Diversity in work place kirubi.

The workplace is a very interesting place to be. Apart from earning a living there, it is also like a second home to the employees. In fact, most people spend more time at work than at home. However, the people at the workplace may not be like you. Contrary to your family, with which you share a lot of things, there is usually nothing in common between you and your colleagues apart from the fact that you may be having more or else the same knowledge in that particular professional field.

Diversity in the workplace is a relatively new concept that organizations are incorporating nowadays. Companies are now taking into consideration the diversity of their employees when employing their staff. This idea has now been adopted by many corporations today in their quest to provide the best services. The concept here is that people from different backgrounds are employed in an organization. The idea is that these people will bring into the organization different qualities from wherever they come. HYPERLINK “http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-in-the-Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053″http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-in-the-Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053

In this case, the diversity we are talking about is the employing of people from different race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, competency, experience, training, physical appearance, disabilities, nationality, cultural background and other personal attributes. These are just but the major aspects that diversity entails. A good company should strive to consider all these factors and ensure that it has balanced its staff.

Diversity at the workplace is a very good thing. It brings with it many advantages that the company can benefit from. Employees from diverse backgrounds are an asset to the company. The company should realize this and try as much as possible to bring out the best out of their employees. The company should provide its employees with an avenue to be fruitful. In other words, the company should not hinder the realization of the potential that diverse employees have.

Employees who have different upbringing and training definitely have different views from each other. It is obvious that people who come from different areas and who have different beliefs will view life at different angles. This perception held by the employees is the very thing that can be beneficial to the company. Therefore, it is the duty of the company management to create ways in which these different feelings can be brought out.

It is very important to have a workforce that is of varied ages. A company that has a large age difference amongst its employees is far much better than one which has employees of the same age bracket. There is a lot of good that comes out when there are older and younger people in an organization. Having older employees means that they have more job experience. Experienced workers will definitely contribute largely to the mentoring of the younger employees.

Notwithstanding is the fact that older employees can make better supervisors. In an organization that has various departments, it is better for the older generation of workers to be given some managerial positions such as supervisors. They are more knowledgeable in the running of the departments and should a problem arise, they will be better placed to make the right decisions owing to the fact that they have a lot of experience.

Also, a company that has employees who have different ages will have better levels of understanding and cooperation. It will be highly unlikely for the employees to fight each other. An older man will be difficult to argue with leave alone insult. Otherwise, in a company that has employees of the same age, there is a high possibility that there will be a lot of friction among the workers. This will be caused mainly by the fact that same-age employees will find it difficult to respect a fellow age-mate who is giving the orders.

When young employees are put together, there is the spirit of competition. Each worker wants to be the best. As a result, they start to bring each other down. At the very slightest opportunity, an employee would put blame on another in order to discredit him or her. Even when competition is good, such behavior will bring down the company and cause it to make losses.

The age aspect cannot be overemphasized. A company that has invested in various ages in its employees is able to cater to a clientele of different ages. Since there are workers of all ages in that company, it would not be hard to assist the various clients. The older staff will be able to identify with the customers who are senior citizens.

In the same light, young employees will be able to interact freely with the younger generation of clients. There is a way in which age mates connect with each other in a free way. As far as professionalism is concerned, a customer-staff relationship of people of the same age is highly advisable. The two can be able to influence each other and reach a consensus. Young workers can easily convince young clients in purchasing a product because they will use a language that is convenient for them.

Young and old employees have different views of the society. Their opinions should be considered greatly when decisions are being made. When a company is rolling out a new product, there is need to incorporate the views of all the staff members. In order for the product to be appreciated by all, the various aspects of age difference need to be factored in.

A universal product should be able to accommodate the needs of all the age groups. It is by considering the views of all the employees that such a success would be achieved. On the other hand, a company that has employees with varied ages can roll out products and services that cater for all the ages. They will not be restricted to one age group since the company has workers of various ages. As a result, the company will be able to make more sales out of the different products that cut across the various generations.

Another important aspect of diversity in the workplace is the various races that can be found in a company. The world now has reached a point whereby no single race can be found living on its own. People from different places have moved in to mingle with people from other races making the population of a place to have diverse races. The diverse people are educated and well trained thus they should be given equal opportunity in the job market.

As a result, many companies are hiring people from different races as long as they are qualified. Consequently, these diverse races prove to be an asset to the company in several ways. First of all, these people have different beliefs depending on where they come from. Their perspective is important in the company’s policy making. They can positively influence the outcome of an initiative if their insight is sought.

There is a certain perception that a company receives for having employed people of various races. It gives the company an international outlook. This is very good for the company. It gives the impression that that company is open minded and it can cater for the clients different needs. I honestly believe that such a company will have more publicity, something which is good for the company.

Employees from various races indirectly will attract more clients to the company. It might not be obvious but to a large extent clients will be more comfortable with a company that has many races than one which only has a single race. This is because clients will be attracted by the presence of one of their own and this will cause them to take their business there.

When it comes to policy matters, the presence of various races can come up with decisions that favor all the customers. Whether Hispanic, Caucasian, Arabic, Black or Hindu, these races are found all over the world and therefore policies should be made in such a way that they cover all these races. It therefore vital for a company to have these employees guide them on what is acceptable and what is taboo.

When a client comes to the company, some of whom have not obtained formal education, it is always convenient for the employee of the similar race to attend to him or her. This gives the staff a chance to interact better with the client. There could be instances when the customer needs to be explanation to be done in their native language. This would only be possible when you have a client of a similar race to the client. http://www.zeromillion.com/econ/workplace-diversity.html

Though race and culture are closely related, they can be separated into two different entities. This is because you can have a single race that has many cultures. Culture is a people’s way of doing things. Culture dictates the roles that need to be played by each member of the society. More importantly is the fact that culture dictates how things should be done in a specific setting.

