarly, for I&D to receive the organizational support required to achieve its goals, it needs to be represented and play a central role in decision-making at the highest level. To ensure that I&D is integrated at every level of the company, not just an HR focus.† To have this strategy start at the top of the organization is critical to the success of the initiative. This would begin with the forming of an Inclusion and Diversity Council. This counsel would be led by the Vice President of Human Resources, and the members are all executive level positions that represent each component of the company. The goals for this council would be to develop the Inclusive and Diversity vision to align with the goals of the company, develop the strategy behind the diversity and inclusion, and the execution plan. This council would also start gathering data to begin employee network groups in whic h all employees have the opportunity to join. It would review and advocating policies that support an inclusive environment including training for all employees, and implement a metrics for measuring the impact of Inclusion and Diversity initiatives. Through creating this type of board for the organization places diversity as a top priority and demonstrates the seriousness of integrating diversity into the organization. This would also exhibit to the EEOC a good faith effort to inaugurate diversity into the company. Below the council would be an additional group of managers that are composed of different business segments and would each hold a leadership type position in the employee network group. This group of managers would be responsible for building a strategy and executing a plan to implement the council’s decisions. This would allow an additional team of employees be involved in the inclusion and diversity strategy. â€Å"Because I&D goals are aligned with the overall business goals, I&D initiatives have a greater impact than before and are seen as a company priority.† (Hewett, 2009). Through starting the diversity strategies at the top and including additional manager throughout the company shows that this initiative is not a fad and that it is being taken seriously. The council will begin the inclusion and diversity process and communicate to managers and the overview the hiring and team the employees that make up the organization. In addition to the council, managers that recruit and hire employees will go through interviewing skills and be required to have a diverse slate based upon the geographic location. Adding more diverse candidates to the interview process gives managers the opportunity to hire more diverse candidates if they are the most qualified for the position. Interviewing more diverse candidates, allows more opportunity to hire and retain a diverse workforce. This will lead to less discrimination lawsuits based on hiring and retaining more diversity within the organization. Another key point is developing and engaging the talent that the organizat ion currently has. This would include promotions of internal candidates. This type of development would include mentoring groups that could be utilized through the employee network groups. This would reach all levels of employees throughout the organization. Finally, there will be training for all employees in regards to diversity and inclusion, harassment, and stereotypes and biases. By training employees and holding then accountable for improper practices or behavior, helps the organization develop standards and omit any inappropriate behaviors. Through aligning diversity and inclusion with the company’s overall goals and including key leaders in the organization states that this is a high priority and is supported by the overall company. By engaging managers at different levels through employee network groups and having diverse slates in hiring practices allows the company to continue to grow in diversity and inclusion. Finally, providing training and policies in place to encompass all employees gives everyone the understanding of what behavior is acceptable and that the work environment is inclusion for everyone. There can be a variety of reasons that managers or employees would resist change. According to the article, Workplace Diversity: How to Tackle Resistance it states, â€Å"Employees resist diversity for a number of reasons; if the organization’s definition of diversity is not broad enough and inclusive, some employees may feel excluded or left out of the change process. Furthermore, employees who are not often made to feel included in the process, such as white men, may feel blamed for inequities in their organization and react with defensiveness. On the other hand, employees specifically included in diversity efforts – such as women or people of color- may express resistance because they do not want to be singled out or perceived as having succeeded purely as a result of the change effort. Finally, employees are also cynical and reluctant to get involved with new diversity efforts when past change efforts have not been successful.† To address the managers that would be implementing these practices I would first start with training the understanding of the alignment of diversity with the organizational goals. This would include ten session training about diversity and the way that it effects the organization. Through establishing and defining the organization’s definition of diversity and how it will help the company grow would help the managers understand the company initiative and that the top leaders of the organization are implementing and enforcing this program. It would also allow the managers to understand diversity and the components of it. The second training would entail having a diverse slate to interview, interviewing candidates, and selecting the best talent. â€Å"One common misperception is the belief that unearned benefits or advantages will be given to a specific group, such as white women, or people of color; as well as that one has to part of a specific group in order to be promoted.