Workforce Diversity and Mgt. Project

RIIM-ARIHANT GROUP OF INSTITUTES Pre-induction Project
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
I. INTRODUCTION:
Workforce diversity is the bringing together of a variety of people to one workplace. This
workplace would be comprised of people with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds
and characteristics. Those key characteristics that make workforce diversity include: race,
ethnicity, gender, religion, age, ability and sexual orientation. Why is this important to
your business? Companies that embrace workforce diversity are growing and can become
more competitive, but with that workforce diversity also brings its own issues and
challenges. It may be time for your business to get on board.
To be successful at creating workforce diversity program involves attracting and retaining
the highest quality individuals in the talent pool. For HR professionals it means looking
beyond obvious recruitment methods and venues for good people, then learning how to
manage human potential sensitively. It requires an ever-increasing awareness of how
people from different background deal with authority, communication, overall business
etiquette, and relate to their communities of affiliation.
Promoting workforce diversity is a process that takes place in many stages and on many
levels. It requires HR professionals first to recruit a competent and qualified staff, then to
accommodate individuals need within the context of the work team and the organization.
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. To study the workforce diversity and it’s management.
2. To understand the concept of workforce diversity.
3. To know various challenges and opportunities faced by workforce diversity.
4. To know the benefits of diverse workforce.
5. To provide suggestion if any based-on project work.
III. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

The most important aspect of this study is based on understanding the workforce and the
diversity a business organization possess in terms of their employees. Our Nation is made
up of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, customs and beliefs. It is those
differences that contribute to the richness and strength of our society. Like our Nation, the
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workforce is also becoming more and more diverse. As a result, in order to recruit, hire
and retain the
best people from every background and community, we must foster diversity in our
workforce, manage it effectively, and value what it has to offer. A diverse workforce is
critical for any organization that seeks to improve and maintain a competitive advantage.
Focusing on diversity and looking for ways to achieve an inclusive environment is not
just a “nice to have objective,” it makes a good business sense. A diverse workforce
offers greater productivity and a competitive edge. Diversity improves the quality of our
workforce and offers a higher return on our investment in human capital. Our agency’s
future depends on the quality of employees we recruit today. New employees often
consider an organization’s diversity efforts when deciding whether to accept or reject an
employment offer. Potential candidates are usually more attracted to employers that are
committed to sustaining a diverse workforce. Moreover, diverse perspectives increase
creativity as they offer different perspectives, ideas and solutions.
IV. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:

The main purpose of this study is to understand the diversity in workforce in the
organization and what measures could be taken to overcome these diversities in terms of
age, gender, education, culture and psychology.
V. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
The procedures by which researchers go about their work of describing, explaining and
predicting phenomena are called methodology. Methods comprise the procedures used for
generating, collecting and studying data. Methods are ways of obtaining information
useful for assessing explanations.
a) Research Definition:
The definition of research given by Creswell is "Research is a process of steps
used to collect and analyse information to increase our understanding of a topic or
issue".
b) Data Sources:
The sources from where the information is being collected and presented in the
project is known as data sources.
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This project is mainly based on secondary data which has been collected through
various websites, articles and journals etc.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
VI. THEORITICAL BACKGROUND
1) WHAT IS DIVERSITY?
Diversity to us means all aspects in which people differ from one another. This
includes both the visible and relatively easily demonstrable personal characteristics
such as gender, age and ethnicity, as well as the less visible personal characteristics,
such as competencies, needs and wants, work style sand character traits. Each
employee has his or her own, unique combination of such characteristics. Another
definition describes diversity as creating high performing organizations through
valuing and using all the talents of employees of different groups. Regardless of how
diversity is defined, it is an issue that is sweeping the nation. If the corporate society
does not address the issue by learning how to manage diversity, they will fail.
“It is very helpful to suggest that diversity is not so much an end in itself as it is a
condition of our society and the condition of the World in which we live.”
Frank Wong ,Vice President for Academic Affairs
University of Redlan
2) DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:
Managing diversity is one of the most important challenges faced by managers and
their organizations. In today’s work environment, co-workers are likely to be of
different gender, age, religion, cultural background, race and ethnicity. They also
differ in terms of lifestyle, choices available, perspectives, attitudes, value system,
beliefs, behaviors, expectations, skills and experiences. These issues are not just about
discriminatory practices but they modify the nature and demands placed on leadership
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and management and bring into prominence the concept of diversity. How well or
how prepared managers are able to invest in the concept of diversity will impact not
just on work issues but also on sensitivity to customer’s needs, legal compliance,
business’ ethical issues, profitability and even social cohesion. Diversity management
is a strategic process to manage a diverse workforce-including the fight against
stereotypes, prejudice and all kind of discrimination due to the individual perceptions
and assumptions- in the manner to maximize the benefit and minimize barriers of
different opinions, behavior and attitudes of human beings within a company.
3) A BRIEF HISTORY OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE:
Groan if you want, but it’s kind of true. The history of diversity in the workplace is by
definition the story of how the concept of inclusion finally worked its way into our
national narrative. When you have equality in the workforce, it creates a domino
effect of change across the socioeconomic system.
Long story short: the face of the American workforce has changed dramatically over
the past century (and there’s still a way to go). Major milestones include:
 In 1948, President Truman officially desegregated the armed forces with Executive
Order 9981, which made discrimination based on “race, color, religion or natural
origin” illegal for all members of the armed services.
 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 dealt a crucial blow to discrimination in the workforce
by making it illegal for any business, private or public, to practice discriminatory
hiring (and firing) practices.
 More than forty years later, with the tech boom in full swing, journalists at the San
Jose Mercury News and CNN Money began investigations into the
workforce diversity at the Silicon Valley tech giants. Half the companies under
investigation were able to block the release of the data from the U.S. Department of
Labor, claiming that the data fell under the realm of “trade secret” and that releasing it
would cause “competitive harm.”
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That last incident, as you may know, caused a torrential downpour of bad publicity,
and most of the companies involved have changed their tune in recent years, not just
releasing their diversity stats but also actively trying to improve them.
Today, we look at diversity as not just a moral issue, but a business issue. It’s a
proven fact that diverse companies perform at least 35% better than their
homogeneous counterparts. That kind of proof is pretty hard to ignore, and companies
that do are starting to feel the backlash.
4) WORKFORCE AS A CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY:

