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The human resources leaders from National Restaurant Development, Firelands Regional Medical Center, and Hackensack University Medical Center on:

Educating Employees About Cultural Sensitivity

at Your CompanyWendy Harkness, Esq.

Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer National Restaurant Development, Inc.

James A. Sennish Vice President, Human Resources Firelands Regional Medical Center

Nancy R. Corcoran Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

Hackensack University Medical Center

In today’s diverse society, companies that can demonstrate authentic knowledge and concern for people of different races, ethnicities, reli-gions, and cultures will serve their customers better and gain an edge

in the marketplace. But, as with so many things, “cultural sensitivity” does start at home, with how all employees are treated. According to one author in this ExecBlueprint, exhibiting such sensitivity actually does not mean treating employees the same when, in fact, they are not. Rather, it means allowing cultural expression to happen as freely as possible within the work setting and providing every person with a path to grow if they put in the effort. As every company will face unique challenges in this area, this report emphasizes how HR must work with leadership to ensure that policies and programs are appropriate. In some organizations, these may take the form of formal diversity training and ESL classes, whereas others should enable informal opportunities for employees to learn directly from their colleagues about, for example, what foods are served at weddings, and why cows are held sacred. n

Action Points

I. How Can a Demographically Diverse Workforce Drive Company Success?In today’s heterogeneous society, nearly every U.S. company serves a racially and/or culturally diverse customer base. Management and employee teams that reflect such diversity not only better understand the needs of these customers, but can inspire the organization to tap into new markets, thereby increasing its competitive advantage.

II. The Bottom LineIt has been proven in many settings: companies that commit to enhancing cultural sensitivity in their workplace environments can improve their bottom-line performance. To gauge the effectiveness of your diversity programs, look at your turnover rates and demographic mix and then ask employees: Do you feel a sense of community at work?

III. Must-Have Practices for Recruiting a Diverse WorkforceOnce a critical mass of minority members joins an organization, they tend to naturally hire more people from these backgrounds. However, if your organization’s makeup is still rather homogeneous, you may need to be proactive in reaching out to the community, asking employees to recommend associates, and assembling diverse interviewing teams.

IV. The Golden Rules for Managing People from Different Cultures and BackgroundsThe trick to developing your diverse workforce is not to treat people the same, but rather to value differences and demonstrate how anybody can succeed in your organization. This means allowing employees, within bounds, to share beliefs and practices while also reinforcing that advancement is based on experience, knowledge, skills, and performance.

V. Essential Take-AwaysBecause every company’s population is different, the approach you take to educating your employees about cultural sensitivity will need to be customized to fit your needs. While companies with few minorities may need to mount formal programs, others should encourage employees to learn more about their colleagues through natural conversations.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

Wendy Harkness, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3

James A. Sennish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.6

Nancy R. Corcoran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.9

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.11

© Books24x7, 2011 About the Authors ExecBlueprints �

About the AuthorsWendy Harkness, Esq.Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc.

James A. SennishVice President, Human Resources, Firelands Regional Medical Center

Nancy R. CorcoranExecutive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer, Hackensack University Medical Center

Wendy Harkness is the chief people officer/chief legal officer for National Restaurant

Development, Inc., a multi-state franchise company operating several brands includ-ing Moe’s Southwest Grill®, Popeyes®, Subway®, and Checkers® and Rally’s® locations. A recognized people strategist

and employee relations expert, Ms. Harkness is a frequent speaker at restau-rant industry, professional association, and legal conferences.

Wendy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from St. Leo University and her Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson

University College of Law. She is a licensed Florida attorney.

James A. Sennish joined Firelands Regional Medical Center in March 2006. His responsibilities include

the administration of human resources for the medical center. He directs all human resource activities including recruitment, retention, education, ben-efits, compensation, employee relations,

and HRIS, as well as areas related to human resource regulatory and govern-mental compliance.

Previously, he was director of human resources for Erie County and also served the City of Sandusky in a number of different positions.

Mr. Sennish has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Bowling Green State University.

