The core fabric of American society depends on different people belonging to different races, genders, and sexual orientations. The very promise of providing people of all background with equal opportunities makes the country an epitome of “life and liberty”.
Major corporations around the country have to embrace this evolution just like the country. Companies have to ensure that people forget about their differences and work together to ensure the best for the corporation.
Diverse practices and varied experiences are invaluable skill sets that lay the foundations for the growth and success of any organization. Although all companies understand the significance of creating an environment of diversity and inclusion, it is difficult to actually implement it. Here are some challenges that you can face when looking to implement diversity in the workplace.
Ethnic and Cultural Differences
Embracing diversity is more challenging when you have a great language and communication barrier in place. People that are not fluent in the corporate language can struggle to fit in, or to get accepted by other employees. English is the language of all offices in the country and an increasing number of people are not well-versed in it.
According to research one in five individuals spoke another language, meaning that more than 65 million people are speaking a language other than English. This is an increase of 19% since the past decade.
Another problem is the cultural and racial prejudices that people have for the other races. The prejudice results in poor communication and unnecessary conflict in the department as the team members may not be willing to work with the individual.
To tackle the issue, it is imperative to train the staff and give them valuable lessons over the benefits of diversity and significance of cultural sensitivities. This will help you address the issue as people will now be aware of the kind of stance the company has. The training will also teach the employees of things that should not be said to a person from a different race.
Gender Equality
Gender equality is another problem that is plaguing diversity today. Again pre-set prejudices are the main reason why gender inequality exists in the workplace today.
According to a recent study, more than 40% people believe that men are more likely to be hired than women. The findings of this report are further supported by more research which claims that men have a 30% higher chance of being promoted to a managerial position than women.
The prejudices and the assertion of male superiority can only be challenged by effective and strong decision making. The Equal Pay Act is the step in the right direction as proved by the mass influx of women in the workplace in the recent years.
Employers themselves need to go the extra mile to prevent gender discrimination of all sorts and to maintain equality.
