Diversity Management: Diversity and Inclusion Best Practices for 2024

Published on:
April 7, 2023
Updated on:
November 15, 2024
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Even though some of the most prominent literature on diversity management were written in the late 90s, diversity management is still as important as it has ever been; Perhaps even more so!

Creating a diverse workplace and forming diverse teams is never a bad idea. In fact, according to a 2019 study by the Network for Business Sustainability:

"Diverse firms' productivity is 1.32 times higher than firms lacking diversity"
Turner, Fischoff: 2019

With all the proof, common sense, and simple principles of equality screaming down on us about the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workplace, managing diversity is still a controversial topic.

With strong anti-woke sentiments spreading through the internet and people calling "forced diversity" on anything remotely diverse, the discussion of inclusivity in the workplace is one that we must keep having now, and always!

What is diversity management?

The answer to the question "What is diversity management?" goes through answering an even simpler question. What is diversity? According to Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe in their work Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity (1998), diversity is a concept with four dimensions. The four dimensions of diversity according to Gardenswartz and Rowe are as follows:

Diversity management is the process of establishing and preserving an office environment that values and respects employee differences across the board, in all four dimensions of diversity.

While each dimension of diversity plays a key role in forming a diverse team of individuals, the bulk of the discourse surrounding inclusion and diversity in the workplace is centered around the "Internal Dimensions of Diversity".

Key Challenges in Diversity Management

key challenges in diversity management

As we mentioned before at the beginning of this article, while diversity and inclusion are two concepts that almost everyone wholeheartedly agrees with, there is still an artificially created culture war that is having its flames stoked! That means, there will always be some challenges in the way of practicing diversity management in a positive way.

1. Resistance to change

One of the biggest challenges in implementing workforce diversity management practices is resistance to change. Some employees may feel uncomfortable with the idea of working with people who have different backgrounds or identities or may feel that they are being forced to change their own behavior or beliefs.

While being resistant to change is an inherently human reaction, the implications of being resistant to this form of change are a lot darker. As massive "anti-woke" sentiments keep growing, they end up hurting the chances of workplaces becoming more inclusive.

With cries of "Positive discrimination!" and "Class warfare!" echoing around in the halls of public discourse, a massive resistance to change exists as a thorn in the side of diversity management.

2. Lack of representation

A lack of representation is another key challenge in diversity management This occurs when certain groups are underrepresented in the workplace, or when there is a lack of diversity in leadership or decision-making roles.

If certain groups are already underrepresented in the workplace, then they won't have a voice when it comes to inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

If those very same groups don't have a voice in diversity management, then the organization's inclusivity and diversity strategies will be less than likely to have any plans to include those specific groups.

A workplace with little to know LGBTQI+ representation will be less likely to have strategies of inclusivity towards LGBTQI+ individuals.

3. Unconscious bias

Unconscious bias refers to the tendency to make judgments or decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about people from different backgrounds. Each challenge mentioned in this list has a direct relationship of causality with the other.

An organization being resistant to change, results in a lack of representation for certain groups. This in turn results in unconscious biases remaining pretty much intact! Those intact unconscious biases about groups of people get in the way of effective workplace diversity management.

4. Lack of accountability

Accountability is a word that has sadly begun to lose its meaning in the past years. This is dangerous, because a lack of accountability can be a major challenge in diversity management.

When people hear the word accountability these days, their minds immediately go to massive social media "cancellations", and "social justice warriors".

Whatever the case is, if leaders and managers are not held accountable for promoting diversity and inclusion, it can be difficult to create a culture that values and prioritizes these goals.

Once again the correlation between one of the challenges and another is crystal clear. A lack of representation can very easily result in individuals not being held accountable for their actions.

Three Paradigms of Diversity Management

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9hMOSPXSrc

Aligning with these challenges are the paradigms of diversity management, an issue covered by Robin J. Ely and David A. Thomas in their seminal work Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity (1996).