Nancy R. Corcoran is currently the executive vice president and chief human resources officer of

Hackensack University Medical Center. She is administratively responsible for the Human Resources Division including benefits, compensation, employee rela-tions, employment, corporate wellness, HRIS, occupational medicine, the

employee assistance program, Department of Learning and Performance, and the medical center’s overall strategies for managing staff satisfaction.

In 2010 Ms. Corcoran became board certified in health care management as an ACHE Fellow (FACHE) of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She received a Masters of

Administrative Science (M.A.S.) and a B.A. in Individual Studies from Farleigh Dickinson University.

☛ Read Wendy’s insights on Page 3

☛ Read James’s insights on Page 6

☛ Read Nancy’s insights on Page 9

Wendy Harkness, Esq.Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc.

© Books24x7, 2011 Wendy Harkness, Esq. ExecBlueprints �

Embracing Diversity in the WorkplaceOur employees embrace diversity in the workplace. The overall attitude starts with the chief executive officer and is infused throughout the orga-nization. One of the hallmarks of our company is an intense curiosity about our industry, about our cus-tomers, and most importantly, about each other.

Notably, our organization does not have a formal program to pro-mote cultural learning or acceptance. Since its inception, the company has attracted an extremely diverse workforce largely due to its found-er’s and executives’ firmly-held values. When you truly believe in cultural diversity, it tends to happen organically.

However, formal programs are essential to change company cul-tures that do not intuitively embrace diversity or to introduce the con-cept of inclusion. Though it may be challenging, instituting an authen-tic diversity program that mirrors the company’s values pays big div-idends for the employees and the company. Promoting diversity and educating your workforce on cul-tural sensitivity will have tangible effects on the bottom line. Diverse teams better anticipate the needs of the company’s diverse customer base, helping to build and retain consumer loyalty, and in some cases they can help the company

tap into entirely new markets. Sta-tistically, diverse teams also contribute to lower overall turn-over, reducing the business costs.

Encouraging Positive AttitudesJust as kindness typically begets more kindness, hiring diverse employees tends to produce man-agers that hire other diverse employ-ees. In our business, we work long hours and often in relatively tight quarters; inherently, our employees want to be surrounded by other interesting people from distinctive backgrounds and traditions. It sim-ply makes work more fun and drives away boredom and monotony.

Internally, we take full advan-tage of opportunities to celebrate our employees’ heritage. For instance, employee birthdays always create great anticipation. The team looks forward to good conversation and an exciting menu. Employees look forward to sam-pling unique dishes and honorees take pride in narrating the meal, explaining the origin and/or significance of the food to their culture.

Weddings also provide a rich learning experience. It is not uncom-mon to spot Indian women who have recently attended a wedding with striking henna (temporary)

tattoos on their forearms and hands, which always invites a lively cultural discussion. Undoubtedly, the prospect of employees display-ing tattoos at work makes many HR executives raise an eyebrow and in some cases it should, but they can also be a positive as long as the tattoos are not profane or offensive and do not violate the company’s policies. HR is often just as much art as science and, as always, HR must evaluate the best way to handle each situation. HR executives should also constantly evaluate their company’s policies to ensure that they are relevant and enforceable.

Wendy Harkness, Esq.Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer National Restaurant Development, Inc.

“We fundamentally understand and appreciate that people are different and those differences are what make us great.”

• Over 20 years of cross-industry HR experience

• Licensed attorney

• Bachelor’s degree, Human Resources Management, St. Leo University

• J.D., Stetson University College of Law

Ms. Harkness can be e-mailed at wendy.harkness@execblueprints.com

The reality is that in attempting to treat all employees exactly the same, companies ignore the fact that employees are not the same and employers taking this approach may actually invite discrimination claims, not avoid them.

Wendy Harkness, Esq.

Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc.

© Books24x7, 2011 Wendy Harkness, Esq. ExecBlueprints �

Wendy Harkness, Esq.Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc. (continued)

Ensuring Consistency A sure way to negatively impact the culture is to inconsistently pick and choose when learning is okay. For instance, an employer may condone interactions surrounding learning a new system or process when neces-sary, but may frown upon a friendly discussion about why cows are sacred in some countries. Companies that work to thwart naturally occurring cultural conversations are likely fearful that simply inquir-ing about someone’s heritage may be flirting with a discrimination complaint (e.g., on the basis of race, national origin, etc.). While companies should monitor conver-sations for appropriateness, there is much to gain from allowing employees to learn about each other by discussing their respective backgrounds.

