Diversity in the Workplace

My civic issues blog has explored multiculturalism in America and its affect on our nation’s identity and culture. The topic of “diversity” and my specific focus on college campuses in my most recent blog has allowed me to recognize that diversity isn’t limited to people of color or race. Diversity means variety, assortment, mixture, range, array…you get the idea. Antonym of diversity? uniformity. Everyone the same. So diversifying different fields or areas will look different. If a college is predominantly female, then “diversity” means more men. If a profession hires predominantly hispanic workers, then “diversity” may mean more white, or asian employees. Diversity includes a variety of gender, sexual orientation, nationality, background, and talent set. As people leave the college environment, the workplace needs to adopt a diverse mindset, as well. In my persuasive essay, which can be viewed on my WIP  blog, I advocated for the introduction of more women in engineering fields in educational and career-oriented settings. Taking one step back from that topic, I will now discuss the importance of a diverse workplace, in general. Engineering isn’t the only profession in need of change, nor are women the only “minorities” whose representation should be increased. In order to create a more innovative, productive America, its workforce should be diversified, as a whole.

I don’t think America fully recognizes its advantage in the workplace. The ball is in our court. We have something they do not. Diversity. As the “Melting Pot,” we have people of different origins, education, background, religion, etc. America has the opportunity to pool from the most diverse set of candidates. Our unique labor force has unprecedented potential to collaborate the best ideas and innovate to implement change. While every individual brings unique experiences to the table, it is when we work together that dreams become realities. This kind of ideological thinking may seem a little cheesy, but diversity truly has the power to create an unstoppable workforce. Not only would a diverse workforce produce more creative ideas, it would also increase the pool of eligible workers in America. By allowing the consideration of ALL workers regardless of gender, race, orientation, etc, the labor force is exponentially multiplied. Employers would be able to chose from the best and the brightest. If cream of the crop students enter the workforce unhindered by discrimination or judgement, a company will be better and stronger in the long run. China currently has a labor force of 1 billion! In order to stay competitive in global markets, we need to implement all of our resources. Finally, we need not forget that America, as well as the world, is diverse. If we want to cater to customer needs, then we need representation of every kind of person behind the scenes making sure these needs are being met. How are we to best serve the people if we don’t have a good understanding of these people? Businesses that embrace diversity have the upper-hand in today’s economy. If diversity becomes the standard for all companies, America could increase its bottom line and become a more productive workforce.

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3 Responses to Diversity in the Workplace

  1. Lewis Esposito says:

    I definitely agree that diversity is important. If we utilize this diversity as a nation, we can definitely develop more unique viewpoints than nations that are more homogenous.

  2. Matt Mielnik says:

    I personally don’t see the merit of diversity for the sake of diversity, although I definitely agree with you that people of diverse backgrounds would bring unique outlooks to a group within a company. I think any manager needs to take this into account when developing a team because the benefits of diversity are definitely worth note. However, I don’t think that one can substitute talent or specialties with diversity and expect a great outcome.

  3. Ryan Creedon says:

    I agree and have definitely never realized the extent to which racism inhibits economic prosperity?

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