â €  (Catalyst, 2009). Through understanding the correct interview process, having a diverse number of candidates for promotion or hiring, and asking job related questions will allow the organization to continue to build on diversity and inclusion and train as well as show the managers the correct hiring process. The third training would allow the manager to understand and analyze their own stereotypes and biases. Through identifying that everyone, absolutely everyone has stereotype and biases, allows the manager to identify them and then look past them. This would help with the fair treatment of all employees. All three of these training sessions, understanding diversity, interview with diversity, and understanding stereotypes and biases will allow the company to continue to grow in diversity and inclusion. The organization will also be in compliance with sound hiring practices and treatment of employees including harassment. Dr. John Kotter’s 8-Step change model is one that can be utilized to impl ement and explain the change in the organization’s diversity and inclusion. According to the article The development of a model to support synchronous change, Kotter’s eight steps are: create a sense of urgency, form a powerful coalition, create a vision for change, communicate the vision, remove obstacles, create short term wins, build on the change, and anchor the changes in corporate culture. The first step is to create a sense of urgency. In this case the urgency has already been put in place by the charges faced by the EEOC. Due to the charges the organization must put a plan into effect quickly; this will be vital to the success of the organization. In step two, formulating a coalition, this can be done through establishing the diversity council in which key leaders will initiate the beginning of the diversity and inclusion component of the company. This will help the organization to all be on the same page and implement a strategy from the top. The third step includes the vision for change. This is done through aligning the goals of the organiz ation to the goals of diversity. This part of the plan would create goals such as meeting diversity goals, creating an inclusive environment, and training goals for the employees. Creating a work environment that is diverse as well as inclusive is an ideal work environment. Step four, communicate the vision, can be accomplished through the trainings conducted with the managers. These trainings would explain the diversity goals of the organization and have the frontline staff complete 5 diversity training sessions, and manager complete 10 diversity training sessions. In addition to the training, the managers should have constant open and honest communication about the changes that are happening and how those changes are effecting the organization. The fifth step, removing obstacles, would need to be in place when the employees are resisting the changes. Removing obstacles is part of the overall plan in which resistance comes up it is addressed immediately and allows the organization continue to build on its strategy. This fifth step is important in which managers that are following the diversity vision are rewarded and those that are not a redirected to follow the guidelines in place. This came be done by offering diversity bonuses based on having a diverse hiring slate, but not by hiring the most diverse candidates. The important part is still hiring the best candidates, but having a variety of candidates to choose from. The sixth step, create short-term wins, allows the employees to process and be successful in intervals. This would include reaching goals such as completing training, and having the correct amount of people to interview to complete a diverse slate. Step seven, build on the change, allow employees to celebrate the small successes that will then lead to additional wins of having a diverse and inclusive work environment. Finally, the eighth step, anchor the changes in corporate culture, is the complete process in which the changes are adapted to the culture of the organization. This is when the new staff as well as the old staff has accepted the culture and ensures that the changes continue. Each component of Kotter’s eight step process is important and necessary to achieve success. This plan of implementing change in accordance with the eight steps lays the foundation for the organization to make a positive change and provide a more diverse and inclusive work place. Described previously there were would be diversity training composed of ten (10) sessions. These sessions are based off of the Workplace Diversity Foreword, Managing Workplace Diversity. The first five sessions would be for both frontline employees and managers. The remaining sessions six to ten would be for managers only. The first session would entail an understanding of what diversity is. Although diversity can be different to each individual, this would focus on the defining diversity, giving history of the organizations diversity, and legal overview. The second training session would explain what stereotypes are as well as biases. In the course participant would identify their own biases through active listening. Once the biases and stereotypes are identified, the third session would include breaking down your own biases through changing how the participants view their approach and the encouraging workplace and social changes. The fourth lesson would then identifying the proper communication stating that listening and hearing are two different things. This would help open up communication among all individuals to incorporate an all-inclusive environment. Lesson five would explain body language and it is not what you say, but how you say it. This would allow employees as well as managers to understand that there is more to communication than just words. The