Challenges in Diversity

Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace

Taking full advantage of the benefits of diversity in the workplace is not without its challenges. Some of those challenges are:

Communication - Perceptual, cultural and language barriers need to be overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale.

Resistance to change - There are always employees who will refuse to accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is changing. The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality silences new ideas and inhibits progress.

Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies - This can be the overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Armed with the results of employee assessments and research data, they must build and implement a customized strategy to maximize the effects of diversity in the workplace for their particular organization.

Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace - Diversity training alone is not sufficient for your organization’s diversity management plan. A strategy must be created and implemented to create a culture of diversity that permeates every department and function of the organization.

Does Diversity matter?

People are the most important asset of any company or organization. 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.

With demographic shifts, advances in technology and communications, and globalization, diversity is quickly becoming a driver of growth around the world.

Maximizing the potential of a diverse workforce is not only a social imperative, but is also a competitive advantage. From a business vantage point, to best serve the market one must “employ the market.”

Diversity is about:

• Acknowledging and leveraging similarities and differences
• Increased creativity and innovation
• Recruitment and retention of top talent
• Access to a changed marketplace
• Leveraging our resources to outperform our competitors,
• Enabling people to unlock their potential so they achieve their aspirations
• How we lead teams

 

Physically Challenged in the workforce

The physically disabled have made much progress in the workplace since the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. Experts say that discrimination has decreased and that employers generally are willing to provide the special accommodations needed by employees with physical impairments. Fear and ignorance of people with disabilities exists, and such individuals are often stigmatized. Even if job applicants elect not to disclose their disabilities, they may exhibit odd mannerisms that put off employers. For example, people with autism, a neurological disorder usually present at birth, often have poor social and communication skills and shun personal contact. Many government and private organizations for the mentally disabled focus on treatment but not on job training and placement. And those programs that are employment-oriented are often geared toward finding minimum-wage and sub minimum-wage jobs.

Diversity in the RCMP

The RCMP is committed to building an equal, fair and diverse workforce through;

• Ensuring open, honest and bilateral communication.
• Demonstrating leadership through accountability and responsibility at all levels.
• Treating all employees with equal respect and consideration.
• Promoting health, safety and well-being.
• Encouraging and recognizing innovation and creativity.
• Establishing effective and efficient management of human resources through consultation, teamwork and empowerment at all levels.
• Providing training that is timely, specific to the needs and relevant to job requirements.
• Ensuring the safety of our employees by developing and enforcing minimum resourcing standards.
• Ensuring a safe and harassment free work environment.
• Implementing fair and equitable systems to address: 1.Recognition for good performers.

2.Compensation and entitlements.

3.Financial hardship caused by employees' work site.

4.Consistently poor performers discipline and discharge.

5.Ensuring adequate human, financial and material resources.

6.Enhancing job security through marketing of our services

Benefits of a diverse workforce

The benefits of a diverse workforce are listed below:


1.It leads to a higher retention of employees.
2.Improves employee morale.
3.Improves corporate culture.
4.Increases creativity.
5.Decreases complaints and litigation.
6.Increases productivity.
7.Leads to an easier recruitment of new employees.
8.Decreases interpersonal conflict between employees.
9.Reduces training costs.
10.Improves corporate culture.

East Indians in the workforce

East Indians are a major part of the Canadian workforce today.
Canadians of East Indian origin make up one of the largest non-European ethnic groups in Canada. In fact, people of East Indian origin make up the tenth largest ethnic group in Canada. Canadians of East Indian origin also make up the second largest non-European ethnic group in the country. In 2001, over 700,000 people of East Indian origin lived in Canada. That year, they made up 2.4% of the total Canadian population.
The largest number of East Indians live in Onatario and British Columbia and they are major contributors to the economy of these provinces.There are more men in the workforce than women and mostly they are Hindu or Sikh.
The east indians are well qualified and speak in atleast one of the official languages of Canada i.e English or French.Canadian adults of East Indian origin receive more of their income from earnings than the overall population.
They feel a sense of belonging towards Canada and are active participants of the Canadian Society.

Women outnumber Men

Studies have shown that women outnumber men in the Canadian workforce.A recently issued labor force survey found that about 7.1 million women were in paid employment during the first half of 2009,compared to 6.9 million men.
The idea that women earn only 70% of what men make is a feminist myth, based on outdated research and biased methodology.
Men tend to hold very high-paying executive positions, careers that take years of service to a company to achieve. The exorbitant salaries paid to these executives distorts the entire wage-gap picture.
Many women, as qualified as they are, often decide to opt out of the workplace to have children. This puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to moving up the corporate ladder. This may not be fair, but it explains much of the wage gap.