Increasing workforce diversity has a number of benefits including: creativity,
innovation, positive reputation and more. Having different perspectives at your
business can increase your creativity and allow people to positively collaborate with
one another. This collaboration could bring additional innovation and the ability for
your business to stay ahead in these changing times! And of course, celebrating
diversity within a business can encourage a positive public reputation and create more
devote brand fans. So why not consider workforce diversity?
With the many positives come some disadvantages including: communication

barriers, resistance to change and negative attitudes. It may be difficult to bring
together employees of different cultures and communication styles. Meetings and
discussions could be sidelined while dealing with what should be a simple issue-
communication. Your business may come across employees that are resistant to
change or harbor negative feelings towards diversity.
To overcome these disadvantages to make workforce diversity a well-received

practice. Here are a few ideas:
 Communication plan/training
Since one of the biggest concerns with workforce diversity is communication, why
not create an internal communication plan or training for your employees? Getting
everyone on the same page early-on could relive unneeded stress on-the-job.
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 Mentorship program
Although it may not be the easiest program to implement, mentorship opportunities

can provide a great return on investment for your business. Taking the time to set up
this on-going program could be a great training resource for years to come.
 Open door policy
Have you ever thought of instating an open-door policy at your business? Employees
are welcome and encouraged to bring concerns to higher management for discussion.
This could help employees feel “heard” at your company and make them feel like part
of the team.
 Update policies to accommodate different cultural perspectives
Ideally, your business should update all its policies to welcome a variety of cultures
and perspectives. It may be difficult to update lengthy policies at first, but making this
investment in your overall business could put you at the forefront of the workforce
diversity discussion.
Embracing or ignoring workforce diversity isn’t an easy choice. Whether or not you
decide to utilize the ideas above- encourage everyone at your company to keep an
open mind. Whatever your business decides to do- workforce diversity is a topic that
cannot be ignored in today’s ever-changing world.
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5) DIMENSIONS OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:
Age Psychology
Dimensions of workforce
Education Diversity
Gender
Culture
Fig.1 Dimensions of workforce diversity
Dimensions of workforce diversity are described below:

 Age:
People belonging to different age groups cause diversity in workforce. Young people
may be enriched with health, merit, capacity for hard-work etc.; while elderly people
may possess more maturity than their junior counterparts and are full of experiences
of life.
 Gender:
Male workers are usually aggressive, bold and materialistic; while female workers
possess sympathy for others and are more concerned with quality of life. What is
important to observe is that people of both sex have material differences in outlook,
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nature, habits etc.; as differences between males and females are the design of God
who created mankind.
 Education:
In an organisation people may range from less educated to highly educated. Educated
people have a broad outlook and are open-minded. They are endowed with logic and
rationality and usually dislike discrimination among individuals on petty grounds of
caste, colour, religion etc.
 Culture:
Culture is a complex of race, religion, language, social traditions and values etc.
People from different cultural backgrounds may have ethnic orientations i.e. a sense
of favouritism towards their nation, race or tribe, which they belong to.
 Psychology:
Psychology is the kind of mind that one has that makes one think or behaves in a
particular way). In a organisation, there are people with different psychology. Some
may be optimistic or pessimistic; some may be bold or timid or so on. Psychology
may be a gift of Nature or a manifestation of family background or social affiliations.
6) SIGNIFICANCE OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:
A. Significance to the organization:

 Ability to Deal with Diverse Market:
Culturally diverse workforce can better appreciate the needs, feedings, and attitudes
of culturally diverse consumers. Thus, workforce diversity increases the competence
of a corporation to deal with a market; that consists of diverse consumer groups in
respect of age, sex, culture etc.
 Better Decision-Making:
People from heterogeneous backgrounds may aid management in better decision-
making, by offering suggestions from a wide range of perspectives and orientations.
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In fact, heterogeneous groups of people may be more creative and innovative; when
they pool their knowledge and experiences and agree on a common solution to a
tricky problem; which might aid management in making excellent decisions for the
organisation.
 Better Human Relations:

Workforce diversity management aims at developing and nurturing a common
organisational culture and climate; which enable people from diverse culture and
backgrounds to co-exist peacefully. Such a common organisational culture and
climate leads to better human relations in the enterprise and produces all-round
organisational and managerial efficiency.
 Preventing Unnecessary Labor Turnover:

When in an organisation there is good workforce diversity management; women and
other dis-satisfied people are prevented from leaving the organisation. In case
otherwise, when there is large labour turnover because of poor workforce diversity
management; investment made in manpower may go waste, with other bad
consequences for the organisation. In fact, employees leave the organisation when
they do not feel comfortable and duly cared for by management.
 Building of Goodwill of the Enterprise:

Companies with excellent workforce diversity management build goodwill in the
society. As such, talented people of society with diverse backgrounds and culture get
attracted towards it for seeking suitable employment. Such companies never have a
problem of the scarcity of skilled, educated and talented human capital.
B. Significance to Employees:
 Real-time Feedback:
Workforce management (WFM) software with employee performance dashboards are
popping up in many industries. For the most part, employers are discovering that
employees love them.
Real-time feedback is powerful. It can make tedious jobs more interesting. It can
make interesting jobs downright exciting. It can motivate employees to perform
better. It can help employees stay on task.
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We all get distracted by processes and forget the big picture. What we’re trying to
achieve. Real-time analytics provide a constant reminder of the ultimate goal. When
these objectives are measurable, they have an incredible impact.
Workforce management software performance dashboards are objective. They
remove the subjectivity inherent in manager evaluations. A level playing field
prevents resentment.
Analytics help employees understand how they are doing. Tracking performance is
the first step to improving productivity. Just as a fitness app makes a routine workout
more enjoyable, performance feedback is a key motivator.
Infrequent performance reviews are not very effective for many businesses. Real-time
feedback allows employers to reward top performers more frequently. In some
companies, it can be done on an hourly or daily basis. Even just the recognition of
being on top of the board boosts confidence. Frequent recognition of top performers
transforms the workplace environment.
Employers can also use workforce management analytics to design better training
programs. This magnifies the benefits. When employees are better trained, they are
more effective. Competency increases engagement in any job.
 Put Employees in the Driver’s Seat:

Workforce management software enables employee self-service. This transfers HR
tasks to the employee. They can easily handle the routine workforce management
tasks. Who doesn’t want to manage tasks that are necessary to receive a pay check?
Employees are able to check their schedule, time cards, and accruals without having
to go call Human Resources. Updating tax forms is quick and painless. No more
relying on managers to circulate shift-change requests. Employees simply post
requested changes on the online shift exchange. Empowerment gives employees a
psychological boost that translates to better job performance.
 Prevent Understaffing:
Understaffing causes a lot of problems. It’s tiring for employees. Impatient customers
crank up the stress level. Employees can’t excel with unrealistic workloads. This leads
to discouragement and low job satisfaction. Workforce management scheduling
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software helps managers prevent understaffing. Managers can customize shift rules
with necessary certifications, job codes, and employee conflict alerts.
 Remove the Overtime Burden:

Overtime takes a toll on employees. It’s unhealthy both physically and mentally.
When employees are tired, they don’t perform well. This leads to discouragement.
Workforce management software optimizes staff allocation to keep everyone on
straight time.
 Mobility is a Must:
Most everyone uses mobile tech tools to make life easier. GPS helps us find our way.
Coupon apps help us snag bargains. Our smartphones provide constant web access as
we move around. We get frustrated when we have to use old-school tools at work.
Mobile WFM apps give workers 24/7 anywhere access and convenience. Employees
can clock in, view their schedule, and access HR information. Employers who provide
easy mobile tools are more likely to retain tech-dependent employees.
Mobile workers can become much more efficient with mobile workforce management
software. Algorithms help them plan routes in light of current traffic conditions.
Machine learning optimizes processes so they improve over time.
 Central Management Clears Up Confusion:

How did Human Resources information end up tucked away in file cabinets? It has
never made sense. Technology makes central document management easy.
Employees can access time cards, schedules, PTO, and shift changes. Some
workforce management software handles onboarding and benefits enrolment. Cloud-
based WFM is not limited by device, time, or location. Employees can access
information anywhere, anytime, on any device. Automatic messages inform
employees about important issues. They also promote a sense of team unity.
 Shift Flexibility is the New Pay Raise:

Workforce management software is an employee’s best friend. It improves work/life
balance by accommodating schedule preferences. It also takes the hassle out of shift
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trading. When a shift opens up, employees who want extra hours can request it. This
eliminates the need for a manager to beg unwilling employees.
Part-time employees can better juggle two jobs when their employers use WFM to
avoid conflicts. Employees are loyal to employers that support their work/life balance.
Loyal employees gain experience. Experience increases confidence.
 WFM Measures Good Behavior:

Conscientious employees are punctual. They don’t wander in ten minutes late every
day. They make sure they clock out for unpaid breaks. They don’t dishonestly pad
their time card. They never stretch a 30-minute lunch to 45 minutes.
In large departments, managers don’t always notice the star performers. Workforce
management software validates which employees are reliable. Then managers can
reward accordingly. Workforce management allows employers to give credit where
credit is due. Employees who are recognized for good behavior are happier about their
jobs.
 Employer Payroll Accountability:

Workforce management software tracks employee time to the minute. This has
important implications. Employers value the way it makes employees accountable for
their time and attendance. But we can flip the script. Employees value the payroll
accountability it imposes on their employers.
They know they will be paid extra when they come in early or stay late. They know
that overtime pay will be correctly calculated. They have confidence that their
accruals are tracked accurately. If benefits depend on full-time status, workforce
management software can validate hours requirements. Payroll accountability brings
peace of mind to employees.
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7) TECHNIQUES OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:
Some techniques for successful workforce diversity management are suggested

below:
 Creating Awareness of Diversity:

Management must create awareness in the organization that differences among people
as to age, sex, education, culture etc. exist in workforce; so that people may try to
understand one another in a more rational and friendly manner.
 Creating Conditions for Common Organizational Culture:

Organization must develop cross-cultural training programmes creating conditions for
development of a common organizational culture and climate. Such common culture
will create an environment in which a diversified work force can co-exist
comfortably, peacefully and happily.
 Programmes of Special Care for Diversified Workforce:

Management must design programmes of special care, like the following:
1.Care for elderly people.
2.Special work schedules to provide convenience to female workers etc.
 Career Development Programmes:

There must be programmes for identifying each individual’s strengths, weaknesses
and potential for career development; so that the organization can capitalize on the
peculiar features of a diversified workforce. In fact, people should be valued for their
difference and variety.
 Avoiding Discriminations:
A very significant technique for excellent workforce diversity management is to avoid
any sort of discrimination among people on the basis of age, culture and specially sex.
In the most developed country the U.SA, the Glass Ceiling Commission states that
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between 95 and 97 percent of senior managers in the country’s biggest corporations

are men.
(The term ‘glass ceiling’ describes the process by which women are barred from
promotion by means of an invisible barrier).
 Prevention of Sexual Harassment:

