Beyond Race and Gender; Bringing Workplace Diversity to a Higher Level

We've come a long way since the days of Rosie the Riveter, but some experts believe the American workplace has room for improvement. Even today, some workplaces consider variances in race and gender as diversity. But there's more to a diverse company than the color of employees' skin.

Dr. Ann Evangelista, a consultant and organizational psychologist for TalentQuest, a talent and performance management company based in Atlanta, said employers need to look deeper to find workers' diversities.

"Race and gender are only the tip of the diversity iceberg," she explained. "True diversity comes from an individual's personal and professional background: from geographic upbringing, personal interest, family structure, education and personality traits. But to even begin considering all of the factors that contribute to a truly diverse workforce, organizations need to realize what makes diversity so important."

The Association of Executive Search Consultants' 2007 BlueSteps Diversity Report found that 55 percent of the 357 global senior executives polled said they do not have any minorities among the company's top executives; 21 percent have one, and 5 percent have six or more. Though differences in race do not automatically mean more creativity, they do lead to a more diverse background - something Evangelista says helps the company reflect the population it serves.

"Thinking in terms of the simplest element of diversity, gender, nowadays most people understand that the thought processes of men and women are incredibly different," she added. "That doesn't mean one is right and one is wrong, it just means that in any given situation, there isn't one singular perspective. Without taking multiple perspectives into consideration, companies may miss opportunities to effectively reach entire populations, thereby missing the boat."

Moving forward

Taking employees' personalities into account, Edward Muzio, co-author of "Four Secrets to Liking Your Work: You May Not Need to Quit to Get the Job You Want," said more emphasis should be put on behavioral diversity, meaning a variation in the team members' natural approach to their work.

"Even an internal work team needs to be analytical in doing their research, assertive in positioning their products, interactive in influencing others to engage with them, and systematic in finishing what they start," he said. "Yet research shows that one person can't naturally be all of these things. So a group that has all of these behavioral strengths is much better positioned for success than a group that has only one or two of them."

Opposite behavior types, such as the analyzers and the influencers, can certainly butt heads at times, warned Muzio, but that doesn't mean success can't come from them.

"Personally, I'm not a detail person, but I desperately need one to help me," he said. "Will we conflict? Sure. But with me pushing forward and my detailed co-worker making sure the pieces fit together, we are stronger together than either of us would be alone."

Everyone contributes

So how do companies profit from having a diverse workforce? By valuing employees for the uniqueness in what they bring to the table, according to Pegine Echevarria, author of "White Men Are Diverse Too!"

"The individuals within the workforce want to be valued for their perspective," she explained. "They have choices, especially if they are skilled and experts in their field; they can find other opportunities. The company, or more importantly manager, that utilizes the diverse perspective of their team acknowledges the value each team member brings to the project."

Nathan Slovin, business and management consultant at Slovin Group, LLC, a Washington, D.C., management training and consulting firm, stressed that management must play a crucial role in creating an effective workplace. "A supervisor needs to develop leadership skills because while diversity in the workplace adds richness, it also adds challenges, and this is where leadership and supervisory skills come into play. As a supervisor of a diverse work force, paying attention to each employee and tailoring the workplace to meet the needs of these people will go a long way to creating that effective workplace. If the workplace provides the people with what they need to achieve their career and personal goals, then they will be happy."

Diverse employees are not hard to find, Echevarria added. Every company has them, but it's up to the management to foster a work environment that is conducive to cultivating their ideas.

"You can have a group of white guys in a room [and] there will be different religions, economic backgrounds, experiences and family structures," she continued. "In that one room you can have a single dad, a gay guy, a grandfather of a bi-racial child, a man suffering from diabetes, a veteran and a three-time divorcee. Their perspectives, ideas and beliefs are different - how do you as a manager and leader utilize the diversity perspective in your group to be innovative, prosperous and productive?"

This special advertising section was written by Lisa Schryver of Tribune Media Services, in conjunction with the advertising department of The Washington Post and did not involve the news department of this newspaper.