In today’s workplace of diverse cultures and values, managers must be able to adapt their work styles and behaviors to the differences of the individuals in their workforce. …show more content…
labor force will consist of only 36.5 percent white non-Hispanic males by the year 2010. These forecasts also show that nearly half of the new entrants to the workforce during the same time span will be women (Trenka, 2006). The aforementioned statistics clearly show that the workforce will continue to look different in years to come.
Continued diversity in the workplace will present new challenges to managers and employers. Managers will need to learn how to work with employees of differing mindsets, work styles and values. Management processes such as employee hiring would need to be changed to reflect potential differences of the new applicants who will be seeking employment. Some managers may even need to learn a new language to communicate better with their employees. Some companies may elect to create various teams to serve specific ethnic groups of their customers. Other companies may create cross-functional groups inside of their respective companies to help foster diversity and gain feedback from employees with regard to their job satisfaction. Companies like Xerox Corporation have been applauded for their diversity efforts and commitment to creating a workplace where employees of differing backgrounds can work and be successful. Another major American company who has embraced diversity is the ING Group. ING is one of the world’s largest financial services organizations. ING believes that diversity management and an