| A recent survey conducted by the National
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| | what additional benefits are Hispanics
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| Society of Hispanic Professionals (NSHP)
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| | expecting? Should opportunities for
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| asked 268 Hispanics their opinion on
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| | Hispanics and other "diversity groups"
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| diversity policies in the workplace. A
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| | abound because of increased diversity in
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| whopping 72 percent of those surveyed
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| | the workplace? In my opinion, the purpose
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| felt that diversity policies were more
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| | of workplace diversity never was to get a
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| words than actions or did not make a
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| | leg up on the white, straight,
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| difference, while only 27 percent felt
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| | non-disabled, male Christian worker, but
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| that such polices were necessary in the
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| | that may be one of the results we
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| workplace and benefited Hispanics. While
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| | currently expect. John Wrench, author of
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| it is probably true that most Hispanics
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| | the commentary "Diversity management can
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| surveyed believe in the ideals of
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| | be bad for you," says that the idea
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| diversity, it is apparent from the survey
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| | behind diversity policies is that
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| that a large majority of respondents do
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| | "encouraging a culturally diverse
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| not feel that its purposes have been
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| | workplace where differences are valued
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| accomplished to their satisfaction. On
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| | enables people to work to their full
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| the other hand, human resources
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| | potential in a more creative and
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| executives at many of the largest
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| | productive work environment." So if
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| corporations in the United States
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| | companies create work environments where
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| continue to tout their advanced diversity
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| | diverse employees are valued for their
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| policies and the great accomplishments
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| | cultural differences, then those
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| they have made in designing a workplace
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| | employees will essentially find creative
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| that closely reflects the US cultural
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| | solutions to problems and become more
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| landscape. Who really is correct, the
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| | productive. When I look at it that way,
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| respondents to the survey or human
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| | should I really be expecting any
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| resources execs? Do diversity policies
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| | financial or upwardly mobile rewards from
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| actually make a difference? The answer
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| | any company's well-executed diversity
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| depends on whom you ask.
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| | initiatives? Apparently not, because the
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| Employees and HR execs expect different
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| | goal is to make me more productive and
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| results from diversity policies.
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| | creative, not to give me a promotion and
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| Corporations and their execs generally
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| | a raise.
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| expect that diversity policies will
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| | If the purpose of diversity initiatives
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| foster creativity among their employees
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| | is primarily to develop a more productive
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| and have a positive effect on business
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| | and creative workforce, then the NSHP
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| outcomes. "Inclusiveness is…a win-win
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| | survey is probably right on the money.
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| dynamic: it generates opportunities for
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| | That said, maybe the reason why a
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| growth, flexibility and adaptation in the
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| | compelling majority of Hispanics surveyed
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| marketplace for both the employee and the
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| | felt that diversity programs are more
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| organization," writes Nancy Lockwood, a
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| | words than actions or make no difference
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| human resources expert, in "Workplace
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| | was because in terms of personal rewards,
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| Diversity: Leveraging the Power of
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| | they really don't make a difference! If
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| Difference for Competitive Advantage." If
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| | Hispanic workers expect to get some sort
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| that were the case, one would think that
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| | of personal financial benefit or a
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| diversity initiatives would perhaps
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| | promotion as a result of a more inclusive
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| increase growth, sales, and even
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| | workplace, the reality is that it may not
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| productivity and eventually positively
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| | happen. More likely is the case where
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| impact the bottom line. In some cases,
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| | because of Company X's public and
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| however, the results of diversity
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| | transparent commitment to workplace
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| initiatives appear to be nothing more
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| | diversity, their product or service
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| than periodic tallies of employees from
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| | becomes more appealing to a larger, more
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| "diversity groups" to save the corporate
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| | diverse market, thus spurring corporate
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| face. The Diversity Research Network's
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| | growth and more internal opportunities
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| (DRN) five-year study on the effects of
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| | for advancement, eventually leading to
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| diversity on business performance found
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| | the promotion and raise of many
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| "no strong positive or negative effects
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| | employees.
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| of gender or racial diversity on business
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| | I believe we expect too many results too
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| performance." It is interesting to note
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| | quickly from diversity programs. If we
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| that in conducting this study, the DRN
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| | examine the status of workplace diversity
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| found it very difficult to find companies
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| | in the United States as a whole, the
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| willing to participate for the duration
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| | reality is that although it has made
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| of the study. Of the twenty large and
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| | amazing strides over the past two
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| well-known Fortune 500 companies that
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| | decades, it is still a relatively new
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| initially agreed to participate in the
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| | concept. Bear in mind that it was just 42
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| study, only four actually completed the
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| | short years ago that the Civil Rights Act
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| study. The remaining sixteen withdrew
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| | was passed, the Equal Rights Amendment
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| from the study for a variety of reasons,
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| | was never passed, and we still struggle
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| some citing time commitments and
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| | with discrimination in all arenas of life
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| confidentiality issues, but the DRN found
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| | on a daily basis. Nevertheless, the US
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| that "not only had none of the
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| | workforce is continuously becoming more
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| organizations [they] contacted ever
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| | and more diverse, and the fact that there
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| conducted a systematic examination of the
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| | are people in your place of work that are
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| effects of their diversity efforts on
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| | different from you is an accomplishment
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| bottom line performance measures, [but
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| | in and of itself. Even though right now
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| also] very few were interested in doing
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| | it may seem that diversity policies are
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| so." Excuse me? They were not interested
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| | somewhat useless because we may not be
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| in measuring the results of their own
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| | able to reap immediate tangible benefits,
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| diversity initiatives?
