Our mission
is to create an inclusive and welcoming community through education.
The Diversity Council website is hosted by
Charter Communications
Strategies for Retaining
Diverse Employees
Involve all staff. Make sure
that the commitment to diverse employees involves every member
of the business or organization, especially those in top management
positions. The point of having a diverse workforce is not simply
to have diverse skin colors in the building, but to take advantage
of the presence of diverse ideas. If peer-level employees are
left to struggle with different ideas, with no support or involvement
by management in the incorporation of those ideas and the emergence
of a stronger whole, the minority employee is going to feel like
an outsider and is never going to feel welcome or accepted.
Follow through. Follow up
on the introduction to the community that you made during the
recruiting phase. Orient the employee to the community. Support
the employee’s efforts to obtain housing, register children
for school, find employment for a spouse, and locate local stores
and services. Introduce the employee to people in the community
who can help him or her become involved in activities of interest.
Recognize that your personal involvement is critical, since an
employee who is not familiar with the majority culture or is uncertain
of a welcome may not feel comfortable striking out on his or her
own. Include the employee’s family in your orientation and
continuing support, because their comfort level with the community
environment will have direct bearing on your employee’s
satisfaction.
Designate mentors. Continue
efforts to welcome the new employee beyond the first week. Recruit
mentors for the new employee, from both the employee’s minority
group and the white majority. A minority mentor would be particularly
effective at sharing experiences and serving as a sounding board.
A majority mentor could interpret hidden rules and provide networking
opportunities. Both can help by supporting the adjustment to “Minnesota
nice” and pointing out community resources.
Open communication lines. Recognize
that differences will arise AND that differences can lead to positive
growth rather than conflict. Create structures that encourage
and support conflict resolution. Convene periodic focus groups
of minority employees to find out what is working for them and
what is not. Acknowledge that differences and misunderstandings
will arise, but build a culture that supports openness, listening,
and the active resolution of issues.
Avoid “tokenism.”
Don’t make diverse employees feel like their only contribution
to the organization is their skin color or their representation
of a minority group. Encourage their involvement on committees
or in decision-making groups based on their interests and strengths,
not their diversity. In addition, do not assume that the minority
employee speaks for or represents his or her entire minority group.
Be open to new points of view.
Don’t assume that “the way it’s always been”
is the best way. New people bring new ideas and perspectives to
the table that create new revenue streams and different business
opportunities. Diverse perspectives are healthy for businesses
and organizations in our global economy, even though it’s
sometimes hard to change.
Support upward mobility. Support
continuing education and be sure that promotion opportunities
are transparent and open to diverse applicants. Demonstrate that
diversity is welcome in all levels of the business or organization.
Provide staff training. Promote
collegiality by requiring regular diversity training that promotes
understanding of different life experiences and points of view.
All employees of a business or organization—both majority
and minority—need to increase their ability to work as a
team with people from different backgrounds. Recognize that many
in your workforce have not come into contact with people culturally
different from themselves and need relevant education that emphasizes
understanding, empathy, and critical thinking skills and builds
their ability to succeed in a multicultural environment.
Respect different experiences. Recognize
that the cultures and experiences of people from other backgrounds
are just as valid as yours and just as important to them as yours
are to you. Synergy happens when all people believe their opinions
are respected and their perspective is valued.
Walk the Talk. Demonstrate
by doing. Realize that diversity needs to be woven into all aspects
of the organization. It is not a one-time or a “flavor of
the month” occurrence.