David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely published their work on the paradigms of diversity management 26 years ago, yet it is still as incredibly relevant.

Since the paradigms of diversity management are a massive part of the discussion surrounding the concept of diversity management, we found it fitting to elaborate further upon them. So, what are the three paradigms of diversity management?

1. The Discrimination and Fairness Paradigm

This diversity management paradigm focuses on the necessity of combating prejudice and advancing equity at work. This, in turn, entails making sure that there is no discrimination against staff members based on their ethnicity, gender, or other traits, and that they all have equal opportunity for promotion.

Companies that adopt this paradigm may concentrate on putting anti-discrimination training, diversity hiring initiatives, and flexible work schedules into place as policies and diversity practices that support fairness and equal treatment.

(Thomas & Ely 1996: 2).

2. The Learning and Effectiveness Paradigm

The learning and effectiveness paradigm is centrally focused on how diversity enhances innovation and organizational effectiveness. What comes with this?

Appreciating how diversity can infuse the workplace with fresh ideas and viewpoints as well as actively seeking out and valuing varied viewpoints and experiences to spur innovation and enhance organizational performance.

Companies that follow this model might prioritize providing chances for workers to share knowledge, encouraging cross-functional cooperation and teamwork, and fostering experimentation and innovation.

(Thomas & Ely 1996: 3).

3. The Access and Legitimacy Paradigm

This particular paradigm for diversity management, emphasizes how important it is for businesses to value and respect employee uniqueness. Developing such a culture requires actively seeking out and valuing different viewpoints and experiences. It also implies acknowledging and respecting the diversity of its workforce.

Using this paradigm may direct organizations' efforts toward fostering a more inclusive workplace environment, offering diversity and inclusion training and education, and actively seeking out and respecting varied viewpoints and experiences.

(Thomas & Ely 1996: 4).

Diversity Management Best Practices

1. Promote diversity in leadership

Having a diverse group of leaders is critical among the diversity best practices. You can very easily promote diversity in leadership by implementing leadership development programs, mentoring and sponsorship initiatives, and other strategies that support the career advancement of underrepresented groups.

More often than not, a diversity and inclusion best practice is nothing more than common sense and basic human decency. Having a diverse, multicultural management team is one of the best ways to ensure you have a cross-functional team at the helm.

A sad fact of today's world is that promoting diversity and inclusion in leadership roles may come with the incredibly tone-deaf cries of "Diversity promotion!".

In an era where people are getting mad at the skin colors of fictional characters and showing outrage over racially blind casting choices in entertainment, this is one form of criticism that managers have to nip in the bud.

At the end of the day, if your boardroom looks like a scary country club, that means you missed a couple of steps along the way!

2. Encourage everyone to share their story

Encouraging employees to share their personal experiences and perspectives is one of the great diversity and inclusion best practices.

It is a brilliant way to celebrate diversity and can be achieved through storytelling events, employee resource groups, and other initiatives that create opportunities for employees to connect and learn from one another.

Forming a diverse team is only half the battle having that diverse team interact and bond with each other, and celebrate the inclusive and diverse environment they've created together is an incredible way to boost employee engagement.

It is far easier to get someone invested in people than in organizations. If your team is invested in each other, there isn't much that can stand in their way.

3. Diversity and inclusion training

Providing regular diversity and inclusion training to employees at all levels of the organization is an essential diversity management best practice. Some diversity and inclusion training topics may include subjects such as unconscious bias, cultural sensitivity, and inclusive communication.

Increasing awareness and understanding of these issues, results in employees being better equipped to create a more inclusive workplace culture.

4. Foster a culture of inclusivity

Creating a culture of inclusivity in your workplace isn't just about being welcoming. It is about not leaving anyone behind. Workplace culture has a tendency of moving very fast and evolving constantly.

While that is usually positive, it does come with a risk of some members of the team being left behind. Promoting a culture of inclusivity means fostering workplace creativity; It means fostering a culture of empowerment.

