The Diversity of the US Population
The diversity of the U.S. population has changed significantly over several decades, and more shifts are expected over the next 10 to 20 years. Some examples include:
1) Construction firms are employing large numbers of Hispanic/Latinos and they must adapt their recruiting, training, and safety practices to reflect this diversity in their workforce;
2) Manufacturing, hospitality, and retail companies have significantly increased the number of minority and women managers and employees over the past several decades, which has resulted in more African America, Latino, and women customers;
3) Long-haul trucking companies are focusing on recruiting and training women to counter a growing shortage of drivers over the next decade.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What do you think are the major reasons that more organizations are recruiting a diverse workforce?
2. What are some ways that recruiting could and should be done differently to attract more African Americans? Latinos? Women?
3. What are some ways that training could/should be done differently for African Americans? Latinos? Women? For example, establishing ESL programs, affinity groups, and/or mentoring programs in-house.
Sample Solution
Organizations have become increasingly aware of the advantages that come with a diverse workforce and have thus made efforts to recruit and retain individuals from various backgrounds. Firstly, diversity within the workplace can increase creativity by allowing different perspectives and ideas to be discussed (Losee et al., 2017). By having employees who bring different cultural experiences, education levels, and skill sets to the table organizations can generate more innovative solutions compared to a homogenous group.
Secondly, research has shown that having employees from varied backgrounds can help create better customer relations as it allows for greater understanding of their needs (Roberson et al., 2018). Companies with diverse teams may also see higher financial performance due to greater access to global markets in which they are able to better understand consumer behavior (Watson et al., 2019). Lastly, including individuals from different walks of life allows for an organization’s policies and practices to reflect its customer-base which is essential in order for any business model or strategy to be successful.
In conclusion then, increased diversity within an organization leads not only improves employee morale but also helps achieve higher profits. Therefore it is unsurprising that many companies today are actively making recruitment drives targeted towards people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds or minority groups.
