Critical Analysis of a Diversity Policy in Human Resource Management

This report critically analyzes the diversity policy of Woolworths Limited, examining its strategies, implementation, and impact on fostering diversity and inclusion within the organization. It explores the roles of leaders, organizational structure, and culture in supporting diversity initiatives, including recruitment, training, and communication. The report evaluates the effectiveness of these strategies, such as employee engagement, diversity training, and monitoring practices. It also compares Woolworths' approach with other firms, providing suggestions for improvement. The analysis covers various aspects of diversity, including gender equity, indigenous employment, and employee engagement, while addressing the importance of communication, training, and recognizing different types of diversity. The report concludes with recommendations for enhancing diversity policies and procedures, focusing on language neutrality, inclusion, and unconscious bias training, ultimately aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

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Diversity is the implementation of human resource practices that enhances the increase of human
capital on certain dimensions without hindering the achievement of organization goals and
objectives. While diversity management refers to the organizational voluntary activities
formulated to create greater inclusion of employees from different backgrounds through
deliberate programs. Diversity management originated from North America but has been
spreading in other regions and continents in the worldCITATION Bel18 \l 1033 (Triana, 2017).
In order to understand in depth about diversity and inclusion implementation/procedure, we are
going to look at Woolworth Limited. It is one of many companies that have cherished diversity.
Woolworths Limited has been ranked top in the diversity and inclusion index. Leader's
commitment to D&I is reflected within their board of directors which is diverse.
Some of the Diversity and inclusion strategies incorporated in their policy and organization
setting include;
According to Bourdeau & Henkel (2018), recruiting employees from different backgrounds is a
perspective or strategy that tends to increase the representation of different employees with
different cultural and ethnical backgrounds in the firm. Organizations which likely have more
foreign employees have a more diverse workforce; Woolworth has been recruiting more
indigenous workers which are among their goal. The organization is embracing and celebrating
the diverse ethnic backgrounds. The company has dedicated itself to generating more
opportunities for the indigenous groups through programs such as employment parity initiatives
and Jawun indigenous second programs CITATION Man15 \l 1033 (Manser &, 2015).
Another strategy includes training its employees which raises sensitivity and boosts
communication. Woolworth Limited is devoted to educating and training its employees where
they have programs that help them achieve this objective. Proper employee communication is
achieved through; face to face communication where it's carried out on informal and formal
circumstances. Employees are also encouraged to ask questions where the CEO gets to answer
them. Auditing current practices through focus groups to generate change and address the
differences. This strategy targets to identifying barriers which limit employee's progress from
different or diverse cultural backgrounds. The company also has employee assistance programs
that offer confidential services such as counseling. Its impact on the company is that it ensures
the wellbeing of their employeesCITATION Noe172 \l 1033 (Noe, et al., 2017).
Diversity and inclusion strategy is one of its goal or objective which ensures that women are
engaged in grand roles thus increasing diversity efforts. It also focuses on making sure that there
is no salary gap between men and women where everyone is paid according to his or her effort.
The process of managing diversity has become of major importance to the firmCITATION Noe17 \l

