• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

JP Cornerstone

Just another Cornerstone Accelerator site

  • JP Cornerstone
  • About
    • About JP Cornerstone
    • Code of Ethics
    • Professional Practice Guidelines
    • External Privacy Notice
  • Offices
    • Stockholm
    • Helsinki
    • Oslo
    • Copenhagen
  • Services
    • Executive Search
    • Board Search
    • Leadership Consulting
    • Interim Management
    • JPC Selection
  • Insights
  • News
  • Contact

Workplace Diversity Brings Value

May 22, 2019 by Cornerstone International Group Leave a Comment

Author Anne Glenn takes a deeper-than-usual dive into why doing the right thing is also doing the smart thing.

 

Workplace diversity is not a new business conversation.  20 years ago, industrial research predicted that “employees in the 21st century will include more women, minorities, ethnic backgrounds, intergenerational workers and different lifestyles.”

As early as 2001, 75% of USA’s Fortune 1000 companies had diversity programs.  They knew then that shifting labor compositions in the future would impact their ability to operate efficiently and stay competitive in the market.

Last year, diversity was among the top 7 workplace trends in the world (along with flexible hours and workspace; enhanced work life balance; preventing sexual harassment; outsourcing to freelancers; automating certain tasks and recruiting Millennial talent.)

Since diversity has been an important business imperative for over 20 years, why is it still crucial now?  What happened to the first diverse businesses, and the leaders many companies created in the late 20th century?  Has diversity management been treated as a passing social commitment or simply a politically correct fad?

Diversity management alone isn’t a key to business success. 

Consider the word.  “Diversity”, is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as marked by distinct differences, not alike; varied in kind or form, divergent, never unified.  By definition, diversity is disruptive, diverting standard operating processes, changing directions, norms and business cultures.

Inside an established organization, diversity may produce troublesome and time-consuming challenges that were easily ignored by management.

Workplace diversity are words that identify the composition or characteristics of a group of unlike members, and describes how the individual differences result in perspectives, identities and behaviors differing from one cultural group with distinct members to other groups with equally varied members.

For the purposes of research, workforce diversity differences are sub-divided into two categories: 1. observable traits (gender, race, ethnicity, and age) and 2. non-observable (cultural, cognitive, technical, educational, functional background, organizational tenure, socioeconomic background, and personality.)

 

Varied perspectives and approaches

In broad terms, diversity (both observable and non-observable) represents the “varied perspectives and approaches to work that people of different identity groups bring.”

Until recently, “managing diversity” targeted business’ talent recruitment, education, training, career development and mentoring activities.  Historic programs were designed to achieve goals increasing and retaining the organizations’ existing operational culture rather than altering, sharing, or examining the culture through the eyes of more people.

At the time, management may have believed that individuals in “diversity work groups” were “included” into the organization at the date they were hired.  Later research indicates that diverse cultural and ethnic groups were actually isolated and excluded from informal company networks.  And they missed information and organizational opportunities they needed to succeed.

Diversity management programs changed very little from “Minority Hiring” practices adopted in the late 1960s-mid-1970’s.  When the first minorities were hired into new management positions, they were expected to speak, dress and conduct themselves exactly as more tenured executives.

Organizational communication was “top down”, focused upon satisfying employment profiles.  These programs only proved that the business could hire a more diverse group of employees.

 

Then came Inclusion

As modern workforces appeared, thoughts and language surrounding diversity management changed.  Inclusion came into the mix.  With inclusion added, diversity management’s goals moved from equal opportunity, fair treatment, and recruitment to operational compliance rooted in the organization’s strategy, markets, processes and structures.

In 2019, workplace diversity is more important than ever since it was first identified as a proven asset for business’ profitability.    Current research shows it adding measurable value to the bottom line when it teamed with “inclusion” as a key human resource strategy.

Workforces that are both diverse and inclusive can power a business to become more successful, more effective and more profitable.    

Inclusive employee diversity programs actively engage the entire company to make every individual feel that they are valuable and contributing successfully.  In turn, businesses with successful diversity and inclusion programs incorporate all employees’ perceptions regarding

  • the value placed on efforts promoting diversity inside the organization, and
  • the benefits of the values.

As businesses begin measuring employee perceptions of business processes, policies and practices from a wide range of individual perspectives, three key indicators of positive inclusion emerged;

  1. the degree of influence that employees felt they had over decisions that affect them at work,
  2. the degree to which employees were kept well informed about the company’s business strategies and goals, and
  3. the likelihood that employees will retain their jobs. Inclusive diversity creates climates of equality where employee perceptions of the relationship between organizational excellence and recruitment/retention practices of women, ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, (including qualifications, performance, and access to resources and rewards) are available and comparable for everyone.

Inclusion focuses on removing obstacles to full participation and contributions of every employee in an organization.  Inclusion places value on diversity of thought and life experiences – characteristics that are often overlooked by diversity alone.

Diversity and inclusion programs together, benefit modern businesses in many ways. They

  • Create a more enjoyable work environment
  • Allow businesses access to greater ranges of talent, skills and perspectives
  • Provide insights into customer actions and client behaviors
  • Increase employee engagement by giving everyone specifically what they need to succeed
  • Build winning teams when diversity and inclusion programs are tied to the Company’s vision for the future with clear strategy and equal opportunities
  • Empower people to bring their full potential into their job
  • Increase top talent acquisition
  • Enhance market performance and financial results

Cornerstone International Group is founded upon the dual principals of diversity and inclusion.  We are an international group of independent business owners who are equal partners engaged together in an organization dedicated to improving our clients’ executive search experiences everywhere in the world.

To read more about Cornerstone’s effective diversity and inclusion strategies, see “Putting More Women in the Boardroom”.

 

Filed Under: Cornerstone Blog

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Cornerstone International Group Continues to Expand With Latest Addition: Cornerstone Montreal
  • Walter Baker Joins IERG Board of Directors
  • How Digital Transformation Is Reshaping the Pharma Industry
  • PRESS RELEASE: Cornerstone Kansas City Expands Midwest Market
  • PRESS RELEASE: Cornerstone International Group Launches New Logo 

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • May 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • February 2018
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • July 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • October 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • October 2014
    • June 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • December 2013
    • August 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • May 2012
    • March 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • July 2011
    • May 2011
    • March 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • August 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • June 2007
    • April 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • July 2004
    • June 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • March 2004
    • February 2004
    • January 2004
    • December 2003
    • November 2003
    • October 2003
    • September 2003
    • August 2003
    • July 2003
    • June 2003
    • May 2003
    • April 2003
    • March 2003
    • February 2003
    • January 2003
    • December 2002
    • November 2002

    Categories

    • Cornerstone Blog
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Copyright © 2023 · JP Cornerstone · Sitemap

    Website Development by LimeCuda