What is Diversity Management?
Diversity management is the act of developing and sustaining a positive and productive working environment by understanding and valuing the differences and similarities of employees.
This can be developed formally through organisational structures such as policies and programs, or informally through social gatherings such as walks at lunchtime or a team meal for example. If diversity is well managed within an organisation, it is likely equality and inclusivity issues will be lessened.
Over the last few decades the diversity of workforces have been steadily increasing, and due to globalization this is likely to continue. Research suggests that if an organisation is more diverse, it will have greater levels of productivity and profitability. People from different backgrounds have a variety of perspectives and experiences which can positively contribute to the culture of organisations. When diversity is well managed a positive environment is created where both minority and majority individuals and groups can add greater value. If not adequately managed, critical diversity issues could creep in by limiting communication, cohesiveness, and inclusion within your organisation.
What your diversity management challenges may be
Implementing a diversity initiative
Knowing where to start and what will work best
Diversity leadership
Listening to staff at all levels and supporting their established needs
Reviewing your current diversity position
Understanding where to focus resources and who to focus them on
Monitoring and benchmarking
Implementing the beneficial metrics to track progress
Training needs
Discovering what skills and knowledge needs to be developed within your organisation
Critical Diversity Management
Awareness of the potential backlash from diversity within your organisation and how this can be alleviated
Our Solutions
Diversity Training & Development
If you would like to use the diversity within your organisation to be more productive and are thinking of developing your employees, this may be what you need.
It is likely you will need a tailored approach to managing the diversity of your organisation, as all organisations are different. There are many diversity dimensions (Age, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc…) that can have a huge impact on your organisation. There are also many other diversity dimensions not recognised by Acts of Parliament, such as class, educational background, or where you live for example, and these are often overlooked.
There are several methods to enhance the learning and development of organisations to prevent and alleviate diversity issues, and diversity training is just one of them.
Implementing impactful diversity initiatives can be a challenge for organisations. Effectiveness often depends on both the internal and external environments of the organisation. We can:
- Design and deliver tailored diversity training
for your organisation to ensure long-term effectiveness. - Provide suitable guidance when choosing
diversity initiatives for your organisation. - Provide empirical research and theoretical
knowledge so value is added to the culture of your organisation.
We can also help you to make the most effective decisions when developing your own diversity training resources.
Diversity Diagnostic
This is a great place to start if you have not implemented any diversity initiatives ever before or in a long while, and need some support and advice.
This solution includes support with the resource allocation for your internal diversity initiatives at all organisational levels. We can:
- Support with strategic and operational diversity planning for your organisation.
- Set benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure the diversity of your organisation has the greatest impact.
- Identify the most actionable and impactful methods of harnessing and nurturing diversity within your organisation.
- Review current equality, diversity, and inclusion policies and strategies with guidance on how to create the greatest effectiveness.
It is important to allocate your resources using the most beneficial methods. For example, diversity training is one of the most widely used tools for diversity awareness within organisations, but unless the correct internal measures are in place the impact of the training will be short lived.
Setting KPIs can be key for the success of your diversity plans, setting realistic goals can aid your organisation for its short, medium, and long-term success. Quantitative methods of data may not tell the full story of your organisation’s diversity. Support and guidance may be needed in the softer areas of your organisation.
Diversity policies and strategies need to be frequently appraised due to the constantly evolving environments around us. Support is available to assist with current and future diversity policies and strategies with realistic and practical advice.
Tailored Diversity Support
We understand that our solutions may not specifically fit the needs of all organisations. We have capacity to develop tailored packages for your individual organisational needs. If your diversity needs are not displayed within our solutions and you would like to discuss a tailored package, please get in touch.
Diversity Audit
If you would like to know more about the employees within your organisation and discover where potential value could be added, a diversity audit will be able to help. It is vital to know and understand the differences of others within all levels of your organisation. We can analyse the diversity dimension data of employees from a third-party perspective and capture valuable data that may not be present within previously collected information.
Data captured will provide important baseline information for future policies and strategies. Your diversity analysis will highlight areas of good practice and areas for diversity development, all provided with practical and achievable recommendations.
Our Service Development Process
Within Jycey’s solution packages, we implement a 3-stage diversity implementation process:
Stage 1 - Collaborate
This includes asking the correct questions to our clients. We discover your diversity mission and vision and understand the culture of your organisation. The only way of doing this is by being open, honest, and working together.
Stage 2 – Collect
This stage highlights the resources that are available and potentially needed for the greatest diversity impact within your organisation. This may involve liaising with internal stakeholders from different levels within your organisation.
Stage 3 – Conclude
Data gathered will be analysed and fit together with actionable recommendations. All service packages include diversity coaching at agreed intervals to support the long-term impact of your diversity initiatives.