- In order to determine which workplace diversity solutions would best meet your business' needs, you must first analyze and understand your company's current workplace culture and how it contrasts with your plans for business growth. Since true diversity entails far more than just the noticeable differences in language, age or sex, creating solutions for diversity in the workplace can be a challenging process.
- The first course of action to increase workplace diversity is to find out why it is necessary. If you are in the group medical insurance industry, and your company employs exclusively English-speaking employees but does not communicate this information to your customers, you would be ill-prepared and potentially lose a customer if a Spanish-speaking client calls to discuss his health insurance benefits. Furthermore, if you notice this is occurring more frequently, meaning your Spanish-speaking customer base is growing, that is another sign that it is time to consider making a few adjustments.
- Much like the product development, recruitment and retention and relocation sides of business, it is important to know where you are in order to map out a plan that will propel you to where you want to be as you develop your plan of action.
According to Albert S. Humphrey, the inventor of the SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis method, the SWOT technique was developed to enhance the decision-making process by simplifying it into four important variables. Decades after its invention, the SWOT method continues to grow in popularity as a straightforward goal-setting tool. Key leaders in the business world and self-motivated individuals often use this method to clarify and achieve important goals.
In creating a plan of action, it helps to understand each acronym's purpose and how you can observe each in the business world. Strengths are the characteristics of the employees, department, office and corporation that are already in place and that can help the business achieve a positive result. Weaknesses are the characteristics of the employees, department, office and corporation that are already in place and that would lead to a negative result. Opportunities are external factors that may have a positive impact on achieving goals. Threats are external factors that may have a negative impact on achieving goals.
Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, determine how your changes will impact certain areas and departments. Present your plan of action to the leaders of those areas for feedback, support and suggestions on how to implement your plan. - Once you receive management approval, it is time to start prioritizing the order in which changes would occur and list the resources needed in order to successfully implement the plan. Employee motivation is a major factor/resource in the success of your plan, and if lacking, can lead to its failure.
For example, if one of your plans is to train 50 percent of your customer service staff to the point of fluency in conversational Spanish within two years, now is the time to communicate this and start taking volunteers from within the organization who wish to learn the language.
Incorporating employee rewards such as discounts on learning materials or offering free lunches incorporating regional cuisine, during training, are a few ways to generate additional excitement about your plan after it has taken shape.
From the perspective of an employee, it is easier to learn a new language when you are motivated to do so, and seeing the excitement and increased confidence of others who chose to volunteer early-on may inspire others in your organization to follow suit. - Revisit your diversity plan annually to see how it is progressing. When coupled with the feedback of your customers, employee feedback is one good indicator of your plan's success and how it can contribute to the success of future initiatives.
Recognizing the Need for Change
Creating a Plan of Action
Presenting and Implementing Your Plan
Continuing Success
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