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