During a recession, employment claims often escalate based on reductions-in-force and, conse-quently, employers are especially focused on risk management, i.e., avoiding lawsuits. Unfortunately, some companies view encouraging cultural exploration and discussion as an unnecessary risk, which can potentially open the door to dis-crimination claims. The reality is that in attempting to treat all employees exactly the same,

companies ignore the fact that employees are not the same and employers taking this approach may actually invite discrimination claims, not avoid them. Human nature demands acceptance and when employees feel that they are not accepted for who they are or worse, not allowed to be who they are, employment claims may quickly follow.

For HR executives, cultural expression may present a difficult quandary. While challenging, find-ing the balance between an inclusive culture and limiting company lia-bility is achievable. Conducting a simple risk analysis will likely prove the benefit of employer-supported diversity initiatives, which, when well-executed, typically result in happier employees. Ultimately, happier employees are far less likely to sue.

Admittedly, the line between inclusion and potentially harassing/discriminatory behavior can some-times blur. For some, culture-related activities may mean recruiting non-believers to their religion and, as such, employers should take care to help employees understand allowable behaviors in the work-place. If and when improper situations occur, employers should respond immediately with cultural

education and, if necessary, with disciplinary action.

The Top Three Challenges of Diversity EducationWhile our company enjoys a very diverse workforce, it is not always without challenges. As with any-thing else new that employees may not fully understand, resistance is not uncommon. We recognize that our culture is unique, so we make it a point to accept initial resistance and to patiently integrate employees into our culture.

Typically, new employees face three main challenges:

1. Cultural inexperience or limited cultural exposure

�. Confusing inclusive culture with entitlement culture

�. Minority identification (the first time they are the minority)

The food industry is a haven for newcomers to the job market. Oftentimes, restaurant work is the first job candidates ever have. Con-sequently, we hire a lot of culturally inexperienced applicants. In the food industry, employees are imme-diately immersed in a diverse environment with a varied cast of co-workers and with extensive

The key to continuing our culture of openness and learning has been allowing employees to express their cultures freely and without reprimand. The company fully supports and expects learning through discovery and its application has significantly benefited the organization. With more than two decades in HR, I have learned that accepting and encouraging cultural expression is consistently better received than forcing employees to blindly follow restrictive policies.

Wendy Harkness, Esq.

Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc.

© Books24x7, 2011 Wendy Harkness, Esq. ExecBlueprints �

Wendy Harkness, Esq.Chief People Officer/Chief Legal Officer, National Restaurant Development, Inc. (continued)

exposure to the public. It can be intimidating if the employee has little or no previous experience being around folks with very diver-gent backgrounds from their own. They are exposed to different lan-guages, accents, attire, faith-based customs, and world views. When we see that an employee is having a difficult time assimilating to our diverse environment, we try to make that transition easier by being very accessible and opening a dia-logue. We encourage them to ask questions and to learn about oth-ers. Most importantly, we go first. We ask questions of them, which shows that we care about learning who they are. It is a simplistic approach — going first — but it reliably works. We have found time and time again that most people enjoy sharing information about themselves and are naturally curi-ous about others. Some people just need permission and we give it to them.

Some employees do not fully understand inclusion. Since we have such a diverse workforce, it follows that we also have a diverse management team. For employees that have not previously worked in very diverse environments, this causes them to take notice. Occa-sionally, employees will ask whether we have affirmative action policies that account for the level of diver-sity in management. We take that as a compliment but inform them that we do not have affirmative action policies. We explain that because we hire the best and bright-est without regard to race, religion, age, etc., it follows that we pro-mote from the same pool. From time to time, employees will have concerns that if they are not a minority, they will not be

promoted. We are quick to dispel that notion and to share our phi-losophy and career path. Once employees understand that advance-ment is based on experience, training, development, and perfor-mance, they can clearly see their own path to grow. Not taking offense to their questions, patiently educating them, and consistently supporting openness in our com-pany culture are all important steps to living our values.