With the entry of a large number of women in organizations, the phenomenon of
sexual harassment is usually witnessed; which management must prevent by all
means and at all costs. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions, like –
unwelcome touching, joking, teasing, innuendoes (indirectly bad and rude remarks),
slurs, and the display of sexually explicit materials.
 Committees of Diverse Members:

Committees of diverse members must be formed for evaluating and addressing
complaints of people, regarding their sad experience of working in the organization.
8) BENEFITS OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:

A diverse workforce is a more productive workforce, and your business can benefit
from different perspectives, improved community relations and more creative ideas.
 Increase in Productivity:
Workforce diversity can bring about an increase in productivity and competitive
advantages. Employers can offer more solutions to customers because of new ideas
and processes brought into the organization. Workplace diversity also increases
employee morale and causes employees to desire to work more effectively and
efficiently. Diversity in leadership within a firm allows managers to bring in new
skills and methods for achieving unity within their teams.
 Increase in Creativity:
Workforce diversity increases creativity within a company because heterogeneous
groups are cross-fertilizing one another within the organization. Employees from
different backgrounds bring in a variety of solutions on how to achieve a common
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goal. As more diverse ideas are suggested, the chances of finding a workable answer
are improved.
In atmospheres when brainstorming is necessary, more ideas are formed because team
members are culturally diverse. For example, employees from China working in
American companies may approach a problem totally differently than do American-
born workers. Some companies have successfully created innovative processes by
taking ideas from several employees.
 Language Skills and Community Relations:
Companies that plan to expand into global markets benefit from language diversity in
the workplace. For example, a company with employees fluent in Japanese and who
understand Japanese culture experiences an easier time communicating with
representatives from Japan. Many bilingual workers experience an advantage when
applying for jobs because employees understand the benefits of language diversity.
Another example can include a company that hires employees fluent in Mandarin to
increase the company’s reputation in Chinese communities. An increased presence
usually results in an increase in sales.
 Improves the Company's Reputation:
Job seekers are drawn to companies with diverse workforces because it is evident that
the companies do not practice employment discrimination. Potential employees want
to know that employers treat their staff fairly regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.
Not only are such firms able to attract new talent but they can also retain existing
talent because of high employee morale resulting from workforce diversity.
For example, such companies are often known for their attitude of openness and
inclusion, and for being flexible and adaptable to change. Top talent is no longer
represented by a homogeneous group, but one representing people from many
different backgrounds and life experiences.
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9) NEED FOR WORKPLACE DIVERSITY: CHALLENGES IN INDIAN

ORGANISATIONS
With a lot of human movement taking place around the world, issues of
migration, assimilation, adaptation and the politics associated with them is
being discussed vociferously in world forums. Diversity and how to manage
it has become a tricky subject today.
In several countries of Europe where increased migration in recent years has shifted
the long-held monochrome cultures, there is serious debate about assimilating
diversity. In the US, which has long been more open to multi-cultural traditions, race
relations have been at the centre of the diversity debate.
 Workplaces are a microcosm of a nation:

Workplaces are in many ways a microcosm of a nation, representing multiple kinds of
people based on race, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation -- all
under one banner, working towards the same goal. However, do our workplaces
actually reflect the essential composition of our nations or societies appropriately?
When it comes to India, the issue of diversity takes different connotations. We are
touted as one of the most diverse nations in the world. Yet, our behaviour as a society
often reflects problems with assimilation and shows a lack of acceptance of
differences. The problems faced by people from the north eastern states in Delhi or
the racial slurs occasionally thrown at African students, is a case in point.
Bias may be a part of social settings, but as an ethical institution, an organisation has
to ensure that individual employees do not carry such biased attitudes to the
workplace when interacting with their colleagues.
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I. Why is diversity important?

a) Maximises collective strength:
In today's globalised world of free flow of people and brain, no work community can
be a monolith. The diversity that people of multiple origins bring to an organisation is
immensely enriching. Much like a nation can maximise its collective strength by
leveraging its diversity, a workplace benefits immensely from embracing diversity
and making it a part of its culture.
b) Liberates individuals:
When organisations work diligently towards implementing diversity plans and
ensuring that each individual feel liberated and accepted in the office environs, they
experience a series of benefits, both tangible and intangible.
A greater feeling of belongingness among the employees, greater inclusiveness, free
flow of ideas, variety of enriching perspectives, enhanced productivity, better
retention and a collective burst of positive energy are some aspects associated with
greater diversity at workplace.
c) Brings together various cultures:

Diversity doesn't just bring together apples and oranges, but also brings together their
respective cultures, practices, beliefs and work ethics. The amalgamation provides a
wonderful cauldron from where new ideas and systems will originate. Working and
living in a culturally diverse place is always enriching for individual employees, and it
stimulates thinking and ideation process.
II. WORKPLACE DIVERSITY IN THE INDIAN SETTING: BABY STEPS IN

PROCESS:
The definition of what diversity comprises for a place often varies from context to
context. Organisations in different nations have different diversity challenges to moot.
In the US, for example, the question may be cantered more on race; in the Philippines
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capital of Manila, where Sun Life Financial has one of its Asia Service Centres, the
presence of a strong and open LGBT community mandates diversity handlers to make
the workplace open and discrimination free.
In India, currently very few organisations make a deliberate and concerted policy
effort to imbibe these values into their blood. The human resource managements
mostly focus on short term issues, target matters of immediate importance like hiring,
retaining and placating. Not many show the foresight of looking ahead to cultivate an
organisational fabric that cherishes diversity as the hallmark of its culture.
a) Low female representation in workplaces:

In a way, when it comes to India, we are still taking baby steps towards this concept.
Forget sexual minorities or physically different people, we still have very less
representation of women in our workforce, particularly at senior levels of
organisations.
If you look at the ratio of men and women at the entry stages of organisations, you
will find a fair balance between the two sexes. However, as they graduate to senior
levels, you see more and more women dropping out of the workforce due to a number
of factors including personal situations, responsibility of raising children etc.
b) Not ready to deal with working mothers:

This doesn't just reflect on our social conditioning but also on the lack of flexibility or
consideration in organisations to allow working mothers a more amenable
environment. Organisations in our economy in a way are not yet conditioned or
conducive enough to embrace working mothers, and lack the system required to retain
experienced and talented women employees.
c) Bias during hiring:

When it comes to the industry, the ratio is still an abysmal 15-20 per cent (on
representation of women). Other diversity challenges in India may include a
resistance towards hiring from socially backward sections or freshers not too adept at
English language communication.
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Workplaces may also do well to devise policies that allow incorporation of

experienced senior citizens and home makers in part time work arrangements that are
mutually beneficial.
III. CHALLENGES OF COMPLETE DIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE AND

DEALING WITH THEM:
While it has immense benefits, ushering in an absolutely diversity friendly
workplace presents its own challenges:
a) Resistance to change:
Resistance to change is a common challenge. As with any new idea, ushering in

diversity-friendly policies also faces resistance from the current participants. A
workplace is an amalgamation of different people working together and not all may
be interested or keen in becoming a part of this endeavour.
A change in policy or approach always brings in some amount of discomfort among
the employees, some of whom may feel that the new policy unnecessarily favours a
small segment (minority) of people.
Cultural predispositions often make the workforce feel that new ideas inhibit progress.
Many may fail to understand the long-term implications of such policy changes,
requiring discussion and convincing.
b) The cultural challenge:
Ensuring a truly diversity friendly workplace is not just a policy issue, but also a
cultural challenge. You cannot display a memo on a public notice board and expect
the organisation to become diversity friendly from the next day. The culture of the
organisation has to be changed and moulded along with policy changes, in order to
make it acceptable to diverse groups of people.
Diversity and inclusiveness have to be built into the very culture of various
organisations for them to become truly equal opportunity employers. Apart from
ensuring that no policy discriminates or presents a challenge to hiring or efficient
working of different people, the majority of people in the workforce have to be
trained to see diversity as an asset, and embrace it wholeheartedly.
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Orientation programs and diversity training for new join have to include a special
component on diversity and gender sensitisation. Women would certainly feel more
comfortable in organisations where the workforce is sensitised against sexist jokes
or collared remarks.
An organisation's work culture should be cultivated to ensure a complete assimilation
and acceptance. The majority group should not be side-lining those in minority, men
should not have an upper hand over women employees, or a gay employee shouldn't
become the subject of ridicule.
Not just race, colour, gender, caste or sexual preferences, even individual personality
traits add to the diversity of an organisation. Some employees will be more
adventurous, and advocate risk taking, while others may be more cautious and may
suggest safer routes. Some may be brilliant in ideation yet lax in implementation;
others may be better executors.
c) Need for a top down approach:
The culture of an organisation is reflected in the approach of all employees, and this
more effectively flows from the top to the bottom. New employees learn from the
examples set by their seniors. Having people in leadership positions who have a
vision and can lead by example can make much difference.
Therefore, the top management and the leadership of an organisation has to be
completely aligned to the idea of diversity. As much as the new joinees, they need to
be sensitised as well to shed their long-held cultural baggage and predispositions.
d) Communication issues:
Diversity also presents communication barriers at times, including language, cultural,

and behavioural patterns. What is construed as a joke among north Indians may be
something offensive for somebody from the south or vice versa. Diversity
programmes therefore also need to overcome such barriers.
Sometimes, this may take more serious overtones and may involve ineffective
communication on matters of importance, disrupt teamwork and create confusion. The
answer lies in training employees to dispel barriers and pre-held perceptions through
greater interactions and opening up to each other.
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e) Ensuring diversity has to be an inclusive process:
As discussed above, new ideas spawn resistance. And the solution to quell resistance
is to include the people themselves in the process of ushering in any change. For a
new policy to be sustainable, every employee has to be responsible for it.
Therefore, while formulating diversity programmes, it is a good idea to provide a
platform to people to be able to talk, express themselves, open up about their
perspectives on the issue, put forth objections if any and make their own suggestions.
This will allow them to feel a part of the change and help ward off resistance.
10) BEST WORKPLACE DIVERSITY TRENDS FOR 2019:
a) Adopting a more diverse definition of diversity:
Although gender and ethnicity are still the major focal points, organizations are
starting to invest in multiples areas of diversity.
The most recent HR survey by Harvey Nash asked, “Which areas are your
organization actively pursuing to be more diverse?”
 60% Gender
 41% Ethnicity/culture
 38% Age
 14% LGBT
With aging populations and more people delaying retirement, age discrimination is
gaining attention and will be a big topic in 2019.
b) Using technology like AI to avoid unconscious bias:
21
Biases related to demographics such as race, gender, and age can be triggered by
information on a resume such as the candidate’s name and the dates they’ve held
previous positions.
In 2019, AI adoption for diversity will increase as AI can be programmed to avoid