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1033 (Akobo & Damisah , 2018). Another strategy is integrating diversity management policy with
human resource policy and other organization prudent or strategic choices. Human resource
practices have a tendency of producing homogenous workforce as a result of attraction, selection
attrition cycle.
Leaders play a great role in supporting organizational culture within the policy structures
which include; ability to inspire or lead by example. They should act as role models where they
can assist members to feel a great sense of belonging and help create a sense of where they might
aspire to. The other role of leaders towards promoting a D&I policy is by ensuring successful
evaluation and implementation of diversity affiliated programs. Leaders should also be able to
generate or create cultural awareness for successful leadership in the diversity contextCITATION
Sue19 \l 1033 (Shelton & Goode, 2015). Murphy (2016) affirmed that Cultural Knowledge helps
leaders share information in their organization. Leaders should also understand clearly the
cultural variations and resemblance so as to enable them to communicate successfully across all
cultures. For effective communication leaders should have a deeper understanding of the cultural
content which provides meaning to the verbal and nonverbal communication.
Woolworth culture promotes diversity in different ways which include; recognizing and
celebrating multicultural diversity that helps them increase their workforce. Also, their corporate
responsibility target in 2020 includes employing 100% of ethical and different cultural
background. Their culture is based on certain canons which one of them includes building strong
employee engagement. It ensures that all employees are satisfied and inspired. The other
organization culture that enhances diversity and inclusion of Woolworths limited is leadership
which is based strictly on ethical values CITATION Her15 \l 1033 (Herring & Henderson, 2015).
Human resource managers play a great role in D&I by making sure that, initiatives put in
place do not bring or create any disadvantage to the minority or marginalized group. Some
of these initiatives include; rewarding those managers who have successfully managed the
diversity policy, providing managerial training where this can be achieved through interpersonal
and communication skills. Also by providing awareness training to all workers is an initiative
HR manager incorporates to successfully implement diversity policy CITATION Tor17 \l 1033
(Torrington & Taylor, 2017).
Also by executing open communication to employees where they get to address their grievances
without fear of being judged. This communication can be of regular basis where crucial diversity
issues can be addressed. They also develop tasks that involve all employees with diverse
cultures. Supporting, and encouraging support groups is another initiative. Human Resource
managers also offer recruitment incentives through expanding their recruitment endeavors to

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affiliated groups. They also provide employees with resources that engage all teams to work
together and through this, they get to socialize CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 (Mousa, 2018).
They also come up with programs or ways to cope with their member's issues and concerns.
Human resource managers also identify employees with great potential or those who have
successfully contributed towards organizations objective on diversity and rewards them is
another initiative taken in place. Also through retaining members who have been performing
well and this do not only enhance a diverse organization but also increases profits, market share,
customer service and also reduces layoffs and cost involved in recruiting new employees.
Another initiative HR managers can implement is developing an assignment that uncovers
employees with different cultures. Also, they can administer formal and informal mentoring
programs where this initiative can be used to achieve an inclusive work environment where all
voices should be heard. When hiring they should include performance appraisal guideline
CITATION Tay16 \l 1033 (Taylor & Woodhams, 2016).
There are some measures put in place to monitor and ensure diversity within an
organization and how they are measured they include;
1. Communication where it is prioritized.
Woolworths Limited contains many layers and levels of workers communication where most
communication happens face to face. Any cultural hindrance that may arise while
communicating should be evaded as much as possible.
2. Monitoring diversity.
It is through monitoring that the organization checks if they are offering services to all people
effectively. Monitoring is normally done through focus groups, interviews and filling monitoring
forms. Monitoring helps analyze staff training, recruitment, grievances, and promotions thus
avoiding bias.
3. Building a diverse workforce strategy.
This includes coming up with new policies and rectifying the old ones. This is done through;
creating opportunities for all people in terms of resources and rewards, promoting gender equity
where Woolworth has increased the representation of women in the top management. Embracing
diversity where a workforce has been built to encourage and supports diversity.
4. Empowering and educating managers
It is another measure kept in place to ensure and monitor diversity. It is affirmed that companies
require strong supportive top management to help incorporate diversity successfully.