Fostering a culture of inclusivity is one of the excellent  inclusion best practices, and it normally comes with setting expectations for behavior and addressing any instances of discrimination or harassment quickly and effectively.

5. Build a Diverse Workforce

Building a diverse workforce is all about altering your recruitment and hiring policies and mapping them around the internal dimensions of diversity. The best place to start is with job descriptions.

This involves reviewing job descriptions and ensuring that they do not include any discriminatory language or requirements that could exclude certain groups of candidates.

A diverse workforce can help organizations attract and retain top talent, as individuals are more likely to join and remain with organizations that value diversity and offer equal opportunities. Remember:

76 percent of job seekers name diversity as an important factor when evaluating an employer

How to Measure Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives?

Measuring the success of diversity and inclusion initiatives isn't any different than measuring the success of other HR initiatives. The answer lies in checking in with your employees. Conducting regular employee pulse surveys and analyzing their results is a great way to gauge the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Teamflect engagement survey in microsoft teams with a survey question and calendar icon diversity management

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Diversity and Inclusion: Case Studies

While we may preach the gospel of diversity and inclusion in the workplace all we want, the fact remains that nothing truly hammers a point home like concrete examples. See how the organization's below-implemented diversity management best practices among their teams and saw results:

1. Salesforce

Salesforce is a leading cloud-based software company that has been recognized for its commitment to best practices in diversity and inclusion. The company has a number of programs in place to promote diversity, including a diversity and inclusion team, employee resource groups, and an internal diversity data dashboard.

Salesforce has implemented a number of inclusive hiring practices, such as requiring diverse candidate slates for open positions and offering unconscious bias training for all employees. Salesforce isn't just a case for recruiting in a more diverse way without retaining or training their team.

Salesforce DEI

The equality mentorship program offered as a part of their diversity management strategy ensures that this organization will have a strong culture of empowerment, diversity, and equal opportunity over the years to come.

2. Mariott International

Marriott International has been recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion and has implemented a number of diversity practices while supporting the career development of underrepresented groups.

They have established diversity and inclusion councils, implemented unconscious bias training, and offer a variety of mentorship and sponsorship programs for employees.

Some of their most impressive diversity and inclusion:

  • Takecare Community Talks
  • Emerging Leader Program
  • Women's Leadership Development Initiative

Marissa Milton, Senior Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition and Inclusive Opportunity, comments on the effectiveness and results of these programs as such:

"Women hold some of the most significant profit and loss (P&L) and policy-making positions across our company, including president of Marriott International, a role that Stephanie Linnartz was promoted to in 2021.

Of our CEO’s direct reports, 57 percent are women; of all global executives, 44 percent are women. By 2025, our goal is to achieve gender parity for the company’s entire global leadership team." ( Milton, 2021)

3. Proctor and Gamble

Building a more diverse and creative workplace brings with it a need for comprehending, valuing, and utilizing each employee's distinctive perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

P&G DEI

Procter & Gamble has a history of valuing diversity and inclusion best practices and has put up a variety of diversity management initiatives to encourage it among its workforce. The business has created employee resource groups, provided diversity and inclusion training, and provides a number of staff mentoring and sponsorship initiatives.

A massive goal they have set themselves is to have at least 40% multicultural representation within their workforce. While they are still shy of that number with 28%, their upper management boasts impressive diversity and inclusion promise.

With incredible diversity management strategies and initiatives such as, "Widen the screen", or the "Equal Too" podcast, Proctor & Gamble appears to be headed in the right direction in terms of diversity management.

What are the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce?

Improved innovation and creativity: A diverse workforce brings together people with different perspectives, experiences, and ideas, which can lead to more innovative and creative solutions to problems.

Increased employee engagement: Employees who feel valued and respected for their unique qualities and characteristics demonstrate higher levels of engagement and commitment toward their work.

Enhanced reputation and brand image: An organization that is committed to diversity and inclusion can enhance its reputation and brand image, both internally and externally.

