Before embarking on a diversity initiative, it's a good idea to identify why working on diversity issues will benefit your organization. Some of the key reasons are listed below. You should review the list and select three or four reasons that best apply to your organization.

Cementing the employee relationship

Improving employee satisfaction: By working on diversity issues that your employees are facing, you will improve employee satisfaction. In turn, your employees will become more productive, creative and innovative. Satisfied employees will improve your customer relationships and help market the company. Satisfied employees stay with their companies longer, so your employee retention improves, saving the company money in lost productivity, and recruiting and hiring costs.

Facilitating recruitment: The demographics of the workforce are changing. African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics make up over 25 percent of the workforce. A diverse workforce helps you to recruit talent among all demographic groups. Potential employees want to see their ethnicity reflected among your employees as well as among the senior management. They want to know that they will be able to access development opportunities. Having a diverse workforce sends a message that all employees are valued and welcome.

Enhancing retention: Surveys show that one major reason why employees leave a job is their relationship with their manager. By acknowledging diverse viewpoints and working styles, you will improve your relationship with your employees. In turn, they will be less likely to seek opportunities outside the company.

Becoming an employer of choice: Increasingly, companies must compete for the best employees in what has often been called a "war for talent". In order to compete effectively, many companies have embarked on a series of programs to become recognized as an employer of choice. By addressing diversity issues, companies become attractive to employees in all demographic groups both within and outside the company. A well-earned reputation as an employer of choice facilitates recruitment among potential employees and enhances retention among current employees.

This toolkit is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace legal, compliance, or other professional advice. TWP assumes no liability for the use of this toolkit.
Web-based Leaders' Toolkit, © Copyright, 2002. Technology Workforce Partners. All Rights Reserved. Technology Workforce Partners was a consortium of high technology companies that worked collaboratively on diversity issues in the workplace from 1995-2005.