The final main challenge is minority identification. In our envi-ronment, it is not unusual for majority employees to feel like a minority for the first time in their lives. In many work environments, employees work with other employ-ees that look a lot like they do and share similar socio-economic back-grounds, religions, traditions, race, national origins, etc. For some (we’ve been told), coming to work with our company can feel like

joining the United Nations. It can be an enlightening experience, but it can also make employees tenta-tive. Our managers are encouraged to observe and assess situations where this may occur and to sup-port employees that may be less-than-confident with their per-ception of being a minority. As many of our managers are cultur-ally diverse, they understand first-hand how it can feel to be unsure of yourself in your work environment and they work to focus employees on the business and their futures. At the end of the day, our paramount goal is to pro-vide the best customer experience in the industry. Our goal keeps us grounded and focused. We just get to do it in a wonderfully diverse company that brims with opportu-nity and embraces all of our cultural backgrounds. Lucky us. n

James A. SennishVice President, Human Resources, Firelands Regional Medical Center

© Books24x7, 2011 James A. Sennish ExecBlueprints �

DemographicsLocated in a county where most people are Caucasian and minori-ties account for only 17 percent of the total population, we have not really had to factor cultural sensi-tivity into our talent management strategies. Of that 17 percent, prob-ably 90 percent is African American. In our agricultural area, we also have a seasonal Hispanic migrant workforce.

We are, however, fortunate to have several minorities on our management team and they par-ticipate in our recruiting process to help identify and promote qualified minority candidates. In this area I think we have been successful. As many of our jobs require college education, licensing, and specific medical credentials, our challenge is to encourage the minority chil-dren in our community to pursue medical careers and return to this area after graduation. So, when we put out an advertisement to fill a position and look at the people who meet the minimum require-ments, we often do not receive the culturally diverse mix that you would hope for.

What we are starting to see though, is that we have more phy-sicians of African American, Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern descent on our medical staff. By virtue of their positions in the organization

they are able to share their cultural experiences in a way that enriches our diversity and expands the vari-ety of medical specialties that are provided at the hospital. In terms of cultural diversity, I think these physicians enhance our organiza-tion. They are very willing to share their experiences, where they came from, their recipes, etc. We are lis-tening to them and finding out about what is interesting and unique about them. Another way we have expanded our cultural diversity is through our large vol-unteer base, where doctors’ spouses have gotten involved with our other volunteers.

Developing Tomorrow’s Diverse Health Care WorkforceWe are trying to work with local schools, including high schools, to identify top-performing minority students and encourage them to consider careers in health care. Our own school of nursing has helped us as well. We invite them to our open houses, let them meet the faculty and other students, and hope they consider applying to our school. Each year we accept about 45 students into our school of nurs-ing. One of the challenges is that the students need to have strong math and science backgrounds and

we emphasize this when we visit the high schools. While I know that the high schools are struggling with this requirement, we have tried to encourage some students to take classes at Bowling Green State University. They have a local branch campus where high school students can gain some early college experience at no cost.

We also have an excellent tuition reimbursement program and some entry-level employees have used this benefit to prepare for future promotions. Overall, our cultural diversity is growing and we will continue to expand our efforts in the coming years.

James A. SennishVice President, Human Resources Firelands Regional Medical Center

“We know the physicians drive the business in a very unique way and in a small, rural area our minority physicians add to the cultural diversity of our organization and the area.”

• With medical center since 2006

• Directs all HR activities including benefits

• Previously HR director, Erie County

• Undergraduate and graduate degrees, Bowling Green State University

Mr. Sennish can be e-mailed at james.sennish@execblueprints.com

We believe that when an organization is comprised of people from different backgrounds and experiences, they are more likely to come up with unique solutions to problems and better outcomes for our patients.

James A. Sennish

Vice President, Human Resources Firelands Regional Medical Center

© Books24x7, 2011 James A. Sennish ExecBlueprints �

James A. SennishVice President, Human Resources, Firelands Regional Medical Center (continued)

Diversity ChallengesSome of the challenges our employ-ees face when working with col-leagues from different cultures include understanding the doctors’ orders, transcribing those orders, and moving to an all-electronic medical record. While we expand our cultural diversity we continue to have periodic leadership training programs and include our diversity initiatives as part of our new employee orientation program.