When this phenomenon is present at the workplace, there is definitely going to be a lot of friction. However, on a positive note, multiculturalism can play a major role in the growth and development of staff. Employees can learn from each other and by so doing they will be able to identify what can be incorporated in their jobs. When different cultures come together, there is a lot of beauty. This beauty in diversity can be harnessed to bring out something wonderful in the job market.

No doubt that a company which is multicultural will have more ideas to choose from. This will make the company more diverse in its products and make it reach a wide market. The company will in turn make a lot of profits thanks to its employees. All the credit will go to the employees for having worked together. For example, if there is a promotion of a new product that has been introduced into the market and is targeted at a specific people, culture can play a major role in attracting that particular market. The product may be fashioned in such a way that it has features that are appealing to the target market and as a result, the product sells. This will be attributed to the input of the employee from that culture.

Moreover, a company that has different races in their workforce is likely to have new ideas that are fresh and creative. With all the diversity in the company, no doubt that the ideas presented will be very interesting. When put together and implemented, these ideas can come out as big innovations that can catapult the company to its success. HYPERLINK “http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-in-the-Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053″http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-in-the-Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053

Similarly, there is an advantage when a company employs male and female staff at a proportionate ratio. This is highly advantageous to the company as it will have a positive outlook. There are many instances when a customer has refused to be served in a one sex dominated company. A company that has both men and women has more credibility amongst the clientele. Customers can actually choose who they want to serve them.

Having both employees of both sexes will definitely attract the confidence of the public. No one wants to be associated with a chauvinistic firm. More so, there has been widespread campaign on equality between the sexes and a company that does not seem to take this into consideration risks to be alienated by the public.

It is not in doubt that female and male employees can keep you on toes. When these two groups work together, there is definitely the tendency to outshine the other group. In so doing there is good competition between the two groups, something that can promote the sales and profits of a company.

Ladies can be creative and thus their ideas should also be sought. Female employees can create a very good image of the company. When these ladies are smart and professional, they can use their charm to convince customers in purchasing the company’s products and services. Ladies have a very good way of talking and their persuasion is irresistible. Therefore it is only smart for a company to employ an equal number of male employees as female ones.

The sex diversity has been championed for in a long time. Before, there were professions that were meant for men and other for women. However, this trend has declined over the years with the ladies proving to be as smart, if not smarter, as their male counterparts. In this regard, a company is well placed if it employs both sexes in order to boost its creativity and innovation levels.

Sex diversity can lead to more sales. A company that has both male and female employees can make more profits. This can be made possible due to the fact that the female employees will attract other female customers. Ladies tend to support and encourage each other. So by having female staff, ladies out there will want to come support their fellow lady and consequently increase the business in that company.

For advertisement, there is a way that female employees can pull through at getting people to notice what they are selling. When a company wants to roll out a new product or promote an existing one, the attention that may be gotten by female employees can make the company reach its target faster. The public is mostly attracted when a female employee goes to market a particular product.

Apart from the diversity brought about by age, race culture and sex, there is another important aspect that needs to be considered when hiring employees. Religion. Religion is the belief of a supernatural being. This is a major aspect in the job market nowadays. Many people in the world are now affiliated to some faith or another. As a result, the employees that are hired will also belong to a certain faith.

Employees who are allied to a specific religion can come up with a product that is targeted to that particular faith. For example, employees who are Christians can develop a product that does not compromise the faith and of their belief in God and Jesus Christ. This product would then be marketed by these employees in their church gatherings and in the end, the product will sell as a result of the employees’ participation.

This means that if the various religions that are found in a company’s employees can be utilized, then there will be no group of believers who will not say that they have not been attended to. The same goes to atheists and the non-believers. Products that are not affiliated to any supernatural being can also be rolled out for them

Most importantly is the way these employees would be able to serve people from their own religions. This will make the customer feel very comfortable because their specific individual needs would be understood by members of their same faith.

To sum it all up, we have identified how diversity in the workplace is very important in the society, both the service providers and also to the receivers. A good workplace is where all this diversity is available and when the various different aspects are put together to have one large harmonious work environment.

However, it is not easy to reconcile all the differences that this diversification brings about. There needs to be a proper mechanism that will allow the personal growth of each employee and the realization of the potential that each employee carries.

The management of this diversity should be headed by somebody or a group of people who appreciate diversity. The management should be aware of the setback that such a diverse group can have. The major one being misunderstandings. The management should educate the employees about the various differences and how to tolerate them. http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/subjectguides/workplacediversity.html

In addition, these employees will take a lot of time to reach a consensus, due to their varied opinions. Therefore, the management should be able to settle their quarrels and make informed decisions based on the input of all the employees. This will be the best way to handle this diversification. Otherwise, diversity has a lot of benefits as discussed above and I strongly believe that companies should diversify their employees in order to have new and brilliant ideas.

Konrad et al. (2006).Handbook of Workplace Diversity. London: SAGE

Ferguson. (2006)Career Resource Guide for Women and Minorities. New York, NY: Ferguson

Canas, K. A. & Sondak, H. (2011). Opportunities and Challenges of Workplace Diversity : theory, cases, and exercises Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall

Özbilgin, M. (2008). Equaltity, Diversity and Inclusion at Work. Cheltenham : Edward Elgar

HYPERLINK “http://www.google.co.ke/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=+inauthor:%22Loraine+Schaepkens%22″Schaepkens, L. (2010). Workplace Diversity Management. VDM Verlag

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