unconscious biases by ignoring demographic information when sourcing candidates
and screening resumes.
Furthermore, technology like AI can be tested for bias by checking the demographic
breakdown of the applicants it sources and screens. If the AI is disproportionately
excluding a group of people, this oversight can be corrected through human
intervention.
c) Sourcing candidates with non-traditional credentials:
With unemployment at a 16-year low, there’s a general talent shortage, but one
industry that’s really feeling the hurt is tech.
In 2018, there will be less of a focus on traditional majors (e.g., computer science) to
open up the candidate pool to those with non-traditional credentials who are still able
to show evidence of the desired skill set.
Whether this means candidates with non-STEM degrees who taught themselves how
to code or learned from a coding boot camp, tools that better assess candidates’ skills
and knowledge are going to be more widely adopted in the new year.
d) Testing diversity initiatives with data:
One of the big bottlenecks for increasing workplace diversity has been relying on
practices that sound good on the surface but haven’t proven to be very effective.
Companies are recognizing that they need to start testing their diversity initiatives by
collecting the data.
For example, Airbnb’s interviewers had been previously trained to find

commonalities with candidates (e.g., hobbies, educational background, experiences)
to help build connections.
22
While it seems like a good idea, this type of behaviour leads to similarity bias: liking
people who are similar to us more in lieu of focusing on their work-related skill set.
Airbnb changed their recruiting process to explicitly avoid looking for commonalities
and using objective scorecards to make sure all candidates are evaluated equally and
fairly.
In 2019, companies are going to stop accepting things on face value and start using
data to see how effective their initiatives actually are.
e) Standardizing the interview process to reduce bias:
As Airbnb learned, standardizing your hiring by asking the same set of questions to

candidates and then rating their answers on a scale is one of the best ways to reduce
bias and objectively assess which candidates are the most qualified.
Companies can still create a personal connection with candidates through small talk
and rapport building at the beginning of the interview.
In 2018, recruiters can prevent their first impressions of a candidate from

disproportionately weighting their decision making by “throwing out” or ignoring
candidates’ answers to the first few questions.
f) Putting your money where your mouth is:
Industry experts like Bersin argue the most effective way to move the needle on
diversity is to create personal accountability.
Bersin suggests that one way to do this is to tie compensation to diversity and
inclusion outcomes, a practice only 6% of companies they surveyed do.
A Forbes Insights survey found that senior executives are held accountable for their
diversity and inclusion programs performance through a variety of metrics including:
 66% performance reviews

 51% bonuses
 48% business/department reviews
 42% salary increases
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11) DIVERSITY STATISTICS THAT WILL MAKE RETHINK THE HIRING

DECISIONS:
Companies need diversity. It is beneficial to an organization to think with a wider

breadth of perspectives, it portrays a positive image to the public eye, and gives them
access to the potential revenue gains from employing people who can contribute
different things to the companies they work for. Unfortunately, hiring diversity is an
issue that has only recently begun to improve.
Here are ten reasons why your team needs to change their mind
about diversity hiring and five ways to help you begin to do so:
1. The Biggest Reason Companies Avoid Hiring Diversity? 41% Say

They’re “Too Busy"
This stat shows us one of the biggest barriers to creating a more diverse workforce. A
SHRM report recently noted that 41% of managers are “too busy” to implement
diversity initiatives. It may be true that managers have too much on their plates to
handle on a given day, but the stat reveals just how small of a priority diversity hiring
is. If managers want anything to get done about the lack of diversity on their teams,
they’ll need to start fitting it into their schedule. That means making it a bigger
priority.
 What can you do to move diversity to the top of your list?

i. Make it a team effort: Not everything needs to fall on your hands. Get insight,
feedback, and support from other members of senior management. Getting
commitment from them creates a way for everyone to encourage diversity throughout
the organization.
ii. Create a committee: This could be a small group of managers or even team members
that collaborate on and establish ways to create more diversity within the workplace.
Remember, this group should be diverse in employee rank, race, gender, age, etc. A
team that lacks diversity will not bring about the best approach to welcoming
diversity.
24
iii. Use other companies: Today, diversity is a group effort in that organizations of all
types and in every industry are trying to be more inclusive. While it might unveil
some of your own shortcomings, looking to others who are succeeding can inspire
new ideas for your own company and help you start on your own path to a more
diverse workforce.
iv. Be honest: No one is perfect and even seasoned leaders can struggle with
understanding how to implement diversity. Approaching the issue with honesty will
show self-reflection and encourage others to join in on improving the problem.
2. There Are Fewer CEOs Who Are Women Than Men in Leadership
Roles:
When a single name outnumbers an entire gender in leadership, it reveals a staggering

problem. These stat reveals just how few opportunities women get in the business
world, and it’s not because women can’t handle leadership. Women are capable of
handling all the demands of a business — the people in charge simply aren’t giving
women the opportunity to prove themselves.
Tips for women to thrive in the workplace and prove their worth:
 Voice the projects and opportunities you really want to work on; push back at other
times.
 Play to your strengths - even if they’re stereotypes.
 Build relationships with your boss and others high up in leadership from the start -
they will be your best supporter.
3. Racially Diverse Teams Outperform Non-Diverse Teams by 35%:
One of the biggest things stopping managers from implementing diversity is that
they’re afraid that introducing people who may not agree with each other will hamper
productivity. For those companies, we offer the above-mentioned stat. Because
diverse teams outperform non-diverse ones, companies should actively try to engage
with diversity initiatives as soon as possible to make sure they’re implemented,
instead of trying to hamper them out of fear.
25
In fact, the awkwardness that comes with not understanding those around you is what
makes diverse teams work so well. In a cognitive intelligence study done by MIT
engineers, researchers observed that successful teams had three things in common:
 They gave one another roughly equal time to talk

 They were sensitive towards each other (even in awkward situations)
 They included more women - making them the most diverse.
In other words, having different types of people on the same team can help others
look at problems more carefully while also being more innovative, creative and
inclusive about their solutions.
4. 57% of Employees Think Their Companies Should Be More Diverse:

The employees want to be more productive. They want racial diversity in the
workplace as much as anyone else. Working with the same people, who’ve shared
their background and experiences, can be nice, but it’s becoming boring rather
quickly. Without a flood of new experiences to keep them motivated and excited
about the people they work with, there’s a chance they could get burnt out. So, when
it comes to diversity, you can be sure your employees have your back.
5. 40% of People Think There’s a Double-Standard Against Hiring

Women:
A recent Pew study asked respondents this question, and the stat reveals just how
much bias against women in the workplace there is. Both women and men are more
likely to hire men over women, and its likely what leads to a lack of gender diversity
in the workplace, as well as problems with women in leadership positions (which we
discussed in an earlier stat). Companies need to recognize this bias and implement
programs which favor women in order to counteract this inherent bias in hiring.
Ways to help create a level playing field and eliminate gender bias in the workplace
include:
 Establish clear criteria and qualifications for decisions.

 Make yourself accountable to others when it comes to hiring and promoting.
26
 Study the existing criteria you use to make management decisions.

 Be able to explain the decisions you make.
 Educate and make your employees aware of how stereotypes work.
6. Blind Applications Lead to Five Times More Women:

It sounds like a bit of an exaggeration to say that, but in reality, this stat demonstrates
just how few women are considered in male-dominated fields. In Orchestras, when
companies switched from auditions where they could see the candidate to blind
auditions, the percentage of female members in the orchestra jumped from 5% to
25%. Similarly, institutions using a double-blind method to review scientific studies
have similarly increased the number of women who get published in journals. This is
good in adding diversity to your team while also helping your team perform overall.
In a large study of more than 4,600 people, teams that welcomed more women
performed better than those with fewer or no women.
7. Google’s Tech Staff is Only 4.8% African American:

Diversity is everyone’s problem. Being a big company doesn’t mean you’re excluded
from needing diversity. Along with that stat, only 1.1% of Google’s tech staff is
Hispanic, and only 33.1% are women. When the number of college IT graduates is
several times that number, it shows how little even larger companies take diversity
into account.
8. Caucasians Received 50% More Callbacks Than Those from African

American Descent:
This stat makes the case for affirmative action. Arguments against Affirmative Action
say that it gives minorities an unfair advantage without the skills to properly perform
the tasks required of them. But in reality, initiatives like Affirmative Action are
created to battle the inherent bias against African Americans in the workplace.
Categorically, people of minority backgrounds are invited less often to the interviews,
and when the numbers are this consistent, it makes the case for targeted diversity
initiatives.
27
This is where a true understanding of interview bias comes into play. Individuals
should be hired based on skill, experience, and performance - not by their name or
ethnic background. Sadly, snap judgments are still very much a part of the interview
and hiring decisions. As a manager or employer, there are things you can do to
prevent bias from interfering:
 Make it a process: Create a list of questions and tasks that every candidate must
answer and in the same manner and point of the assessment. Keeping consistency
ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to perform well.
 Make a justified decision: Don’t decide right away on which candidate is the best
choice. Look over your notes and justify why they are (or aren’t) the best fit. Write
down your reasoning and make sure that it is based on more than just superficial facts.
Welcoming more than one colleague into this decision will help deter bias.
9. Bilingual Employees Earn 10% More Revenue :

Hiring bilingual employees, no matter what other languages they may speak is one
great way to increase diversity in your company and see a few immediate benefits. If
many of your employees interact with customers and clients on a regular basis, being
able to speak multiple languages is a huge boon for your business. When a customer
who does not speak English is interested in your product, having someone who speaks
their language makes the transaction happen that much more smoothly.
10. Teams Where Men and Women are Equal Earn 41% More Revenue:
Another stat that supports moving toward greater gender diversity. When companies
employ more women, they’re able to take advantage of a greater wealth of
perspectives. This, in turn, causes companies to have more angles from which to
tackle big business issues. The results are faster solutions, more creative thinking, and
higher overall revenue.
There are more than ten reasons to diversify your workforce, but we think these are
the most important ones. There’s no reason to avoid creative diversity hiring
initiatives any longer. Your employees want them, they’re more profitable, and they
help rectify other unfair practices in hiring. Diversity benefits everyone, so it’s time
for your company to start taking advantage of diversity now. Wondering where you
28
should start? Take a step closer to promoting diversity by eliminating your hiring
bias:
a. Become educated and aware - Understanding how the natural bias of one person
toward another can affect the hiring decision.
b. Provide training - Provide your hiring team with training on diversity and how to
eliminate bias from the recruiting process.
c. Make your interview process consistent - This will ensure candidates are compared
based on the same questions and no one has an advantage or disadvantage over
another.
d. Identify the language used in job descriptions - Remove any words that can be
specific to one gender and replace them with titles that are easy to understand.
Removing hiring bias and developing diversity in the workplace has three simple
benefits:
 It’s beneficial to your bottom line, 19% more to be exact.