Generally speaking, our recruit-ment efforts have found that

minority candidates who come from a metropolitan area tend to want to return to those areas. However, in other cases, we have been able to offer the career oppor-tunity and lifestyle they are looking for so we have had some success, even though achieving wide diver-sity may take longer than we might hope. We will always try to find the right person for the job and, regard-less of their cultural identity, we will do our best to make them feel welcome in our organization.

Educating Your Workforce on DiversityEducational programs for develop-ing cultural sensitivity in our work-force are the responsibility of the entire management team. The for-mal responsibility (and funding) falls on our education department, which spends about 15 percent of the overall HR budget. Of that, about 5 percent is spent on diver-sity training, orientation, and things of that nature. We try to do at least one monthly leadership program on cultural diversity issues each

How Does Firelands Foster a Diverse Workplace Environment?HR strives to provider a richer human experience for patients and employees by. . .

• Encouraging minority physicians to share their experiences, where they came from, their recipes, etc.

• Working with local high schools to identify top-performing minority students and encourage them to consider careers in health care

• Offering tuition reimbursement programs to help employees advance their education

• Providing monthly leadership training programs on cultural diversity issues, some of which feature minority pastors of different faiths

Since our Cedar Point Amusement Park, indoor water parks, the Lake Erie Islands, and wine country attract people from all over the world, we must make sure that our employees are culturally sensitive to our diverse summer clientele and patient populations. We ensure we assign multilingual nurses to our Emergency Room (ER) and we also pay for a hotline service that can talk to patients and translate for us. When you come into the ER on a gurney, you are going to get treated, but making sure our employees are culturally sensitive when providing care is something we take very seriously.

James A. Sennish

Vice President, Human Resources Firelands Regional Medical Center

© Books24x7, 2011 James A. Sennish ExecBlueprints �

James A. SennishVice President, Human Resources, Firelands Regional Medical Center (continued)

year. In addition, every year we review our general orientation pro-gram to make sure that the material we are presenting on cultural diver-sity is current and appropriate.

We are fortunate to have a strong hospice presence here on our campus with a diverse group of ministers, and since they are located in the same building as our educa-tion department we have built some good working relationships with them. We have even had minority pastors of different faiths available to talk during our diversity training sessions.

Benefits of DiversityI think the number-one asset that a diverse workforce provides to our hospital is a rich human experi-ence, both for employees and patients. I think our employees are very aware, as we are, of the talent needs that we have and the popula-tions we serve, and if we are going to be the best hospital and provide the best care, we need people with those skills no matter what their background is. Our organization recognizes that diversity is about valuing the differences in people and recognizing the similarities and

the great patient outcomes we can achieve together. People aspire to work in health care out of a genu-ine desire to help people in a very direct way. We believe that when an organization is comprised of people from different backgrounds and experiences, they are more likely to come up with unique solutions to problems and better outcomes for our patients. While we do have a way to go, we are making strides to become a truly culturally diverse workplace. n

Nancy R. CorcoranExecutive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer, Hackensack University Medical Center

© Books24x7, 2011 Nancy R. Corcoran ExecBlueprints �

Cultural DiversityWe are lucky in that we are actually located in a very culturally diverse area, so all of our employees are faced with diversity in their every-day lives. Therefore, when you work in a medical center of our size and scope in a community like ours, diversity comes with the environ-ment. HUMC reflects the diverse population of the community that we serve.

This diversity helps us to better meet the needs of our patients. It generates discussion and ideas, and stimulates people to think outside the box. Also, when the employee population is diverse, they bring a higher level of sensitivity and under-standing to the varying cultures and the different needs of those cultures. They work together to help patients and address their needs.

Fostering Employee Engagement and Cultural SensitivityOur employees are also some of our best ambassadors. Many of our employees recommend family and friends to come work at the hospital. While I don’t necessarily think a hospital environment can be described as a family, we do have a small-community feel. Because we are the single largest employer in Bergen County, we are filled with friends, family, and neighbors who bring a high level of camaraderie. In every engagement survey, you should ask employees if they have a best friend at work because the answer correlates to engagement levels. If most people answer yes, then you will see high engagement levels. We are lucky in that many of our nurses went to school together, attended different educational programs together, and now have come to work together.

