Retain the Best: Create a Diversity-Friendly Workplace

by Sondra Thiederman, PhD

No one wants to work where they are unwelcome, uncomfortable or unfulfilled. Sadly, this is what can happen when we exert little effort to make our workplaces hospitable to employees of all backgrounds.

Not everyone in the workplace is fortunate enough to instantly fit in wherever they go. It might be a woman like Jenna who found herself immersed in the male-dominated Internet world, or Steve, who struggled to belong in a workplace where he was uncomfortable admitting he was gay. Even David experienced exclusion when he went to work for an all-female organization. Being different can be difficult, and, for the sake of business, it can mean that fine employees fail to function at their best. Worse, they are compelled to move on to greener pastures where they feel more accepted, better able to communicate and more at ease.

If your organization is riddled with sexism, ageism, homophobia and racism, then the solutions below are not for you. These ideas will only work in organizations where the climate is basically receptive to differences but some of the skills necessary to honor them are not yet in place. These three keys can help build a diversity-friendly workplace that values and encourages the contributions of all.

Education

Of course there is more to any diversity effort than training, but education still is an indispensable first step to creating a diversity-friendly workplace. I am not talking about training so-called majority employees how to communicate with the minority new arrival but, instead about how all employees can communicate better. One tenet that has been missing from diversity training is awareness that communication is a multiway street. It is no longer accurate to say all will be well if native-born Americans learn to communicate with immigrants, heterosexuals with homosexuals and men with women. Immigrants also need to learn to communicate with the native-born, gay men and lesbian women with heterosexuals and women with men. In short, everyone needs to learn to communicate with everyone else.

Networking

Networking groups are another way new diverse employees can be helped to feel more comfortable. Groups like these have functioned successfully in diverse organizations ever since AT&T launched it's first racially defined affinity groups. Women's groups, gay and lesbian groups, and Asian-Pacific Island groups are all examples of programs designed to encourage contact between like populations.

What is missing from like-population networking groups such as these is the function of getting to know populations different from one's own. Parenting groups, for example, are invaluable because they create a common bond and increased comfort across gender, race and ethnic lines. Similarly, groups of employees responsible for eldercare find connections and means of communication in their common challenges, frustrations and joys. The purpose of cross-functional groups such as these is to focus on the shared challenges and interests that allow people of all backgrounds to connect, communicate better and, therefore, feel more comfortable in the organization.

Mentoring

Finally, mentoring partnerships are important in making diverse employees feel at home. There are two ways to design mentoring programs. One is to match new employees with current employees of a similar background. This approach has the advantage of allowing the current employee to pass on wisdom gained from his or her unique experience as a member of that group. The second approach is to match people of different demographic descriptions: men with women, immigrants with the native born, Latinos with African Americans, etc. This is a constructive approach because it encourages mutual understanding between diverse groups and, therefore, has a positive impact on increasing mutual comfort and adaptability.

The key to all of these approaches is to guarantee enough knowledge is present in the organization to allow everyone to communicate effectively with and understand those who are different from themselves. Only in this way can we create an environment truly hospitable to diversity.