How to Increase Diversity in Workforce?

        Workforce Diversity has been a hot topic nowadays. This issue talks about race, gender, age, disabilities, religion, physical appearance, sexual orientation, nationality and work experience. Having a diverse workforce in your business is important not only for compliance with anti-discrimination laws, but your company can also benefit base on efficiency perspective. Expanding your workforce can be complicated, as some employees may not accept people from different cultures or backgrounds. So here are some ways on how to increase diversity in workplace:

 

1. Identify what are your needs

Does your workforce resemble the communities that you operate in? Do they match the demographic that you serve or want to serve? If not, develop a hiring strategy to increase workforce diversity. You can also ask employees for referrals, since they have peers in the industry or know qualified candidates who may be looking for work. http://guides.wsj.com/management/building-a-workplace-culture/how-to-increase-workplace-diversity

2. Beware of age discrimination

Make sure that when you place job advertisement or promotional ad it is not age bias for example phrases in job adverts such as “be part of a young, elite magazine company”, or “18- 30 yrs. Old age limit” this may appear discriminating.

3.Advertise your company more widely

Advertise in different ways like utilize the internet, promotional advertisement on TV, billboards, bulletin, news paper, leaflets. You can also do a job fair that appeals to different groups.

4.Don’t ignore the disabled

You could be sued if you don’t follow the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 to make all reasonable adjustments to buildings to make them accessible by the disabled. http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Business/Article/ImproveDiversity_in_the_Workplace-100430.html

5.Keep an open-door policy

This is for employees to safely express their concerns. When an employee who complains about being discriminated against reports the harassment, management should take immediate steps to correct the situation in order to gain the trust of the entire workforce. http://www.livestrong.com/article/217083-how-to-improve-diversity-in-the-workplace/

6.Offer Language Training

Offer training in English as a second language. This type of program allows you to employ from a bigger set of candidates, as it removes language barriers as a reason for not considering a qualified applicant.

7.Clarify the Benefits

Inform to your employees how the company and employees benefits diversity. You should also provide incentive pay for management linked to the achievement of organizational diversity goals.

8.Demonstrate diversity awareness

Observe religious or cultural holiday by diverse employees in the form of celebrating different cultural events or giving them a paid holiday leave.