Class,
Question:
Leveraging Diversity
Organizations often discuss the benefits of diversity; however, in many
instances, these organizations simply hire a more diverse workforce and then
expect the benefits to follow. Based on this week’s readings and your own
professional experience, what is the difference between hiring for diversity and
leveraging diversity?
Based on my experiences, hiring for diversity is merely a thoughtless and minimal act to
comply with federal and state organizational diversity mandates. I say that it is
‘thoughtless’ because it requires little effort to recruit and hire employees to comply with
specific ethnic/cultural or gender requirement list.
Hiring and leveraging diversity means to ensure the organization includes a broad,
diverse, and varied workforce population very similar to the entire customer, supplier,
and strategic marketplace it exists in. This population can also bring forth a wealth of
skills, competencies, experiences, and creativity to their roles, which also inspire and
new levels of proficiency. Satell (2019), “However, there is abundant evidence that
seeking out a specific "type" can lead to poor performance. Researchers at the
University of Michigan found that diverse groups can solve problems better than a more
homogenous team of greater objective ability. Another study that simulated markets
showed that ethnic diversity deflated asset bubbles.
Leveraging diversity also allows the organization’s vision and mission to be strategic
and diverse. Very much like that of the customer population/market, it operates in. As
noted in this week's lecture, “As one looks to define or describe diversity in the
workplace, it is important to remember that diversity is not a function of the groups or
backgrounds that a given employee is associated with, rather it is about the individual
qualities that the employee brings to the organization because of that particular
association” (pg. 3). Diversified teams are rich in new/different ideas and
methodologies, which can vastly improve operations, save $ and increase the service
quality and value to both the organization and customer.
Thanks,
Evette L. Johnson
References
JWI 520 People Management Week Two | Lecture One
Satell, G. (2019) Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/greg-satell/science-says-diversitycan-make-your-team-more-productive-but-not-without-effort.html
Hello Everyone,
Hiring for diversity is simply bringing on people to the organization that has
different backgrounds, experiences, and associations with the idea/hopes that
these individuals will bring their qualities to the organization (JWI520 W2 L1,
1).
Leveraging, on the other hand, is taking action by getting the organization to
open up to different perspectives, ideas, and possibilities. It is leadership's
responsibility to do everything it can to break down barriers and give
employees the opportunity to participate and succeed (JWI520 W2 L1, 1).
Leadership must have a strategy and create processes and groups to
leverage ideas and perspective from their diverse population.
From my experience, I agree with the lecture notes that most people think of
age, race, gender, and affirmative action when they hear the word diversity. I
believe what organizations are really after is described in the term "Cognitive
Diversity" as it is the thought, difference in perspective, and information
processing styles (Reynolds, 2).
The military is a very diverse organization that recruits from all over the
country. This diversity adds to its strength and innovation. Fomer Secretary of
the Army Eric Fanning was quoted as saying, "Accomplishing these missions
today and into the future requires our force to include the broadest possible
spectrum of ideas, perspectives, and experiences. To fight and win the
Nation's wars in an age of new and emerging threats, we need to draw from
America's best and enable them to harness the innate power of diverse
teams. We need experience, critical thinking, and creativity in our force, but
most importantly, we need teams of people who think differently from one
another and yet are joined together in common cause (Fanning, 3)"
Bringing people together who think differently and join together in a common
cause I believe says it all. It takes leadership to make this happen in every
organization.
Thanks, Bill
1. JWI 520. Week 2. Lecture 1.
2. Alison Reynolds and David Lewis. 2017. Team Solve Problems Faster
When They're More Cognitively Diverse. HBR
3. Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning. 2016. America's diversity is our Army's
strength.
https://www.army.mil/article/174964/americas_diversity_is_our_armys_strengt
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