Diversity Management Strategy

What is diversity?

The word diversity is the latest and most frequently used term within human resources in the public and private sector. Many organisations are beginning to put the subject of diversity on their boardroom business agendas. Diversity doesn’t just have to be a ‘buzz word’ as it is often described. Discussions and debate now centre mainly on the business advantages of managing diversity effectively.

The definition of diversity is ‘variety’. To embrace diversity we have to believe in difference and then value it. Companies need to be able to show flexibility and adaptability - hallmarks of a learning and sustainable organisation. Diversity is a property of a group and not an individual and if it is used to describe people and population then the values are recognised in the uniqueness of the different contributions made by the individuals within the group. If the individuals in the group have identical contributions the group has no diversity.

Diversity should not be used to identify people of colour, but should be used to describe people and population groups. Diversity encompasses factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and religion, as well as education, professional background, and marital and parental status. Diversity indicates variety.

Equal opportunities have been described as ‘treating everyone the same’. We believe that this view is now outdated and people should be respected and have equal and fair treatment, access to employment, services and training etc. Diversity is about enjoying differences whatever they are. It's about seeing potential and having the tools to manage it.

The drivers for managing diversity in any organisation start with a company's main resource - its staff. Recruitment is a competitive business and most organisations recruit from the same labour pool. There are many opportunities to recruit from a more varied and wider labour market, giving employers to opportunity to gain an advantage over competitors. By valuing people and being a caring employer you could become an ‘employer of choice’.

Providing the best services and products for a varied customer base relies upon the influence that a diverse workforce has on the organisation. See the section on this site about supported employment for more information about the business case for embracing diversity.

Staff training on the organisation's diversity agenda is vital to achieving successful outcomes and managing diversity effectively. Everyone should be involved, including all levels of management, supervision and support staff. It is important that regular monitoring of performance coupled with action planning and policy development is adopted so that diversity management can help to achieve business objectives.