 It attracts a wide array (67%) of diverse candidates.
 It sparks creative talent and promotes better decision making, 87% of the time,
within the company and its leaders, as opposed to leaders that are in need of
diversity.
Eliminating biases is just one place to start. Clear Company’s applicant tracking
system and employee onboarding software will help make sure your hiring is more
diverse, and make new hires feel more at home at their new company. To see how we
can help make your next round of hiring a success, click the button below to set up a
demo with us
29
OBSERVATION AND FINDINGS
VII. OBSERVATION:
Research has made certain observation and is mentioned below:
i. It is observed that an organization is composed of different groups of people belonging to

different age, gender, education background.
ii. The conflict between diverse workforce can be managed by mentorship program,
communication plan, open door policy etc.
iii. Diversity in an organization is significant to the organization as well as to the employees.
iv. The techniques and benefits workforce diversity possess can lead business towards
growth and profit.
v. When different groups of people who belongs to different culture, age and education
background can result into creative work.
VIII. FINDINGS:
i. From the above study it is found that increasing workforce diversity has a number of
benefits including: creativity, innovation, positive reputation and more.
ii. With the many positives come some disadvantages including communication barriers,
resistance to change and negative attitudes.
iii. To avoid conflict from different culture groups an organization must update policies to
accommodate different cultural perspectives.
iv. Workforce diversity helps business to deal with diverse market.
v. It helps in better decision making and maintaining human relations.
vi. Workforce diversity management leads to increase in goodwill of the firm.
30
vii. Workforce management software helps in estimating the real time results of the
employees.
viii. Creating awareness of diversity can result profitability.
ix. Program of special care for elderly people and to provide convenience to female workers
is the technique adopted by organization.
x. Career development program helps in managing workforce.
xi. Workforce diversity management often leads in increase in productivity, creativity, and
helps in building company’s reputation.
xii. Migration, assimilation, adaptation and the politics these are the major challenges in
managing the workforce.
xiii. India have very less representation of women in our workforce, particularly at senior
levels of organisations.
xiv. There are various challenges faced by diversity in workforce such as resistance to change,
cultural challenge and communication issues.
xv. Trends such as using AI to avoid technological bias can help in business.
xvi. Standardizing the interview process can be the best idea to reduce bias.
xvii. There are few CEO’s in comparison to men.
xviii. Majority of employees think that there should be diverse workforce.
xix. There’s double-standard while hiring women.
xx. Bilingual Employees Earn 10% More Revenue .
IX. CONCLUSION:
From the above study it is being concluded that a business organization has diverse
workforce which results into positive as well as into negative aspect. The positive aspects
lead towards maximizing profit as different people from different age, culture, education
background would result into creativity. Thus, on other hand the diverse workforce has
many disadvantages such as communication barriers, different attitudes, behavior,
communication barriers, resistance to change and perspectives towards the work.
So, to avoid these conflicts and maximizing the efforts of the employees so that it can
result into maximization of profit there must be some techniques a firm should adopt like
creating awareness for diversity, programs of special care for diversed workforce, career
development programs etc.
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The Indian business faces challenges such as Low female representation in the workplace,
bias during hiring and not ready to deal with working mothers. These are the areas on
which there is need of awareness.
X. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 References
1. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/managing-workforce-diversity.htm
2. https://ideal.com/workplace-diversity-trends/
3. https://blog.clearcompany.com/10-diversity-hiring-statistics-that-will-make-
you-rethink-your-decisions
4. www.article.library.com
 Books
1. Diversity in the workforce, second edition, Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
2. Handbook of Workplace Diversity, Editors: Alison M Konrad, Prasad(ed),
Judith Pringle, Edition: Illustrated, Publisher: SAGE,2006
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RIIM-ARIHANT GROUP OF INSTITUTES Pre-induction Project

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

III. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

IV. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:

VI. THEORITICAL BACKGROUND

Frank Wong ,Vice President for Academic Affairs

3) A BRIEF HISTORY OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE:

4) WORKFORCE AS A CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY:

With the many positives come some disadvantages including: communication

To overcome these disadvantages to make workforce diversity a well-received

Although it may not be the easiest program to implement, mentorship opportunities

 Open door policy

 Update policies to accommodate different cultural perspectives

5) DIMENSIONS OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:

Fig.1 Dimensions of workforce diversity

Dimensions of workforce diversity are described below:

6) SIGNIFICANCE OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:

A. Significance to the organization:

 Better Human Relations:

 Preventing Unnecessary Labor Turnover:

 Building of Goodwill of the Enterprise:

 Put Employees in the Driver’s Seat:

 Remove the Overtime Burden:

 Central Management Clears Up Confusion:

 Shift Flexibility is the New Pay Raise:

 WFM Measures Good Behavior:

 Employer Payroll Accountability:

7) TECHNIQUES OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:

Some techniques for successful workforce diversity management are suggested

 Creating Awareness of Diversity:

 Creating Conditions for Common Organizational Culture:

 Programmes of Special Care for Diversified Workforce:

2.Special work schedules to provide convenience to female workers etc.

 Career Development Programmes:

between 95 and 97 percent of senior managers in the country’s biggest corporations

 Prevention of Sexual Harassment:

 Committees of Diverse Members:

8) BENEFITS OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY:

 Language Skills and Community Relations:

 Improves the Company's Reputation:

9) NEED FOR WORKPLACE DIVERSITY: CHALLENGES IN INDIAN

 Workplaces are a microcosm of a nation:

I. Why is diversity important?

c) Brings together various cultures:

II. WORKPLACE DIVERSITY IN THE INDIAN SETTING: BABY STEPS IN

a) Low female representation in workplaces:

b) Not ready to deal with working mothers:

c) Bias during hiring:

Workplaces may also do well to devise policies that allow incorporation of

III. CHALLENGES OF COMPLETE DIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE AND

Resistance to change is a common challenge. As with any new idea, ushering in

b) The cultural challenge:

c) Need for a top down approach:

Diversity also presents communication barriers at times, including language, cultural,

e) Ensuring diversity has to be an inclusive process:

10) BEST WORKPLACE DIVERSITY TRENDS FOR 2019:

a) Adopting a more diverse definition of diversity:

b) Using technology like AI to avoid unconscious bias:

In 2019, AI adoption for diversity will increase as AI can be programmed to avoid

c) Sourcing candidates with non-traditional credentials:

d) Testing diversity initiatives with data:

For example, Airbnb’s interviewers had been previously trained to find