Diversity Is Good for Business
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Advantages and Challenges of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
“I first of all think immigrants come
to this country to belong to this country. I also think that
the Canadian approach to this-which is a mixture of integration
and accommodation, for a lack of a better term-is the right
approach”
-The Hon. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, 2007 year-end interview,
Canadian Press.
Diversity is generally defined as the condition
of having distinct or unlike elements. In the workplace, this
means we employ a variety of people in terms of gender, race,
age, ethnic and cultural background, faith, education and
training, and socio-economic status among others.
Diversity, however, is not only about differences
among groups, but also about differences among individuals.
Each individual is unique and does not represent or speak
for a particular group.
For companies conducting business in our multicultural
society and as part of a global economy, maximizing and capitalizing
on workplace diversity has become imperative.
And although most local employers recognize
that there are significant advantages to diversifying their
workforce, they may not be fully aware of the importance and
challenges of workplace diversity.
Diversity is both a business competitiveness
issue and a customer service issue.
A diverse workforce can provide a company
with a competitive advantage for success in today’s marketplace
by opening up new business opportunities and markets, by widening
its customer base and by being able to better address specific
consumer’s needs in our multicultural society.
Valuing diversity means recognizing that there
are other view points, experiences and ways of working together
and solving problems in areas like customer service, allocation
of resources, opening of new markets, business strategies
and growth and development.
Companies that embrace diversity in the workplace
encourage their employees to participate in business decision-making
and to perform to their highest potential, resulting in higher
productivity, better results and higher profits.
Among the advantages of diversity in the workplace
are increased creativity, productivity, attitudes, new language
skills, global understanding, approaches and solutions to
the business’ problems.
However, taking advantage of all the benefits
of a diverse workforce does not come without challenges.
Language and Cultural Barriers need to be
overcome for a diverse workforce to perform to the full benefit
of a company.
At the same time, a more open minded and positive
outlook is needed to overcome stereotypes, misconceptions
and prejudice.
Rather than focusing solely on the level of
English language proficiency, or even worse on “the accent”
of Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP), employers
should realize and take advantage of the fact that they bring
at least another language and a whole world of cultural, professional
and business experiences to the workplace.
The undeniable difficulties that employers
face in understanding, assessing, and comparing international
educational and professional credentials, can be easily resolved
by asking applicants to obtain and produce a certificate of
evaluation and equivalence of credentials and experience from
organizations like World Educational Services (WES) or the
University of Toronto.
And when it comes to the valid proposition
that the ITP “does not have Canadian experience”, the focus
should be rather on the fact that they bring a variety of
different international experiences to the business
Managing a diverse workforce
Managing a diverse workforce requires promoting
inclusion and creating a work environment where differences
are accepted and valued, and everyone can contribute to her/his
full potential to increase productivity and overall business
success.
At the core of managing a multicultural workforce
is being aware of cultural differences in the workplace. It
means being aware of other cultural practices but also of
Canadian cultural norms, business practices and etiquette.
Accommodation and Integration
It is imperative for managers, HR professionals
and all employees to make an objective, open, and permanent
commitment to accommodate newly hired culturally diverse employees
and to help them become full functioning members of the team.
But at the same time, it is required and expected
from the new employees (ITP), to learn about “Canadian Business
Culture”, “Canadian Business Etiquette”, “Canadian Customer
Service Principles and Practices”, and to make a firm commitment
to fit in into the specific Corporate Culture of the company.
In summary, workplace diversity can make companies
more productive and profitable, but diversifying brings differences
into the company that must be understood and embraced for
those benefits to be realized.
Simply put, diversity is good for business.
Dr. Yamil H. Alonso is Program Coordinator with The Brampton
Board of Trade, Skills Without Borders. For more information,
visit www.skillswithoutborders.com
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