Contemporary issues in managing human resources business essay

Introduction

What is workforce diversity in a company? Workforce diversity is when a company in today’s changing economy recruits employees regardless of their disabilities, national origins, education, height, culture and many more that we can list of. But most importantly, companies hire diverse employees so that they can diversify their customer base. We have come to a conclusion that to achieve workforce diversity, managers will need 5 keys that will enable them to manage a diversity team in its most effective and efficient way for the company. By having the 5 keys, managers are actually going beyond good intentions in managing the diverse team. A good head start in the company actually helps the diverse team to be open minded about his leader. The first key that managers do is to show their diverse faces. Many times when the companies are putting a job advertisement, they leave out the diverse group of people to participate it in. Customers are future job applicants that will always want to find something to relate. If managers are to do this, it will leave the customers an impact that this organization has no value of diversity. As a conclusion, managers are giving the diverse team equal respect as they are an asset for the company’s wealth. The second key that managers do is inserting the value of diversity into practice. Managers are able to manage properly if there is a signal that shows commitment to all employees including diverse group. Managers from top to front-line must receive regular and ongoing diversity training. By putting diversity into practice, it has developed a sense of trust between the diverse group that actions speak louder than words and the managers actually care about their well-being. The third key that managers do is making diversity goals part of project plans. Managers include workforce diversity into their project plan to determine whether the policies and programs incorporated are effective by allowing his diverse team to voice out the diversity questions during projects. This will allow the communication process to be effectively executed between diversity groups and individuals. The fourth key that managers do is attained and retains the workforce diversity group. As commitment to diversity is often discussed in small or large meetings, managers are able to understand their differences and make it a positive advantage. One of the differences that managers are about to make is supporting the affinity groups that sent out a positive message inside and outside the company. The last key that managers do is using the assessment tool. By using this tool, it allows individuals to understand their current degree of intracultural sensitivity. At times it will turn off people, but if you have an instrument to show them, it will make a real difference. Because when people understand their problems, solutions can be executed smoothly and willingly. All in all, managers that can manage workforce diversity well will lead to increase in productivity of the company. This is because in order to attract the talented employees, managers make diversity as part of their processes. It can also turn diverse background into company’s assets by targeting and emerging into diverse market. Therefore, managers play a big role in opening and maintaining doors to the diverse group. We have given 4 companies as examples of why workforce diversity is becoming the trend for companies to execute it to suit the ever changing global market.

Company 1: MasterCard Worldwide

One of the companies that its managers can manage workforce diversity well is MasterCard Worldwide. In fact, this company is ranked Top50 companies in DiversityInc that are still approaching the diversity management. The reason why these companies are filling up the survey by DiversityInc is because it provides 3 benefiting reason for the companies. First, surveys filled in by companies, automatically creates an overall blueprint that allows companies to be aware of which to focus on their diversity management. It also serves as a strategic tool as companies are able to manage and monitor on their progression. Second, the surveys can identify what are the trend and best practices in other organization. It is a guideline for companies across the globe to improve their standard of diversity management. Lastly, it forces the companies to track the important data and understand the results that affect diversity. By doing this, companies are actually putting effort into looking for space of improvements. Over the years, MasterCard Worldwide has done its homework in making the appropriate effort to improve its diversity management. The results were astonishing as they achieve as the Top 15 companies that are managing diversity well. MasterCard Worldwide dreams of a world beyond cash, understanding of evolving payment needs of their customers and innovation solutions to meet the customer’s needs. To achieve this dream, diversity is needed because it’s the root of insight and the heart of innovation. With a team of diverse employees, MasterCard Worldwide is able to have more ideas and faster product cycles that result in high value for shareholders. MasterCard Worldwide has a global diversity strategy that will be able to pull out the full potential of their employees. The structures of their diversity strategy are able to lead to greater innovation and productivity as employees are able to respect their individual strengths, views and experiences. The 3 strategies used in the company are talent management, brand and reputation, and business impact. MasterCard Worldwide is not only hiring people with diverse background but also train them to be constantly developing in knowledge and skills. This allows employees to be fully prepared to deliver what is given no matter what circumstances. Seeking for partnership and sponsorship to helps strengthen MasterCard Worldwide to be a global diversity company represents brand and reputation of its company. Lastly, the impact that allows the company to use it diverse talented pool to generate innovative products and service for customers’ needs. This allows the company to target varies market that they operate without having any problems. MasterCard Worldwide executes the strategy by taking action in carrying out its implementation. The company has allow a self-governed group called the Business Resource Group that consist of individuals who come together based on interest, experience, gender and ethnicity. The individuals help identify the needs of a diverse market for consumers and providing feedbacks on new ideas that will reach out the communities. Other initiative taken by MasterCard Worldwide to execute its diversity strategy is by forming a few other groups known in the company called EAST, Latin Network and LEAD. EAST is Empowering Asian Employees for Success and Thought Leadership. This group consists of employees who are affinity to Asia, directing efforts to enhance the understanding of trends in Asia. As for Latin Network, it consists of employees who are affinity to Latin to build a connecting bridge between Hispanic consumer segment and organization. Lastly, LEAD is Lifting Employees of African Descent which provides opportunity to growth in services that influence the purchasing of this minority group. All in all, MasterCard Worldwide believes that diversity sits at the root of innovation. By encouraging employees to express their diverse opinions and ideas brings the company to a whole new level in productivity and innovation. Making them feel empowered and recognized is what makes the company feels it has made a difference. After all, diversity workforce is not only asset for the company but it is a necessity to compete in today’s ever changing marketplace.

