Are Your Doors Wide Open?
Workplace diversity is becoming a key element of business success. Recruiting and retaining a diverse staff can be well worth the extensive effort.

When you think of workplace diversity, the first thing that comes to mind may be your company’s EOE statement. But what you should envision, according to a 2006 study presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting, are dollar signs.

According to the study, businesses with high racial diversity garnered up to 84 percent greater sales revenue than those with low racial diversity. The average number of customers was nearly twice as great. And market share was 18 to 20 percent higher.

To help your company capture a greater share of the increasingly diverse U.S. consumer base–or the international marketplace–you have to bring in diverse talent. Then you have to keep it. Here are some suggestions to help you:

Recruit
In everything from strategic plans to your public and internal websites, promote your company as one that welcomes diversity. “Tolerance” may be interpreted as a “live and let live” philosophy. So strive to actively and genuinely celebrate and welcome differences among workers.

In addition, word open position notices carefully to eliminate unnecessary qualifiers such as “up-and-coming,” which can connote youth, for example. And advertise openings more widely than you might ordinarily–especially in media that caters to audiences unlike the bulk of your current staff. Focus less on word-of-mouth recruiting, which tends to attract people like those you already employ.

Retain
Gain the active participation and support of all managers. If the CEO is on board, but the line supervisors aren’t, the promise is empty. If the reverse is true, it’s unlikely that the company will retain and promote minority populations.

Perhaps most importantly, don’t let your office become an episode of The Office. Ethnic celebrations and contributions to special interests are an outgrowth of diversity programs–but they can’t replace those efforts. For example, posting biographies of famous black Americans on your company’s intranet during Black History Month can foster the creation of an environment where learning is encouraged. But without an active program to recruit diverse staff and include them in the company’s growth-planning, ostentatious displays can ring hollow and simply draw attention to the company’s lack of diversity. So keep your diversity initiatives dynamic and adaptable to the needs of your company as diversity increases.

For a wealth of articles highlighting best practices, visit the Workforce Diversity Network website.

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