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| | the fact that we have these policies in
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| Diversity initiatives cost a great deal
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| | this country is a strong indicator that
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| of money and require long-term
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| | we are on the right track. Diversity
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| commitments, especially large-scale
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| | polices are long-term investments and the
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| implementations of these initiatives. It
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| | link between these policies and personal
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| is baffling to me that with the amount of
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| | financial success may not be immediately
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| money many of these large Fortune 500
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| | apparent.
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| companies probably spent on diversity
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| | We have a long way to go in crafting a
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| initiatives, they chose not to measure
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| | completely diverse and inclusive
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| the results. When businesses make
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| | workforce in the United States before we
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| investments in new programs, entities, or
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| | can fully reap the benefits of diversity
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| assets, it is because they expect the
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| | and inclusion in the workplace on an
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| investment to yield additional revenue,
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| | individual level. But as the nation
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| competitive advantage, realized
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| | continues to become more and more
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| intangible gains such as enhanced
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| | diverse, all companies will have no
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| productivity, or other measurable
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| | choice but to seriously enact measurable
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| results. Moreover, when businesses make
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| | and effective diversity policies to meet
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| such investments the performance metrics
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| | not only the needs of their employees but
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| are usually in place well before making
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| | also their clients and customers.
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| the investment. Perhaps one of the
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| | According to the human resources
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| reasons why Hispanics view diversity
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| | consulting firm Hewitt Associates, by
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| programs as inconsequential and nothing
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| | 2008, women and minorities will represent
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| more than lip service is because they are
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| | 70% of all new labor force entrants, and
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| not presented with verifiable results. In
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| | by 2010, 34% of the workforce will be
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| addition, as we all are part of the
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| | non-Caucasian. This follows the general
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| instant gratification society that we
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| | US population trend, as minorities,
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| live in, we expect immediate results from
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| | Hispanics in particular, are increasing
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| workplace diversity programs that are
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| | in numbers and purchasing power. In the
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| relatively new. We often expect
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| | next decade, Hewitt Associates expects
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| short-term results and have the tendency
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| | that "there will be a significant labor
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| to become disheartened and disappointed
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| | shortage (anywhere from 10-23 million)
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| when those results fail to appear.
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| | largely due to baby boomer retirements
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| I do not believe that any Hispanic would
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| | and a smaller emerging labor pool." If
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| disagree with the notion that diversity
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| | minority populations are growing, but the
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| initiatives have tremendous potential,
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| | labor pool is shrinking, minorities will
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| and I am equally confident that corporate
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| | eventually make up a substantial majority
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| execs believe that such programs will
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| | of the entire labor pool. If this trend
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| eventually lead to additional revenue, as
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| | continues, we may need to worry about our
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| they have expanded their applicant pools
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| | over representation in the workforce!
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| to include the best and the brightest
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| | The fact remains that diversity
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| from all groups. But if diversity truly
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| | initiatives are necessary and benefit
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| is that important, why not devise a means
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| | almost everyone, but at this stage, those
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| of measuring the effectiveness of
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| | benefits are more likely to be realized
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| diversity programs prior to implementing
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| | in the long term. If deficient
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| them? Sadly, it appears that some
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| | corporations don't get on board and begin
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| corporations prefer the idea of a more
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| | to create meaningful diversity policies
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| colorful corporate photo and measure the
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| | that are more than just lip service and
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| effectiveness of their diversity policies
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| | that actually do make a difference to all
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| essentially by counting heads at the
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| | employees-not just Hispanics-they'll miss
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| company picnic. According to Braun
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| | the boat and the giant pile of money that
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| Consulting, a Seattle based personnel and
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| | will float away with it.
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| labor relations consulting firm, "Many
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| | Source:
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| companies track the success of their
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| | Acknowledgments:
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| diversity efforts in terms of what they
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| | 1. National Society of Hispanic
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| DO, not necessarily what leads to
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| | Professionals (2005-2006) "Hispanic
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| RESULTS. Or in another words, they
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| | Values at Work Survey" 2. Lockwood, N.
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| measure what they put out, not what
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| | R. (2005) "Workplace Diversity:
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| results they achieve in terms of either
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| | Leveraging the Power of Difference for
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| profit or savings." Or in terms of
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| | Competitive Advantage" from SHRM Online
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| employee satisfaction, for that matter.
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| | 3. Kochan, T., Bezrukova, K., Ely, R.,
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| While some corporations are clearly
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| | Jackson, S., Joshi, A., Jen, K., et al.
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| failing in the performance metrics arena,
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| | (2002). The Effects of Diversity on
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| it may also be true that Hispanics, along
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| | Business Performance: Report of the
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| with other minority groups, have somewhat
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| | Diversity Research Network 4. Braun
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| unrealistic expectations of workplace
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| | Consulting News, (2005) "Workplace
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| diversity programs. If we assume that one
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| | Diversity: Does it Work? Explaining 'Myth
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| of the most important results of
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| | vs. Reality'" 5. Wrench, J. (2005)
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| diversity policies is the presence of
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| | "Commentary: Diversity management can be
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| more minorities, disabled, women, and
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| | bad for you" 6.
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| LGBT employees in an organization, then
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|
