Diversity: The Workforce In America Today

Meet Emily and Greg. Both are applying for jobs in the labor market, in Boston and Chicago. So are Lakisha and Jamal. Same job, same resumes - the only real difference is that two of the applicants are distinctly white, the other two are distinctly black. And yet, Emily and Greg had 10.08% chance of getting a callback, while Lakisha and Jamal have only a 6.70% chance (Bertrand). Perhaps this is just an isolated incident, though. It’s not like an employer would not hire someone based on just their name, after all. So take James and Julia Cabot. They are very similar, and they are

Diversity and inclusion are hot topics in today’s business world. While treating individuals fairly and equally is a social imperative, it is also extremely important to the success of a business. With the changing demographics of society and its affect on the American workforce, organizations must truly embrace diversity and inclusion. “For companies to succeed in the global marketplace, they must make the most of the full range of their people. Companies must attract and retain the right skills, the best minds, all the required resources – and that means diversity” (Royal Bank of Canada, n.d.). There are a number of compelling reasons companies should adopt the core values of diversity and inclusion. This paper sets out to

Corporate America is seeing a shift in workforce demographics, with the terms “workplace diversity’ being thrown around in meetings across many large organizations. There are many definitions and interpretations of workplace diversity, but the this paper will define workplace diversity as “an environment that maximizes the potential of all employees by not discriminating against age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital or partner status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience or job classification (Futon). Managers of this era have to work alongside individuals who not only come from different ages and educational backgrounds, but also individuals who are of different origins and have roots in many parts of the world. Organizational leaders are convinced that diversity efforts need to be an organization-wide effort in order for it to succeed (Roosevelt 23). The reality is that the American workforce is changing very rapidly and steps have to be taken to adapt to this new environment. This paper will focus on (1) the growing importance of workplace diversity, (2) the benefits associated with having a diversified work environment, (3) methods of increasing workplace diversity and (4) effective strategies for managing a diverse workforce.

As a business manager in human relations you must understand the differences in cultures. The labor force in today’s society in the United States workforce is getting more racially and ethnically diverse, as the number of women are also increasing. Companies use human resources management to gain a competitive advantage. Companies can no longer take the traditional approach of depending on white males to form the core of the workforce. In today’s society managers must look broadly to use talent wherever it could be found. Managing diversity is a huge issue in today’s society because each culture has a different way to be handled. If managers can be effective at managing diversity in different cultures, they will have an easier time

Today when you look at our country you think of it a somewhat of a melting pot or a mixed and diverse population. When you look at the populations, even in small towns you see multiple different races and cultures. This then leads to our workforce where you see that same type of diverse culture entering the workforce in the communities they live in and the ones around them. Our workforce hasn’t only changed to multicultural, it also has more and more woman as well.. If we look back 50 years you see that woman and individuals with a race other than caucasian had a very hard time finding a place where they would be welcomed in the workforce. Today woman, our international population, and races other than caucasian are finding the task of working to be a little easier. (Older Workers, 2008) Today we have programs in high schools and college that allow international students to go to college, work, and live here with an overall acceptance from Americans. Our diverse population also includes the age that we work. With improved healthcare and the advances in technology, men and women are working well into their senior years. Some may debate that it is because they have to with our declining economy, but the fact still remains that they are able to continue in the workforce. With all of these factors it is very important that we work together to improve our communication abilities through our school building by using the application of diverse skills (Linn, 2013).

Throughout my time in undergraduate classrooms and my three co-ops, I rarely had the diversity in personal and professional backgrounds that I was craving. Lacking exposure to differing viewpoints, I sought out with determination an environment that not only was a premier industry leader, but one that would showcase people’s vibrant cultures and celebrate cultural diversity. Joining Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been a transformative experience that has provided me with a depth of understanding and confidence about global landscapes through working on projects and with clients around the world. At SOM, creative collaboration is the guiding force between various disciplines and we have thus been able to achieve remarkable innovations

Management must promote the contribution of each diverse perspective as well as to recognize and appreciate wide-ranging cultural differences. Another reason organizations are embracing is the fact that the diversity in their employees has a direct impact on the diversity of their consumers and customer base. However, there are also issues managers must contend with such as a lack of cohesiveness, interpersonal conflicts, difficulties in decision making and communication, and lastly resistant to change (Nelson, 2013, p. 53). Finally, managing and placing value on diversity in the workplace is not as much changing in company policy as it is changing mindsets and attitudes. Diversity should be a corporate value, a top priorityfor managers, and a vital objective for any organization along with becoming a foundation to the organizations strategic blueprint. Diversity does have its advantages; the benefits of diversity include attracting and retaining the best employees, as well as improved marketing efforts, superior problem solving, and enhanced flexibility within the organization along with the obvious creativity and innovation diversity brings (Nelson, 2013, p.

