Why Workforce Diversity is Simply Good Business

Most savvy employers understand the business case for diversity, which has been well documented over the years ad nauseam. But not every company has gotten the message.

It should be evident by now that diverse employees bring diverse ideas and viewpoints to the table which can promote positive change and spark business innovation.

A diverse workforce challenges traditional and antiquated thinking with fresh out-of-the-box business concepts. This can subsequently improve productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of overall business operations and boost profits. Moreover, embracing diversity in the workplace can help companies expand their consumer base and improve recruitment, retention and advancement of talented employees.

Fostering a work culture of diversity means employers won't miss out on hiring the best available talent in a global marketplace.

Talented job candidates, if passed over for discriminatory reasons, may end up working for the competition and, ultimately, costing your company money via lost revenue.

Work Remains

Most large employers have adopted workforce diversity to some extent because, as noted, it simply makes good business sense -- particularly in an increasingly diverse society undergoing major demographic shifts. However, there remains much work ahead if companies want to be "equal opportunity employers" in more than name only.

Building a successful workplace culture of diversity requires concrete actions rather than empty rhetoric. It’s not enough for corporations to simply check off boxes, conduct sporadic training and outreach, and develop diversity management plans just for show and tell.

Effective diversity management plans must be repeated, updated and reinforced for a company to make real progress.

It should go without saying that all employers have a moral and legal obligation to fully and voluntarily comply with applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws.

In short, diversity management plans are not a one-time exercise to be put on a shelf and gather dust. Rather, these plans should be closely incorporated and aligned with an employer's mission, strategic goals and key business objectives.

Diversity management plans should be considered "living documents" that address novel legal theories and changes in the law, as appropriate. Additionally, top managers and business leaders -- from the presidents and CEOs on down -- need to clearly communicate to all employees that workforce diversity is a business priority.

Mid-level and front-line managers and supervisors are much more likely to follow through when an unequivocal and sustained message comes from the very top of the organization -- as opposed to just the HR department, for example.

Hearing from Experts

I spoke to a few experts to get their first-hand take on the issue. Here's what they had to say:

Gilbert Casellas chaired the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) during the Administration of President Bill Clinton and also served as General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force. He is a leading expert on workforce diversity and EEO issues. In addition to his public service, Mr. Casellas has held executive management positions in corporate America and sat on several corporate boards. He told me:

• "The singular greatest strength of the United States is that we are a diverse society, comprised of individuals of many backgrounds, races, languages, ethnicities, religions and abilities. Smart employers -- whether of the public or private sector -- can only address and overcome the complex challenges they face each day by drawing broadly on these diverse skills, perspectives and experiences."

Luke Visconti, the founder and CEO of DiversityInc, told me:

• "Every CEO will reflexively tell you they want the best possible talent, yet our data from hundreds of companies shows that there is significant discrimination against women and/or non white people."
• "Changing the processes that have led to only 5.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs being women -- while women have earned over 50% of bachelors degrees since the late 1980s -- requires discipline. The companies on the 'DiversityInc Top 50' are committed to that process."

Cari Dominguez chaired the U.S. EEOC during the Administration of President George W. Bush, in addition to serving as an Assistant Secretary of Labor. She has also held top executive leadership and management positions at Bank of America and Manpower, Inc. She said:

• "Statistics and reports serve to inform, but it is leadership that drives results. Developing individuals of all backgrounds into leaders achieves results. Leadership is not rank, privileges, title or money; it is responsibility and results."

The Takeaway

While it's true that corporate America, mid-sized companies and small employers have made important strides in embracing workforce diversity and inclusion, problems still remain. For instance, there are major disparities within white-collar professional jobs, as well as leadership and management positions in the C-Suite.

There are still too many glass ceilings and sticky floors, so to speak, which hold talented employees back from reaching their full potential.

This is not to say that minorities, women, people with disabilities and different sexual orientations should be given a free pass, a handout, or pushed up the corporate ladder if unwarranted.

Ideally, all employment decisions should be strictly based on merit, talent and ability to do the job -- rather than non-job related criteria such as race, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or related factors.

All employees and applicants deserve the freedom to compete and advance in the workplace on a fair and level playing field without discriminatory barriers.

Unfortunately, too often this is not the case. And even one case of employment discrimination is still one too many.

What do YOU think?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

David B. Grinberg is an independent writer and strategic communications advisor based in the Washington, DC-area. He has over 20 years of work experience in the public and private sectors — including the White House, U.S. Congress, federal government agencies, and national news media. You can also find him on Twitter Medium.

NOTE: All views and opinions are those of the author only and not official statements or endorsements of any public sector employer, private sector employer, organization or political entity.