Access to a wider talent pool: By attracting and retaining a diverse group of employees, organizations can access a wider talent pool and benefit from the unique skills and experiences that each person brings.

Improved decision-making: Diverse teams on average, make better decisions because they bring together different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving.

Articles on Diversity Equity and Inclusion

1. Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training: Policy Insights for Increasing Organizational Diversity

The constraints of using unconscious bias training to solve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues in companies are examined carefully in Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training: Policy Insights for Increasing Organizational Diversity

This article establishes the case that there isn't a single, effective way to address the complex issues surrounding organizational diversity. It exposes the flaws in unconscious bias training, frequently resulting in a decline in diversity.

Rather than this, the article proposes redefining diversity training so that its main goal is to teach participants about inequality, bias, and transformation strategies. According to the article inequality is ingrained in organizational and societal institutions.

The paper emphasizes the significance of structural solutions. Organizations are recommended to set up accountability frameworks with leadership taking responsibility in order to achieve better equity.

Onyeador, I. N., Hudson, S. T. J., & Lewis, N. A. (2021). Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training: Policy Insights for Increasing Organizational Diversity. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 8(1), 19-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732220983840

2. Diversity through Equity and Inclusion: The Responsibility Belongs to All of Us

James A. Olzmann's article "Diversity through Equity and Inclusion: The Responsibility Belongs to All of Us"  discusses how, in spite of decades of diversity initiatives, historically marginalized groups continue to be underrepresented in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine).

Olzmann highlights the necessity to reevaluate existing hiring practices and redesign workplace and campus environments in order to promote a welcoming culture free from institutional limitations. The paper urges unity in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion into the main goals of institutions.

Olzmann draws attention to the institutionalized biases, injustices, and inequities that exist within the scientific community against the backdrop of contemporary social issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Olzmann, J. A. (2020). Diversity through equity and inclusion: The responsibility belongs to all of Us. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 31(25), 2757–2760. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e20-09-0575

Why is diversity management important?

Diversity management is important because it helps organizations attract and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds, and it can lead to increased innovation, improved decision-making, and better financial performance.

Effective diversity management involves creating policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion, such as implementing training programs, creating employee resource groups, and supporting the career advancement of underrepresented groups.

In A Nutshell

The relevance of diversity and inclusion management in the workplace cannot be overlooked. However, key challenges in managing diversity and inclusion persist, including resistance to change, lack of representation, unconscious bias, and a deficiency in accountability.

Best practices in diversity management include promoting diversity in leadership, encouraging everyone to share their stories, providing diversity and inclusion training, fostering a culture of inclusivity, and building a diverse workforce.

In exploring recent best articles on diversity and inclusion we highlighted two noteworthy contributions. "Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training" (Onyeador, Hudson, & Lewis, 2021) critiques the limitations of unconscious bias training, emphasizing the need for structural solutions.

"Diversity through Equity and Inclusion: The Responsibility Belongs to All of Us" (Olzmann, 2020) urges a reevaluation of hiring practices and the redesign of workplace environments to prioritize diversity and inclusion.

Diversity management involves implementing best practices for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, overcoming challenges, and adopting strategic paradigms to create a workplace that values and celebrates diversity.

Measuring the success of your diversity and inclusion management involves regular employee pulse surveys to gauge effectiveness and employee perceptions.

Teamflect within Microsoft Teams can facilitate this process, and ensure continuous evaluation and improvement in your organization.

To transform you DEI initiatives, try Teamflect for free!

Sources

Vural, Z. Beril Akıncı, and Canan Liedtke. "Diversity Management and Corporate Culture: A System-Theoretical Perspective." (2017).

GARDENSWARTZ, Lee and ROWE, Anita (1998). Managing Diversity: A
Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide, Revised. New York: Mc
Graw Hill

THOMAS, A., David and ELY, J. Robin (1996). “Making Differences Matter. A
New Paradigm for Managing Diversity”, Havard Business Review, 0/10, p. 1-13

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