Workplace Diversity Report: Strategies for Envate IT Firm

This report examines workplace diversity, focusing on strategies for improvement within an IT firm, Envate. The author, an intern at Envate, highlights the benefits of a diverse workplace and suggests methods for enhancing it, including leadership modeling, formal diversity policies, unconscious bias training, and employee engagement. The report also defines managing diversity in the workplace as understanding, accepting, and valuing individual differences. It details a strategic diversity plan encompassing goal setting, approach development, implementation, and outcome measurement. The report emphasizes the importance of employee-centric approaches, such as training and resource groups, to foster an inclusive environment. References to academic research support the strategies proposed for promoting workplace diversity and inclusion.

Running head: WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
Workplace Diversity
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Answer to question 1:
The increasing globalization has enhanced the interactions among people from diverse
backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. We no longer work in a confined place, rather everyone is a
part of the global economy and the competition is everywhere. I am now working at a IT firm,
Envate, as an intern for last two months where I have experienced a diverse situation almost
every day. The diverse workplace can be very much beneficial for the organization; therefore our
management makes sure that each of the distinct characteristics is valued within the organization.
However, the diversity can be improved in the organization by the following methods:
 The leaders and the senior employees should set an example for valuing the diverse
culture (Sabharwal 2014). People always want to follow someone who has value and
concern for them. Therefore if the leaders make the entire work environment positive, the
organization can expect more productivity from its employees.
 The diversity policy should be a part of the value statement of the organization. It should
be a written and formal promise to the employees that the organization will adhere to the
anti-discriminatory practices. Therefore the organization can also let the employees know
about the existing diversity plan and ask for more recommendations.
 The organization can also take initiatives related to the diversity such as they can make
all the employees undergo a specific training and development program for removing the
unconscious bias from the employees (Barak 2016). This can be a difficult job to do,
because unconscious bias is always there in our minds and it tends to influence our
judgments without having the wrong feelings. Therefore educating the existing workforce
is important for the organization as it will not only remove the bias from the employees

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while working, but it will also remove the unconscious bias from people who are in
charge of recruiting.
 The organization should also allow everyone in the workforce to have a voice and they
can contribute their ideas and share their thoughts at anytime they want. Therefore, the
leaders and managers should encourage all the employees to take part in the
organizational activities (Joshua and Taylor-Abdulai 2014). The organization can also
encourage the employees to make resource groups that can be helpful for those who need
extra help.
These will improve the diverse situation within the organization and will remove the potential
barriers.
Answer to question 2:
Managing diversity within the workplace means understanding, accepting and valuing the
distinct differences amongst the individual employees within an organization. For this purpose
the organizations may also develop a strategic diversity plan for managing the diverse situations.
The plan may include:
Set the goals:
The organization will set the diversity goals. This can be the very first step for developing
the strategic plan. If the organization wants to manage the diversity and make positive benefit ut
of the situation, they should make a mission statement for managing diversity which can
transparently communicate with the employees regarding the stand of the organization. With a
mission statement affirming the fact that the organization will embrace and respect all the
employees irrespective of their class, abilities, groups, genders, races, ethnicities, regions, sexual

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orientations, will help the organization also to widen the smaller objectives (Chrobot-Mason and
Aramovich 2013).
Develop the approach of the plan
The pre-determined objectives of the plan should be employee-centric and should also be
able to hire and recruit people from diverse backgrounds. The organization should first decide,
whether the plan will be employee centric or customer-centric. If the approach is customer-
centric, the organization should train its employees so that they are capable of developing the
communication skill for reaching the customers. On the other hand, the community related
approach can contribute funds and volunteer hours for nonprofit organizations who are serving
people from diverse places and backgrounds.
Implement the plan
After deciding the approach of the plan, the organization should implement the plan by
calling a meeting with all the employees. In this meeting the management should answer all the
questions of the employees and they will also be asked to participate to the plan (Guillaume et al.
2017). They can contribute to any part of the plan and help the organization in achieving the
objectives. However, each of the employees should have a clear vision while participating.
Measuring the outcomes
After a successful implementation of the plan, the organization should measure the
progress of the plan after a certain period of time. The employees can be asked to report their
activities. If there is any issue, the organization can also revise the specific goals or if everything
is alright, the organization can move to the next stage.

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Reference List
Barak, M.E.M., 2016. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage
Publications.
Chrobot-Mason, D. and Aramovich, N.P., 2013. The psychological benefits of creating an
affirming climate for workplace diversity. Group & Organization Management, 38(6), pp.659-
689.
Guillaume, Y.R., Dawson, J.F., Otaye‐Ebede, L., Woods, S.A. and West, M.A., 2017.
Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace
diversity?. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), pp.276-303.
Hill, R., Boyd, A.R., Dawson, A., Olsen, C.H. and Salinas, A., 2017. Roundtable--Workplace
Diversity. Journal-American Water Works Association, 109(8), pp.56-63.
Joshua, B.M. and Taylor-Abdulai, H., 2014. Making ethnic differences count at the workplace: A
new paradigm shift for managing diversity in Ghana.
Sabharwal, M., 2014. Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further
performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), pp.197-217.