What does diversity mean? Canada has a reputation for embracing people of varied ethnicity, religion, culture, language and beliefs. But our multicultural mix does not make us immune to the challenges of managing a diverse workforce. Diversity goes far beyond the traditional employment equity criteria of gender, visible minority or aboriginal status, or disability. Diversity is not employment equity. Diversity is a business strategy. The reality is that today’s workforce and the workforce of the future will be made up of a diverse, complex collection of employees, all with different needs and experiences. And this is good, because an organization with a broad variety of people with a diverse range of perspectives is better able to do business with a variety of people, to solve a variety of problems and to make a variety of decisions. As companies become more global and are using more offshore services, it creates the need for diversity strategies that go beyond our own national borders. It will take a whole new level of education, tolerance and a willingness to embrace change. HR will need to provide cross-cultural support and training for virtual global teams. But diversity is not just about race, colour and creed. Diversity is about managing the demographic and psychographic characteristics of an evolving workforce. According to Reed-Lewis in The Learning Café 2005, there are four generations in the workforce. Silent or traditionalists 60 – 78 years old, 10% of workforce - characterized by tradition, loyalty, discipline, commitment, significant knowledge legacy Boomers 41 – 59 years old, 46% of workforce - characterized by hard work (badge of honor), relationship oriented, change agents, competitive Generation X 28 – 40 years old, 29% of workforce - independent (latch-key kids), entrepreneurial, flexible, demand work-life balance Generation Y or Millennials 27 and younger, 19% of workforce- This generation was born with computers. They are comfortable in a multicultural environment and full of confidence Let’s look at two groups: 10 The Generation Y or Millenials, now entering the workforce. They’ve grown up in a world where the use of computers and the Internet is a basic bodily function. They’ve grown up in an inclusive world, with friends and peers from a myriad of places and cultures. They’re the human embodiment of globalization. They’ve grown up in a world where, through the Internet or other media,
they have been exposed to a vast amount of information, far beyond the reach of previous generations. They’ve grown up in a world in which traditional institutions are weaker and
often objects of skepticism, and where there is no prevailing set of values, but rather conflicting views and values on the most fundamental issues. Organizations that will attract and retain high potential younger employees will have the following characteristics:
They will be relatively non-hierarchical and inclusive
They will provide for a balance between work and life outside work
Their behaviour will be consistent with the values of their people
They will provide an environment with both autonomy and support
They will provide opportunities for learning and significant contributions at an early stage in people’s careers Another group, the Traditionalists, also deserves more attention. By 2011, almost one-fifth of baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – will be at least 61 years of age and pushing ever closer to retirement. Much of the discussion about mandatory retirement centres around how to deal with older employees whose performance is slipping and who used to be carried until age 65 The challenge for managers and HR is to create an environment in which older, longer-service employees can continue to be fully engaged in the work of the organization Continue to give them challenging work Continue to give them learning opportunities Give them a chance to build a legacy – mentoring, developing others, knowledge transfer Provide more flexible work environments – part-time work, phased retirements, retiree on call programs, contract and project-based
employment Because this group is often overlooked in the labour market, there are
excellent opportunities to get ‘the best of the best’ from them 11As a business strategy, the value of diversity is to bring to a company the broadest possible spectrum of knowledge, experience and perspective. A diverse workforce consists not just of people with a broad range of demographic traits, but, more importantly, a broad range of educational
backgrounds, professional and other interests, work experiences, life experiences and cultural perspectives. Ultimately the success of a diversity strategy is measured in how well we capitalize on the skills, intelligence, culture and experience of every employee