"Diversity in the workplace is necessary to create a competitive economy in a globalized world. As communities continue to grow, it's important to harness the talent of all Americans" (Kerby and Burns 3). For various causes the diversity of people in today’s workforce's are lower than who America really is. This segregation affects the productivity of workplaces in many ways. However after much research business owners have found different ways to increase the workplace diversity.
According to the picture above it shows that non-diverse people are still the most likely to hold a management position.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobPoster/Resources/page.aspx?template=none&pagever=2011WorkplaceDiversityStudy
As shown in the video and also through the picture above minorities are not advancing in the workplace. America has been successful with getting jobs to minorities, however we need to diversify management too. There are plenty of people who are qualified for higher up positions who are not given the opportunity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGNkZY03Hjk
"Most jobs in the United States have been racially segregated since their inception" (Reskin 19). Through the quote it can be shown that different races have been assigned different jobs since their start. Sadly when these status quos were created, people of diversity received the worst jobs. These jobs were low paying, highly labor jobs with little job advancement. This ideal can be evident through Reskin's writing; "People of color have been relegated to society's worst jobs throughout our nation's history" (Reskin 19-20). This causes work forces to be non-diverse. Non diverse people are sitting pretty with nice jobs while diverse people suffer with low quality jobs. This sounds silly saying that that there is still to this day "Black" jobs, and "White" jobs, but to an extent it is true. It's hard for minorities to come into the majority workforce when these labels have been set for years.
Another cause for why some businesses are non-diverse is because of comfort. Some people are just not used to people of different races and would just feel more comfortable working with people of similar culture. Lastly, an additional cause for non-diversity in the workplace could be because of location. I interviewed Michelle Cureton (the only African American staff member in a mostly Caucasian school) and she talked to me about how there are pockets of different races who live together in cites. For example the city from which I am from (Lake Orion), is predominantly white, which causes the business workers to be mostly white. When there are pockets of races like Lake Orion it causes the diversity of surrounding business to be lacking. |
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"When companies recruit from a diverse set of potential employees, they are more likely to hire the best & the brightest in the labor market" (Kerby and Burns 2). The more people you have to choose from there is a higher potential for qualified workers. Hiring a diverse set of employees allows employers to pool from a greater amount of potential candidates for the job. Diversity also helps companies in many other ways too. "Recruiting board directors with a breath of expertise and varied experiences will make companies more proficient" (Kerby and Burns 3). Managers and board directors need to be diverse so there can be more varied suggestions and beliefs. People of different ethnicities and background think differently, so companies need to tap into these differences to get diverse thoughts.
Another effect of diversity in the workplace is that when a company is more diverse then it more represents America and our customers. "A diverse workforce can capture a greater share of the consumer market" (Kerby and Burns 2). The quote talks about how a more diverse business can capture the eyes of the diverse people of America. The people of the US are of all different races and backgrounds and they want to see business that represents this. On a similar note when I interviewed Mrs. Cureton she was talking to me about the male black students at our school need someone to look up to. She expressed her concerns for the black children of the school who may at times feel isolated, not necessarily because of their skin color but because of their cultural differences. Businesses work in a similar way. Customers want to see themselves represented through the companies that they like. |
Recommendations:
- Recruiting in inner cities
- Don't force diversity
- Make sure they are qualified
- Meet and talk with non-diverse employees
- Welcome any new diverse employees
- Be accepting
- Ask employees for referrals
- Talk to local organizations