Workplace Diversity and Customer Service: Question and Answers

This article discusses workplace diversity and customer service through a Q&A format. It covers topics such as implementing diversity policy, fostering respect for diversity, promoting the benefits of diversity, and valuing diversity in the workplace.

Running head: WORKPLACE DIVERSITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
Question and answers on workplace diversity
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Implement diversity policy
Review of diversity policy
Diversity policy aims to preserve the workplace diversity. This includes commitment
of the employees towards maintaining the organizational culture. Typical component of this
policy includes measurable objectives, annual disclosure for the shareholders, Remuneration
and Nomination Committee. One of the essential components is the consequences of
breaching the policy (Huong, Zheng and Fujimoto, Y., 2016). Diversity policy can be found
at online links, company policies and procedures, induction process, contracts for
employment and standards and protocols outlined by the Australian law.
2. Foster respect for diversity in the work team
Self prejudices and personal interactions
The employees employed in the organization belong to different socio-cultural
background. They differ in their thoughts, customs and traditions. This reflects the true
essence of the workplace diversity. The managers need to make the employees aware of the
importance of respecting each other’s culture, which enhances the collaborative output and
adjusting skills (Sakdiyakorn and Wattanacharoensil 2018). I personally feel that respecting
the other cultures creates a positive image in the minds of my colleagues, which is crucial for
maintaining the workplace culture. However, when I see others differing from my personal
opinions, I become frustrated. I think this is my weakness, degrading my personality.
Sometimes, I forgot the lessons, which I got from my seniors regarding respecting the other
cultures. This is my incapability towards fulfilling my duties diligently.

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We are instructed to wear formals on Mondays in the workplace. One day, one of my
colleagues wore a dress, which seemed funny and strange to me. I asked him, however, he
become furious and complained to the HR. I told him that it was just a joke, which made him
more furious and there was difference of opinion between us. I think that it was not my fault
as I jokingly asked him about the dress. However, my tone might have been unacceptable, but
my intention was not to harm his culture and custom.
Assistance to the staffs
The staffs entrusted with the responsibility of assisting the employees with difference
encounter severe difficulties. The managers need to be conscious of extending their full
support towards these staffs. Strategic planning is beneficial in terms of getting positive
results. Within this, effective utilization of the organizational resources attains the top priority
(Hajro, Gibson and Pudelko 2017). The team leaders need to be made aware of the
advantages of making judicious use of the resources. If they grasp the lessons, they would be
able to pass on the knowledge to the team members. This process aligns with the knowledge
transfer, which is crucial in terms of enhancing the preconceived skills, expertise and
knowledge. Judicious use of the resources leads to the production of quality products, which
satisfies the needs, demands and requirements of the clients. Taking suggestions from the
clients helps in gaining awareness about their specific tastes and preferences.
Adopting social media marketing helps in increasing the trafficking of the audience
towards the services of the organization. Maintaining rationality and consciousness in this
direction enhances the parameter of “customer relationship management” (Manoharan and
Singal 2017). Maintaining stability in the relationship with the customers is important in
terms of bringing innovation within the services. This is in terms of expanding the scope and
arena of business in terms of achieving large scale customer satisfaction. An important aspect

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here is adhering to the Data Protection Act (1998), Equality Act (2010) and guidelines of the
Human Rights Commission. This is vital in terms of respecting the individual sentiments of
the clients and the customers.
Promote the benefits of diversity
Promotion of organization’s workforce diversity
Promoting workplace diversity helps in enhancing the brand image of the
organization. This promotion needs to be done rationally and tactfully. Non-compliance with
the legislations proves detrimental in terms of securing the respect of the personnel.
Moreover, it also aggravates the complexities of the personnel towards preventing the
instances of discriminations, harassments and conflicts (Leslie 2017). This aggravation
bestows taunts and mocking on the organization, which contradicts the aspect of enhancing
the brand image and reputation. Internally, employee resource groups can be created for the
promotion of the diversity. This group is an open platform, which enhances the diverse
thinking of the employees. Here, the main aim is engaging the employees in the mainstream
business activities for gaining an insight into their mindset towards the allocated duties and
responsibilities.
Online forum is also one of the platforms, which helps in approaching to the
employees for getting responses on enriching the diversity. This forum witnesses the
interaction between the panels, employees and their family members, which itself expand the
diversification of the workplace (Sherbin and Rashid 2017). Typical example of this is the
communication mediums, which improves the communication skills of the employees. One
of the striking facts is that the experts can be brought into the discussion for creating video
conferencing. This activity would make the employees feel that their viewpoints are valued

