Managing Diversity. 441

Managing Diversity

Diversity- The India Inc. Way Bharti Enterprises and American Express have mandated their

recruitment agencies to have 25 % and 33% women candidates at the interview stage.

Infosys BPO employs 112 people who suffer from different forms of disability and it wants to take the proportion up to 3-4% in the next couple of years.

A team of 24 people at Infosys BPO were taught sign language to help them communicate with the hearing and speech impaired.

But is this all what “Managing diversity” calls for?

Let’s Find out……

And memorize it

Is it a magic??? Did I really read your mind????

Want to see

how ???

Comparison:-

These were the original cards…

Conclusion - Don’t just hear what the

person, while interacting, wants to say but LISTEN and UNDERSTAND his point of view..

None of the cards were dealt on the second hand…..

For that……….

We need to diversify our horizons…

Diversity is not just in age, gender, race… it ACTUALLY lies in your thinking, your thought process

Time to ask yourself…Why most of us do not think about going

out of the boundaries? We had to draw the lines outside the

boundaries. This is what is required of us when we interact with others as every thinks differently (outside of our boundaries or "box").

Why is it so hard to others' point of views? We often so busy thinking about our point

of view, that we fail to see others' point of views.

This is an example of how we sometimes see things that are not really there.

And that’s how we tend to conclude the wrong first impression of someone by looking at the physical attributes.

What Do We Mean By Managing Diversity?

A management system which incorporates the differences found in a multicultural workforce in a manner which results in the highest level of productivity for both the organization and the individual.

What is EEO?

Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) means eliminating barriers to ensure that all employees are considered for the employment of their choice and have the chance to perform to their maximum potential. EEO practices include:

fairness at work, hiring based on merit and promotion based on talent. It concerns all aspects of employment

including recruitment, pay and other rewards, career development and work conditions

Workforce Diversity: GenderWomen in the Work

PlaceWomen’s earnings

are less than two-thirds of the earnings of men.

Women hold only 12% of corporate officer positions

• Treating people differently because of their age

• Performance does not decline with age

• Older employees show better judgment, and are less likely to quit, show up late, or be absent

• Age discrimination is more pervasive than managers

Age

Workforce Diversity: ReligionIndia: multi cultural country.

Accommodation for Religious Beliefs

Providing flexible time off for holy days

Posting holy days for different religions on the company calendar

Workforce Diversity: Capabilities and Disabilities

Disability Issues• Providing reasonable accommodations for

individuals with disabilities• Promoting a nondiscriminatory workplace

environment• Educating the organization

about disabilities and AIDS

Workplace diversityWorkplace diversity refers to the variety

of differences between people in an organization.

That sounds simple, but diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more

Benefits of Workplace Diversity Increased adaptability

Broader service range –competitive advantage

Variety of viewpoints Better distribution of

economic opportunity

More effective execution

Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace

Increased Cost of Training

Increase in conflictsCommunication Increase in labour

turnover and absenteeism.

Resistance to change

DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICS AT

IBM

Recruiting people with disabilities.

Work life Balance

Women in workforce.

Talent Mgmt

Demonstrate the FollowingBehaviorsLearn the professional aspirations of all

team members and support their efforts to achieve them.

Create opportunities for highly talented employees to be exposed to leaders who may not otherwise interact with them.

Create cross-functional teams

Demonstrate the Following Behaviors cont..Volunteer for community projects that

teach tolerance, both directly and indirectly

Delegate fairly

Demonstrate the Following Behaviors cont..Communicate and support intolerance

of inappropriate and disrespectful behavior

Evaluate performance objectively

Consider individual needs when enforcing company policies and guidelines

Actions that Make a DifferenceTalk privately with each of your

employees

Ask your staff about their preferences

Take your staff to lunch

According to a recent survey conducted by the Families and Work Institute, 52 percent of Indians prefer to work with people like themselves while only 34 percent would rather be with colleagues who are ethnically or culturally different.

Conclusion

A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and marketplace. Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual differences will benefit the workplace by creating a competitive edge and increasing work productivity. Diversity management benefits associates by creating a fair and safe environment where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges. Management tools in a diverse workforce should be used to educate everyone about diversity and its issues, including laws and regulations. Most workplaces are made up of diverse cultures, so organizations need to learn how to adapt to be successful practices.

Thank You!!!!