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5. Offering diverse opportunities for employee engagement.
This has been done through the representation of women where its ratio is 50:50 between women
and men. Woolworths limited has ensured all employees are being respected and valued at their
workplace. Also by creating indigenous employment where the company has focused on closing
the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous. By enabling everyone achieve his or her full
potential, Woolworths Limited has been providing an opportunity to all persons by giving them
opportunities to showcase their talents its aim being enhancing a zero workplace of bullying.
Diversity and Inclusion have been increasing over the past years. Russakovsky, et al. (2015)
Indicated that there are greater results in greater diversity for example profitability. Even though
this is happening, a large number of minority groups are still facing bias and to avoid this there
are some policies, procedures, and strategies that help ensure a greater Diversity and
inclusion management. They include;
Communicate effectively on diversity policies - Communication can be done regularly and
clearly. Also, there should be transparency in matters including diversity and inclusion, where
weaknesses and challenges should be embraced so as to make improvements. While
communicating policies it should be easy to grasp and be free from any ambiguities.
Allowing minority groups to have a voice - which is done by engaging them in grand decisions
that the organization might engage in and let their thought count. Also, provide diversity training
programs. Diversity training emerged as a huge subject in the past few yearsCITATION Rus \l 1033
(Page, 2017). Meyer & S (2018), defined diversity training "as a distinct set" of programs
targeting at promoting positive groups interactions. To ensure that this training succeeds
managers have a great role in finding methods that integrate the diversity policy. Training should
also be carried out on a regular basis.
Triana (2017) Recommended that firms should provide diversity training to enable them to deal
with certain diversity problems and help spread awareness about D&I. Diversity training help
employees understand the importance of having a diverse workforce and this in turn assists in
creating a friendlier environment.
Recognize all types of diversity.
Researches carried out in the past on demographic analysis indicated that by 2055 racial and
ethnic differences will no longer exist. This should enable them to embrace diversity in the
workforce where they should include other categories of diversity that are race, color, religion,
age, and sexual orientation. Celebrate diversity in as many ways as possible. Diverse employees
have a different celebration the organization should try and participate in most or even all of
them. Also, they can create a diversity day where all employees can showcase their cultures

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through dressing codes, dishes or anyway the organization chooses as long as it involves all
members CITATION Hub16 \l 1033 (Tracy & Stein, 2015).
Having discussed diversity and inclusion in depth by focusing our study on Woolworth
limited there are better ways to improve diversity policies and procedures and they
include;
Transforming all job descriptions to a neutral language most neutral language is English. Making
sure your underrepresented employees in the firm are included in your decisions but make sure
not to overload them. Running unconscious bias training, it helps create your own sense of
belonging by inviting experts from the diversity and Inclusion sector where they can answer the
most burning questions. Organizations can also foster diversity at all levels not just in hiring
seeing that diversity meaning is changing. Acknowledge diversity in all ways as possible where
the organization should celebrate all unique celebration of different cultures.
Different firms have different diversity and inclusion procedures. The following is a
comparison between Woolworths limited and a few firms that carry out D&I.
Their diversity policies includes; ensuring women take on senior roles and top ranking positions
in the organization, by introducing programs that help them take on those roles, recognizing and
celebrating diversity, providing people with disability employment opportunities and helping
indigenous Australians have access to employment and career advancementCITATION Ben18 \l
1033 (Bendl & Mills, 2018) Australian Catholic University promotes diversity and inclusion by
respecting, recognizing, promoting and celebrating the diverse culture by implementing policies
that improve cultural diversity of the university community. Their diversity policy objective
includes recognizing the diverse community, emphasizing on the importance of diversity,
providing a great studying and working environment and supporting Australian indigenous
people.
ACU ensures that D&I procedure/policy is implemented successfully through teaching and
research training, employing procedures and policies that nurture cultural diversity. They also
have policies that assist them to accomplish their D&I objectives and they include; equal
opportunity policy, language and literacy policy and code of conduct policy. In another case, we
are going to take a look at the Commonwealth Bank. Their inclusion and diversity
policy/procedure includes creating a strong culture of D&I which is their core value. Also, by
improving their neighbors' lives and businesses where they believe it's the possible method to
nurture and embrace diversity. They tend to enlarge the number of women working in senior
roles by introducing strategies that will curb problems that they are facing. While Nestle
company's D&I procedure is based on three areas i.e. culture, society, and innovation. Gender
balance is also among their priorities where 43% of their firms' positions are represented by

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women. They also have their focus on other areas such as recognizing people with disabilities,
the LGBT community, and multiculturalism. Another firm that recognizes D& I is the HP INC
where their commitment to D&I IS first spotted on their board of directors which is the most
diverse among tech firms. They have also focused on the issue of women representation.
Different firms have different D&I policies/procedures but as indicated above all firms have one
thing in common where they all trying to increase the number of women representation as a way
of improving D& I.

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