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and respected. This would generate within them an urge to carry out the tasks efficiently and
effectively.
Organizing talk shows can also be an effective example of the promoting diversity.
Here, getting sponsorships adds an extra feather to the aspect of promotion. Moreover,
sponsors provide financial support to the organizations for spreading awareness regarding the
maintenance of diversity. Involving external experts in these talks results in the broadening
the scope and arena of the organization in terms of maintaining the workplace culture (Lu et
al. 2015). Trainings are recommended by the external agents for upgrading the internal
infrastructure. These trainings are unbiased, as the employees from different socio-cultural
background are provided the access to enrich their knowledge.
External experts can be hired for providing training to the employees on diversity and
its effects on the business. Group work is the agent, which helps in gaining an insight into the
capability of the employees towards exposing collaborative output. The scores of the group
work is essential in terms of appraising the performance of the employees. Equality is
important in the appraisal also. This is in terms of inculcating the feeling within the
employees that their individual sentiments would be taken care (Schilpzand et al. 2016).
Capturing ideas from workplace diversity for achieving competitive advantage
Employee records are the evidence, from where data on diversity can be collected.
These records reflect the diversified workforce, which the organization possesses for
executing the business processes and activities. Herein, performance of the employees is a
crucial aspect, which determines the approach towards diversity management and
preservation. Based on the performance of the employees, the managers can make estimates
about the time, which is needed for completing the activities. This is possible only through
the exposure of collaborative output, which enhances the diversity among the teams (Urciuoli

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2016). This enhancement upgrades the internal environment of the organizations, paving way
for expanding the business into the international markets.
Research is needed for studying the proposed market entry. This is in terms of
attracting large number of customers, which indicates the achievement of competitive
advantage over the contemporary brands. Without this research, the organizations are bound
to achieve negative outcomes. Typical example of this is vulnerability in the market position,
which declines the market position of the organization. This decline is a serious challenge in
the competitive phase, as it results in utter losses.
Adding to the workforce can be one of the effective solutions. However, rational
approach needs to be exposed in this direction. Adhering to Equality Act (2010) would help
in the achievement of positive results. Along with this, Data Protection Act (1998) is also
beneficial in terms of securing the respect and privacy of the employees (Humanrights.gov.au
2018). Market survey would reflect the steps taken by the contemporary brands for managing
the workplace diversity. Copying those steps would not help the organizations to reach to
large number of customers. Instead, if the personnel take feedback from the employees, then
they can produce services, which would lure the clients towards the services. Preserving the
rights of the employees is essential in terms of inculcating respect within the employees for
the services of the organization. If the clients feel that they are being valued, they would feel
the urge to avail the services of the organizations. This results in the expansion of the scope
and arena of business. Consciousness towards serving the customers makes the organizations
popular among the clients (Barak 2016).
Organizational efforts to value diversity
Most of the organizations adopt “top down” strategy for valuing the workplace
diversity. Active participation of the team leaders, managers, CEO and the employees result

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in the introduction of effective planning for the enriching the diversity. Communication is the
main agent, through which the managers engage the personnel into the mainstream business
activities. Hesitations and dilemmas is the common expression, which obstructs the path of
the employees towards achieving voicing out their opinions. This is because they fear taunts
and mocking. This is mainly due to the lack of confidence (Guillaume et al. 2017).
If the employees are aware of the diversity goals and objectives, they would be able to
deal with the task of diversity management in an efficient and effective manner. The
employees can be engaged in the process of surveys. Privacy cookies are followed for
maintaining secrecy of the organizational data. Non-compliance with the cookies is a gradual
progression towards deviating from the objectives and the requirements.
Cultural competence is one of the other aspects, which the personnel need to cater.
This competence is directly related to the business expansion, as it makes the personnel
acquainted with the different cultures (Lam and Mayer 2014). Cultural issues are discussed in
the form of presentations, which helps the managers to test the knowledge of the team
members towards diversity and its preservation. Mention can be made of Employee Resource
Group, which acts as a platform for the employees to speak out their minds towards the
enhancement of cultural diversity. Mentors are selected for guiding the employees, when they
go on a wrong way. Planning is made for altering the workplace scenario. This is in terms of
bringing positivity into the services and attracting large number of clients and customers (Bal
and Boehm 2017).
Continuous improvement can be adopted for upgrading the standards and quality of
the services. Herein lays the appropriateness of the surveys and feedbacks, which results in
the assemblage of clients from different socio-cultural backgrounds. Willingness and
eagerness towards enriching the diversity is crucial in terms of achieving loyalty, trust and

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dependence from the clients. Adhering to the legislations helps in averting discriminations,
harassments and conflicts. Consciousness in this direction leads to the achievement of
positive outcomes. Assistance from the Human Rights Commission reflects the reliability and
authenticity of the services, attracting more and more customers (Davis, Frolova and
Callahan 2016).

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