Effective Diversity:Understanding Employee Needs

and Employer Advantages

Teaching Notes by Cynthia OzekiCalifornia State University Dominguez Hills

The Available Workforce in the US Is Rapidly ChangingFewer:MalesMid-career workersParents in traditional families with a spouse at homeWhites

More:WomenYounger (16-25) and older (55+) workersWorkers with family and eldercare responsibilitiesHispanics, African Americans, Asians, other minoritiesThe number of workers is declining but number of jobs

isn’t dropping to match, so employers will have find ways to use this more diverse group of employees effectively

It helps to understandWhat these employees need and want at their

workplaces

What special knowledge and skills they can bring in that should entice employers to try to attract and support them

Group ExerciseChoose one of the following groups which fits your

personal situation. Groups will have about 7 minutes to discuss:

1) What particular concerns these employees have. What do they need/want from employers?

2) What can they offer employers – what special characteristics should make them attractive as a group?

Groups: 1. eldercare givers 2. parents of children under 12 3. parents of teens and older 4. dual-career couples 5. Grew up speaking language other than English 6. under 25 7. over 50 8. strong ethnic/racial identity9. Strong identity as a working woman

What Do These Groups Want? What Can They Add? Let’s fill this in as a class

Group Wants Adds

1. Eldercare givers

2. Parents of children under 12

3. parents of teens and older

4. Dual-career couples

5. Bilingual/bicultural workers

6. Single workers under 25

7. Workers over 50

8. Working women

9. Workers from minority groups

ConclusionsPeople from ALL these groups generally want

their employers to offer them a lot of flexibility in when and how work is done

They want respect for their knowledge and opinions – even if expressed with an accent or in different way

They bring in a range of new knowledge and perspectives companies need for success

Those balancing work with dual-career relationships, elder- and child-care tend to be reliable, responsible, caring and have developed good people skills

Even if changing workforce demographics didn’t necessitate it, hiring and supporting these worker makes good business sense

Why Is Diversity at Work Good?At first, it can be tougher to train and integrate

BUT:Organizations that welcome and utilize diversity

tend to have higher :- Employee job satisfaction- Profits- Productivity

It’s easy to see why – different people bring different perspectives and by encouraging them to speak out, you can found new products, solutions and customer s

Having these people active in our economy also helps our society as a whole