sixth training would encourage diversity in the workplace through establishing guidelines and teaching employees about preventing discrimination. The seventh training would entail identifying discrimination and the options in which an employee or manager would have if this happened. The eight training would explain the processes used if you as a manager are involved in a complaint, understanding the role that you play as a manager that represents the company as well as an individual. The ninth training would teach the manager how to properly document the complaint and identify the appropriate actions including contacting the human resources department. The tenth training would explain the steps in receiving the complaint formally as then looking back at the incident and learning from the experience. All ten of these trainings, establish the guidelines that the organization is looking to enforce and support. Each component both explains and defines what diversity is, how it is involved in the day to day work environment, and how to prevent as well as respond to a complaint. Once all of the trainings are completed managers as well as employees will understand the overall goals of the company, how diversity plays a role in those goals, how each employee and manager can contribute towards those goals, and what to do when the resistance to diversity is encountered. Finally, this paper will recommend a comprehensive method of evaluation to ensure the training will create the needed changes. One way to measure the success of diversity initiative is if there are any additional complaints filed with the EEOC, and of the goals or requirements put in place by the EEOC are met. Tracking and evaluating the hiring process and the applicants considered will show the strides or lack of follow through for the organization. Also following the guidelines given and continued follow through with compliance would allow the organization to track and view the changes. Another way to establish if the goals and measures are successful is through looking the amount of promotions if internal candidates. This will show how many employees are taking advantage of the mentoring, employee networking, and diversity training through embracing the goals of the company and making themselves more promotable. â€Å"The organization’s retention rate by demographic group compares favorably with external retention rates.† (Bliss, Keary, Loftus, Outwater, Porter & Volpe, 2011). This would show how many minorities had been hired and promoted. An additional measure could also be an employee survey conducted. â€Å"Employee satisfaction survey results by demographic group show the feelings or rates on the diversity in the organization.† (Bliss, et al, 2011). Through seeking the employee input on how they view diversity, training and the inclusive environment, and how successful they feel it is will allow the organization to gage how successful the diversity initiative is and how to continue to build upon it. Finally the organization can look specifically in the diversity of top level managers. â€Å"Consistent with applicable law, representation of minorities and women in positions is enhanced.† (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). This would directly look to see how engaged the top level of the company is and the continued support needed to continue to grow the diversity of the organization. Each measurement will allow the organization to understand and e nhance the diversity and inclusion strategy. â€Å"Practicing diversity management means operating at a level that is the best with respect to diversity management.† (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). This paper outlined a human resources strategic plan that includes the creation of a diversity council of top managers, an additional group of managers to help implement diversity changes, employee network groups, and diversity training for all employees to include managers and frontline staff. This paper focused on specific diversity training segments to address management’s perspectives through establishing a diversity training model for all employees. This paper used Kotter’s eight (8) step change model to persuade management to implement needed modifications to the organizations practices, and proposed a brief ten (10) training outline of diversity content. Finally, this paper recommended a tracking system through the applicant flow log to overview the diversity process as well as a survey for employees to complet e to ensure the training will create the needed changes. References Bliss, W., Keary, D., Loftus, J., Outwater, L., Porter, G., Volpe, N., (2011). The SHRM Learning System: Module Three Human Resource Development. Alexandra, VA: Society for Human Resource Management. p. 206-221. Catalyst., (2009, May 13). Workplace Diversity: How to Tackle Resistance. Women’s Media. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.womensmedia.com/lead/119-workplace-diversity-how-to-tackle-resistance.html Hewett, A,. (2009). Creating a Sustainable Inclusion & Diversity Strategy: Build on Your Company’s Goals and Strengths. Retrieved December 15, 2012 from: http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac49/ac55/white_paper_Diversity_102709.pdf Jackson, S., (1992) Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resources Initiatives. Guilford Publications. New York, NY. Managing Workplace Diversity Website. (2012). Work Place Diversity Foreword. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://pdtraining.com.au/workplace-diversity-training-course Redvers C., Tennant,C., Neailey, N., (2005) The Development of a Model to Support Synchronous Change. Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 9 Issue: 3, pp.13 – 20. Werner, J., & DeSimone, R. (2012) Human resource development (6th ed.) Mason OH: South Western Cengage Learning Winston, M., (2009). The Importance of Leadership Diversity: The Relationship