¶ … management of human resources and diversity. The writer explores the growing diverse populations in American workforces and provides researched methods by which to best manage that from a human resource standpoint.
The field of human resource management has always been a field that encouraged diversity. By its very nature the people that have an interest in working in the field generally have the type of personalities that enjoy diverse groups of people and diverse job duties. The globalization of the world has changed the face of society in ways that have never before been experienced. Today, the American workforce is more diverse than in the past and with that diversity comes differences in cultures, beliefs and traditions (Cox, 1991). Human resource management today includes the need to recruit and embrace diverse employees and the need to encourage the positive elements of that diversity while at the same time maintaining individuals' rights with regard to their background.
Human Resource Management Techniques
As more and more organizations implement diversity initiatives, personnel and human resource managers play increasingly significant roles. This article explores some of the challenges personnel and human resources managers face implementing diversity. It discusses strategies personnel and human resources managers are employing to address the need for diversity and suggests methods to implement diversity as a principle of human resource management (HRM). These strategies include processes such as diversity audits to identify organizational problems, aligning workforce planning with strategic plans, benchmarking personnel/human resources practices and positioning diversity as a top-level management function. The article also examines the benefits of flex management, partnering with management, and educating and training managers/line supervisors to effectively manage diversity (Matthews, 1998)."
Historically, before WWII there was very little diversity in the workplace. Men held the jobs women stayed home and minorities worked in menial positions that others did not want (Matthews, 1998). When WWII occurred women had to come out and fill the positions while...
While all of this is a positive step for society it also creates tension and human resource issues as people try to blend their ideas and beliefs within individual companies (Matthews, 1998).
There have been several programs put into place over the years with regard to diversity including equal opportunity employment laws, "However, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action programs alone do not create diversity in the workplace (Matthews, 1998). Today, diversity is still not visible at all levels in most organizations (Matthews, 1998). When establishing diversity as an organizational goal, a number of processes must be considered and decisions made regarding how to effectively manage diversity strategies (Matthews, 1998). Before diversity strategies are implemented, the organization's cultural environment, management and evaluation systems should be examined to ascertain if existing personnel/human resources processes will support or hinder diversity in the organization (Matthews, 1998). Then, appropriate strategies can be designed to develop and manage diversity based on these findings (Matthews, 1998)."
One of the most important steps to take from a human resource management standpoint with regard to diversity is to implement a strategic human resource plan which should include several different elements aimed at enhancing and encouraging diversity in the workplace.
This will help to promote productivity and pride in work throughout the workforce.
It is important for human resource management personnel to use alternatives for the purpose of soliciting a trainable population.
In some corporate…
