Workplace diversity is sound business sense. According to the American Sociological Association, organizational diversity is one of the most important predictors of a business' sales revenue, customer base and profitability. Companies with the highest levels of racial diversity earned 15 times more in sales revenue than companies with low racial diversity levels. Gender diversity boosted average sales revenues by $599.1 million. Implementing a functional diversity plan can bring your company similar benefits.
Network
To diversify your workforce, the "Wall Street Journal" recommends contacting community organizations such as libraries, colleges and cultural institutions. You can also find potential job candidates from different backgrounds through nonprofit organizations that connect employers to highly qualified pools of minority job hunters and ethnic chambers of commerce. Speak with members of your own professional organizations who have implemented diversity programs at their companies.
Employee Referrals
Your employees are also good sources for qualified individuals who could suit your business needs. Once they're aware of your diversity recruitment policies, they can spread the word to friends or family members, their church groups or members of any ethnic professional associations to which they belong. It's also a good idea to reward employees for making successful referrals, notes the "Wall Street Journal." The newly hired employee is also more likely to ease into her position with confidence if she already knows someone at your company.
Create a Corporate Diversity Plan
Increasing diversity in your company doesn't begin and end with recruitment. You need to link it to your company's strategic vision, explains the National Center for Research in Vocational Education or NCRVE. For example, businesses with strong reputations for supporting diversity often create company-wide programs that support diversity. They implement policies such as diversity-career planning and counseling systems, training and development strategies, mentoring programs and flexible benefit packages.
Employee Education
A collaborative and productive diverse workforce requires effective training. As the NCRVE points out, it's essential that to create a workplace culture devoid of racist, sexist and ethnocentric language. To ensure all your employees buy into your company's vision and policy, they should receive diversity sensitivity training as part of their new employee orientation and through career development seminars as they grow within your organization. Also, make sure your employees understand the benefits of diversity to their team and how it gives your company a competitive edge in creativity, innovation and profits.
