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Involve all staff. Make sure that the commitment to diverse employees involves every member of the business or organization, especially those in top management positions. The point of having a diverse workforce is not simply to have diverse skin colors in the building, but to take advantage of the presence of diverse ideas. If peer-level employees are left to struggle with different ideas, with no support or involvement by management in the incorporation of those ideas and the emergence of a stronger whole, the minority employee is going to feel like an outsider and is never going to feel welcome or accepted.
Follow through. Follow up on the introduction to the community that you made during the recruiting phase. Orient the employee to the community. Support the employee’s efforts to obtain housing, register children for school, find employment for a spouse, and locate local stores and services. Introduce the employee to people in the community who can help him or her become involved in activities of interest. Recognize that your personal involvement is critical, since an employee who is not familiar with the majority culture or is uncertain of a welcome may not feel comfortable striking out on his or her own. Include the employee’s family in your orientation and continuing support, because their comfort level with the community environment will have direct bearing on your employee’s satisfaction.
Designate mentors. Continue efforts to welcome the new employee beyond the first week. Recruit mentors for the new employee, from both the employee’s minority group and the white majority. A minority mentor would be particularly effective at sharing experiences and serving as a sounding board. A majority mentor could interpret hidden rules and provide networking opportunities.
Open communication lines. Recognize that differences will arise AND that differences can lead to positive growth rather than conflict. Create structures that encourage and support conflict resolution. Convene periodic focus groups of minority employees to find out what is working for them and what is not. Acknowledge that differences and misunderstandings will arise, but build a culture that supports openness, listening, and the active resolution of issues.
Avoid “tokenism.” Don’t make diverse employees feel like their only contribution to the organization is their skin color or their representation of a minority group. Encourage their involvement on committees or in decision-making groups based on their interests and strengths, not their diversity. In addition, do not assume that the minority employee speaks for or represents his or her entire minority group.
Be open to new points of view. Don’t assume that “the way it’s always been” is the best way. New people bring new ideas and perspectives to the table that create new revenue streams and different business opportunities. Diverse perspectives are healthy for businesses and organizations in our global economy, even though it’s sometimes hard to change.
Support upward mobility. Support continuing education and be sure that promotion opportunities are transparent and open to diverse applicants. Demonstrate that diversity is welcome in all levels of the business or organization.
Provide staff training. Promote collegiality by requiring regular diversity training that promotes understanding of different life experiences and points of view. All employees of a business or organization—both majority and minority—need to increase their ability to work as a team with people from different backgrounds. Recognize that many in your workforce have not come into contact with people culturally different from themselves and need relevant education that emphasizes understanding, empathy, and critical thinking skills and builds their ability to succeed in a multicultural environment.
Respect different experiences. Recognize that the cultures and experiences of people from other backgrounds are just as valid as yours and just as important to them as yours are to you. Synergy happens when all people believe their opinions are respected and their perspective is valued.
Walk the Talk. Demonstrate by doing. Realize that diversity needs to be woven into all aspects of the organization. It is not a one-time or a “flavor of the month” occurrence.
The Diversity Council, located in Rochester, Minnesota, is a small, community focused, community led, volunteer supported organization working to create an inclusive and welcoming community through education. Their unique approach to diversity focuses our educational efforts on the whole person, stressing that we are all different in some ways, but our differences are far outweighed in number and importance by our similarities.
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