Diversity management is extremely important and must be an ongoing process within all levels of an organization. Diverse work groups often have better and more ideas because of their wide-ranging backgrounds and experiences. Also, companies with a diverse work force that operate globally may perform better. While working in a group people need to have a common way of communicating and accomplishing task. If the group members do not get along then the group is likely going to suffer. Diversity in groups can also either help or hurt team performance. In most situations demographic diversity should not affect team performance. Teams that are mixed with “highly” educated and just “average” educated members might not perform as well together

iNOVA does not have a diverse workforce. Of the 103 employees, 78 of the employees are male.

In the modern world, workforce diversity has developed to be among the most imperative elements. Many organizations including Apple Inc. and all over the world have employed diversity managers to help develop effective workforce diversification (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). The increased interest in workforce diversity is not surprising. As organization move to develop organizational structures including teams and groups as well as multinational workforce, effective communication within diversified workforce becomes

Companies have had to conform to what is known today in society. Diversity in the workforce includes a couple of different aspects. Companies must recruit, train, promote and utilize employees whom are diverse (Bateman, 2013, p. 204). Diverse being individuals who have a different ethnic backgrounds, different beliefs, different cultures, and different abilities. Diversity includes women and minorities, but also utilizing each of the individual employee’s abilities to help make the company more effective.

The success of the organization and its competitive advantage depend on upon its ability to increase the number of diverse employees, and to realize the benefits of it. Furthermore, the diverse workforce has become an increasingly important part of the American workforce. People with different backgrounds, knowledge, experience, and skills will bring new ideas which will benefit the entire team. A diverse workforce brings with it a lot of different benefits, as well as the potential disadvantages for corporate managers to manage. Organizations recognize the need and importance of diversity in the workforce. Diversity influences every area of the organization by potentially resulting in increased creativity, higher productivity, new attitudes, new language skills, global expanding, new processes, and new solutions to difficult problems. The businesses that do not see the importance of diversity might find themselves unable to attract and retain customers, employees, and business partners. Several advantages will be covered following by disadvantages in the diverse workforce.

As today's organizations have become characterized with employers from diverse backgrounds, workplace diversity has become a common facet of today's working environment. Such diversity is basically due to the existence of a workforce with staffs from different ages, backgrounds, educational levels, genders, and professional experience. Managing this diversity can become a major challenge in some situations though a diverse workplace provides unique benefits. Actually, workplace diversity provides an opportunity for a great and differing corporate environment with varied perspectives and experiences to contribute to improved results of an organization. Diversity management has attracted huge debates as both proponents and opponents provide many reasons for their positions. Adaptation of diversity in the workplace is critical for reversing discrimination, language and cultural barriers, and lessening costs. Consequently, it enables these employees to maximize their potential that result in an improved corporate image and enhanced product and service ideas.

Organizations have been becoming increasingly diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality. This diversity brings substantial potential benefits such as better decision making, greater creativity and innovation, and more successful marketing to different types of customers. But, increasing cultural differences within a workforce also bring potential costs in higher turnovers, interpersonal conflicts, and communicational breakdowns. The utilities of diversity training and the essential managerial skills required for effectively managing diversity will also be discussed.

Diversity is an aspect of life that is almost inevitable, especially in the workplace it is growing by the numbers as years are going by. As we go on with our daily lives, people of different cultures that differ from what was once considered the typical American lifestyle more and more surround us. There are countless ways that diversity has impacted our lifestyle, by introducing the old lifestyle of living with different foods, music, and social activities that allow us to have an idea to explore how life in other countries live. Businesses are also noticing the necessity and the importance of diversity. Many have already started investing in diversity and inclusion as part of their overall management