The Benefits and the Reality of Diversity in the Workplace



In 1987, the Secretary of Labor, William Brock commissioned a study of economic and demographic trends by the Hudson Institute. This study resulted in the text titled, Workforce 2000- Work and Workers in the Twenty First Century. Workforce 2000 highlighted demographic factors that would impact the labor market in the United States. In a nutshell- the book argued that the U.S would only continue to grow increasingly diverse and suggested that diversifying the workforce was an economic imperative if companies wanted to stay competitive and attract talented employees. Essentially, Workforce 2000 spearheaded the beginnings of the diversity industry. Considering that the business case for diversity has been discussed for roughly thirty years in our country, it may be surprising to some of you that organizations in the United States are still lacking widespread diversity-- especially when it comes to leadership positions.

In my second vlog of the Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace series, I provide an overview of  business case for D and I from the findings of  McKinsey and Company's most recent study titled Delivering Through Diversity. I also call attention the fact that leadership roles in the workplace are still largely held by one demographic group:White males. Happy Viewing!



Comments

  1. Katleen GarciaJanuary 4, 2021 at 2:05 AM

    Increasing diversity within a team will take some investment. It’s not enough just to write a diversity policy. It’s not enough just to fill a quota. Diversity must be part of your culture. And that happens both top-down and bottom-up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. raguMarch 24, 2021 at 2:52 PM

    Great blog learned many things about human resources from this blog very informative.
    Diversity and Inclusion Consulting Firms
    Diversity and Inclusion Workshops
    Employee Assistance Program
    Posh Training

    ReplyDelete
  3. shinaJune 16, 2022 at 4:56 AM

    This is a nice blog many things to learn. keep sharing.
    CGPO2O

    ReplyDelete
  4. SMITHJuly 25, 2022 at 9:50 PM

    this is really good one keep sharing with us

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To my dear Malayalee family and friends who voted for Donald Trump

Image
In the days since Donald Trump was elected as our country’s 45 th president I’ve watched more news than I ever have, read countless articles from both sides of the spectrum, and patiently listened to my students, friends, and yes even my brown and immigrant family members who voted for Donald Trump. I have tried VERY hard to understand their view points and reasons for wanting a President that has no government experience, who proudly admits that he doesn’t pay taxes, who has blatantly lied to us several times , who is anti-immigrant and has openly supported and promoted racism, sexism, xenophobia, ableism, and even went so low as disrespecting a gold star family . I get it, not everyone loved Hillary- but what I absolutely don’t get is how many of my own beloved family members and many people in my Malayalee community could support Trump. We are a Christian South Indian immigrant community that is largely defined by our strong religious beliefs, collectivism, a
Read more

Learning to Embrace the 'u' in Cindu

Image
I spent many years of my life hating my name because it was at the center of cruel teasing and bullying that I experienced throughout my adolescence. By the time I got to the third grade, “Cindu the Hindu” was a name I heard almost daily from my classmates. It was not an endearing and loving nickname, but one that was meant to insult and degrade. “Cindu the Hindu” could be regularly heard in the hallways, lunchroom and on the playground during my school-age years.  The name  Cindu  was different and in the predominantly White, middle class suburb that I grew up in, different was deficient. Beyond being made fun of for my name, my teachers and other authority figures were constantly trying to anglicize my name to Cindy. Some of them insisted on calling me Cindy,  even  when corrected. My parents understood the perils of having a different name. When my Dad was a young immigrant trying to make it in this country in the late 70’s as an insurance salesman, someon
Read more

Equity before Equality: The Importance of Centering Equity within Diversity Initiatives

Image
Equality is an important and fundamental U.S. American value. Our emphasis and commitment to treating people equally can be traced back to 1776, with the Declaration of Independence which proclaimed that "all men are created equal." Equal treatment of all Americans has become increasingly important as our country continues to become increasingly diverse.                              The concept of equality is often times what drives organizational diversity initiatives and strategies. The problem with this process of equality is that it doesn't always ensure equal opportunities or outcomes for everyone. Treating people fairly and equally is certainly important but unfortunately, equality does not always work to decrease the disparities and inequalities that are a result of decades of systemic discrimination - which has worked to disadvantage some Americans while advantaging others.  Equity is the missing piece of the puzzle that can help organizations be s
Read more