Free How Human Diversity Influences the Workforce Essay Sample

Human diversity refers to differences in inherent features which individuals have. Scientists distinguish two types: practical and social diversity. The differences which constitute diversity consist of such features as race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, educational, historical and economic backgrounds, physical and mental abilities, age, gender and marital status. The interaction of people with such diverse attributes can have both positive and negative effects on the workplace.

A key aspect of human diversity is a people’s perspective. This is where we find that different people bring varying points of view to discussing and solving arising problems. This variation of thoughts and ideas can prove to be a valuable contribution to discussions and matters that demand creativity. If the outcome of an enterprise is a creative product, such as in the advertising industry, diversity can help in addressing requirements of a different clientele. In such a scenario, diversity impacts positively not only by strengthening the workforce, but also yielding better results for clients.

Nevertheless, not all people value human diversity or at least seek to exploit the positive impacts it may bring. Cases when biased employers hire according to race, background, and gender are quite common and usually lead to a weak workforce. In many countries, this is unlawful; hence existence of diversity, across attributes such as gender, age and race in a working place could be seen as evidence of fair hiring practice within a company.

However, human diversity often has further negative impacts depending on how people handle it. Inappropriate treatment of individual differences is noted in decreased productivity, a large number of discontent employees and lack of a closely-tied corporate culture. Such a situation is likely to happen in a company where managers adopt measures with an objective to bring highly diverse people to work together in the same areas or when they make a bid to promote socialization and tolerance. Nevertheless, not all people will appreciate this diversity nor be ready to practice tolerance. As a result, conflicts and underproduction are possible consequences.

Over time, diversity at the workplace appears to have more positive impacts on organizations and the society in general than its negative ones. However, this has led to the misconception that diversity will always result in a better workplace. Cultural elements such as the language and clothes are likely to clash with existing practices in a workplace, resulting in indignation and distrust. An incorrect perception of what should be regarded as fair hiring practice, however, may actualize negative impact of diversity in the workplace. If, for instance, the hiring practice makes longtime employees think that their director is hiring just to fulfill a diversity requirement, they may view new employees as underqualified or feel the threat that possibly they do not belong into what appears to be a favored category.

The Benavides video podcast provides some valuable insights into attributes that vary among different human beings such as those listed above. It goes further to elaborate on the importance of addressing various issues that need to be considered to ensure amicable inter-relationships between people. These include attitudes, backgrounds and religious beliefs of employees. Distinct attributes of different members of an organization demand that various policies to be taken into consideration with due attention to diverse needs and expectations of both existing and potential employees. Formulation of policies regarding matters of hiring and training, conflict resolution and fairness, and equity of all employees is a significant concern where diversity is inherent.

It is essential for an organization to have a policy that ensures effective hiring practices. The company should guarantee diversity of attributes in the workforce, and provide training programs for its members to interrelate amicably. The hiring process must be free of biases whatsoever and consider attributes that contribute to strengthening the workforce. Adequate training needs to be provided to develop skills in cross-cultural communication. It is necessary to teach employees to take personal responsibility for how they respond to differences and to adopt efficient ways of working with diverse groups of people.

Since conflicts at the workplace are inevitable, there ought to be policies that take into consideration the religious beliefs, norms and attitudes of different staff members. This will guarantee a process that yields a fair resolution to all parties involved. Such policies should look not only at the attributes of the current workforce, but also give an allowance for new attributes that may be possessed by different employees in the future.

Finally, fairness and equity need to be provided to all employees. This is achievable through policies that promote fair standards for performance evaluation, promotion and appraisal as well as a general treatment of employees at the workplace. Good organizational policies will aid in establishing an inclusive and harmonious work place.

 

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