Company 2: Colgate Palmolive

Colgate Palmolive is a company that produces oral products such as toothpastes and tooth brushes. They have been operating for more than 200 years since 1806 and funded more than 400 products around the world. Colgate Palmolive’s diversity not only includes obvious traits, like nationality, culture, race and gender but they also encompasses many differences that are not so easily seen, such as life experiences, religion, sexual orientation and family situations. Their concept of diversity had goes beyond that of race, creed, ethnicity and gender. The worldwide director of global diversity for Colgate Palmolive, Eugene Kelly leads the diversity of the company to place in the DiversityInc Top 50 for the fourth consecutive year and in the top 10 for the second year in a row. So how does he manage the workforce diversity in such a huge company? He said that: The rich diversity of our people is the key to our success. ” Our objective is to live our managing with respect principles by fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the diversity of the global marketplace. Such an environment will provide all Colgate people with the opportunity to make unique contributions to our overall business success.” These objectives had led the company to work in peace and people in the company were treated equally. He also said that the company welcomed and will encourage every single individuals in the company, they value diversity and incorporate into work life so that the company will become even more effective and efficient. Colgate Palmolive offers very good work and life benefits for their employees such as paid leave, flexible working hours, health and wellness service, and fitness facilities. Besides that, the company’s commitment to diversity includes employee network groups, community support, and support for local educational institutions. They also support community groups and organizations such as the development and advancement of diverse groups and women in the workforce. For more than 35000 Colgate’s employees around the globe, they celebrated differences, promote an inclusive environment and value the contributions of all workers and employees. They said that the diversity of thinking had helped them to encourage creativity and innovations for the company to increase their competitive advantage in the global market world. They also believe that their diversity effort will have important impacts on the company that leads them to greater position in the world. Finally, the recognizing and valuing the many differences are the main objective that is very vital to their culture. The way they manage workforce diversity in the company had brought them to today’s result, a worldwide huge company. Although they are a big company with many different types of employee around the world, they still manage to maintain the diversity in the company by treating everyone equally without bias.

Company 3: Dell

According to Dell, they believes that in order to be a successful company and a great place to work, their business must be able to take advantages to the similarities and differences of all team members. Dell CEO Kevin Rollins found the key to the diversity of the urban labor force business to gain a competitive advantage. Dell believes that a fully dedicated workforce is a competitive advantage. That’s why their definition of diversity and inclusion is simple. It’s about helping Dell succeed with a global workforce that is highly talented, committed and reflective of our global customers. Diversity is an inevitable fact. With a large global employee base at Dell, they’re a collage of races, ethnicities, religions, age, levels of disability, backgrounds, lifestyles and cultures. Inclusion is about respecting, recognizing, honoring, embracing and ultimately, take advantages the differences they born with to build a better community, workforce, workplace and world. At Dell, the managers are committed to building a diversity environment that is reflective of a diverse global marketplace and an inclusive culture where everyone is occupied. The managers efforts to ensure that each employee is heard and valued and that personal strengths and perspectives or view are assets to the company, rather than being left at the door. To achieve Dell’s vision for an even more diversity and inclusive global company, the managers established a global diversity strategy, which is reviewed regularly by the Global Diversity Council. Their strategy focuses on:•Strong, visible leadership commitment and clear expectations of accountability for diversity and inclusion.•True commitment to diversity and inclusion built into their business practices.• Completely integrate these behaviors in their talent and performance management. In addition, more than 1500 executives, the managers and employees in Dell are participates on cross-functional teams to ensure that diversity is integrated into every aspect of their business. These teams exchange best practices, promote accountability and align Dell’s diversity initiatives with divisional and corporate objectives across the company. Dell diversification initiatives focus on three businesses needs to avert the workforce diversity in their company:•To provide a great customer experience, which requires a workforce reflective of our customers.•To access the best and brightest talent the marketplace has to offer.•To focus on global expansion with employees who understand the various cultures, giving us a competitive advantage. Company 4: FordTHE HISTORY OF FORD WORKPLACE DIVERSITYSince the beginning, the Ford Motor Company has taken phases to make sure that it is workforce has replicated the public’s in which it organizes business. In that short period of 5 years, Ford Motor has well-known production or sales operations in Canada, United States, France, and United Kingdom and also at some of the parts in Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Today, Ford Motor Company remains to attract highly experienced faithful factory that imitates a comprehensive spectrum of race, culture, ethinicity, age, perspective, physical ability, religion and sexual orientation. Supplier Diversity and EmpowermentSupplier diversity program in Ford Motor Company inspires large dealers to work with a minority-and women- owned businesses to allow diverse populations over wealth creation. Moreover, Ford has joined with CVM Diversity Question to generate an communicating , internet based reporting program called M-Tier, which is the following evolution in Supplier Diversity Reporting. This system will path diverse supplier outgoings at all levels of Ford’s value chain and assist Ford traders in launching their own Tier 2 reporting programs. Since the foundation of their Supplier Diversity Empowerment, they have obtained over $35 billion of goods and services from minority –and women-owned business enterprises. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)More than a decade, their ERGs have delivered outreach, support and improvement to employees who share ethnicity, religion, race, disabilities, life experience or backgrounds. ERGs hold educational and cultural events and care many diversity-related efforts such as college campus recruiting, summer internship program, collaborate with the company to produce a spectacular annual Black History Month and many more programs that they are doing now. The membership is open to all Ford employees. They also had created lots of association such as Ford Asian-Indian Association, Ford Chinese Association (FCA), Ford Employees dealing with Disabilities (FEDA), Ford Parenting Network (FPN) and many more association. All these associations are fully supported by the Ford employees and the public.