That level of camaraderie and friendship definitely increases employee engagement.

To help us build an environment of cultural sensitivity, we hold an

Nancy R. CorcoranExecutive Vice President,

Chief Human Resource Officer Hackensack University Medical Center

“Our employment department makes every effort to find a diverse population of candidates for any open position so we can maintain a diverse employee base.”

• Responsibilities include employee relations and department of learning and performance

• ACHE Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives

• B.A., Individual Studies; M.A.S., Farleigh Dickinson University

Ms. Corcoran can be e-mailed at nancy.corcoran@execblueprints.com

When the employee population is diverse, they bring a higher level of sensitivity and understanding of [their patients’] varying cultures and different needs of those cultures.

Nancy R. Corcoran

Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

Hackensack University Medical Center

I recently saw a staff member trying to help a Spanish-speaking family find their way to another department. A second staff member immediately stepped in and spoke Spanish to the family, helping both their colleague and the family. That is what I want to see in my hospital.

Nancy R. Corcoran

Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

Hackensack University Medical Center

© Books24x7, 2011 Nancy R. Corcoran ExecBlueprints 10

Nancy R. CorcoranExecutive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer, Hackensack University Medical Center (continued)

annual in-service in addition to smaller, more intimate events. For example, the cafeteria might focus on the foods of one specific culture. Or each department may host a lunch where people are asked to bring in the food of their culture and share it with the rest of the staff. In conjunction with one of our community colleges, we offer English as a second language to help our employees work on their communication skills.

Initially, when we rolled out our diversity education training, we did receive feedback about some of the material. Certain people believed it was not culturally sensitive enough, so we immediately adjusted it based on their recommendations. Since then, we have not received any complaints. I believe the work we’ve done to educate our employ-ees has been effective; we have not had a need to conduct additional sensitivity education or training. Our people are very accepting of diverse cultures.

Hiring for DiversityWhen hiring, we keep an eye on the numbers and the data to ensure

that we are bringing in people from different ethnic backgrounds, but there is always a need to improve. We are an equal opportunity employer, so as long as immigrants

from other countries are legally eligible to work in the U.S., and if they are qualified for the position, we will hire them. n

Annual in-service trainings on cultural sensitivity

Staff lunches featuring foods from a specific culture or from employees’ cultures

English as a second language classes

Diversity education that addresses company employees’ specific needs and concerns

4 Practices to Promote Diversity

© Books24x7, 2011 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 11

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points I. How Can a Demographically Diverse Workforce Drive Company Success?As people from different races, ethnic groups, religions, cultures, and backgrounds are now settling in more areas across the U.S., companies are finding they not only must tap into these populations to fill jobs, but that they must also learn how to best serve them as customers. While managers and HR most likely will encounter some challenges in making the necessary adjustments (to both policy and practice), a workforce and management team that are truly reflective of the company’s broader community can:

• Bring a higher level of sensitivity and understanding to the needs of minority customers.

• Offer differing perspectives as well as unique solutions to problems.

• Communicate more adeptly with customers in their native languages.

• Help to build and retain customer loyalty.

• Expand the organization’s range of offerings.

• Inspire the company to tap into new markets.

• Give the company a competitive advantage.

• Enrich the company culture.

• Reflect positively on the company as proof that it is “doing the right thing.”

II. The Bottom LineInstituting an effective diversity program that mirrors the company’s values can pay big dividends for employees and the company alike in terms of creating a more harmonious environment as well as controlling costs and increasing revenues. You can measure the impact of your program(s) by:

• Tracking the demographic mix of your company population

• Analyzing turnover patterns before and after programs are instituted

• Comparing the number of discrimination complaints your company has received against industry norms

• Surveying employees on the level of camaraderie in their work environments

• Encouraging discussions about your company’s cultural sensitivity

III. Must-Have Practices for Recruiting a Diverse WorkforceWhen your organization truly believes in cultural diversity, hiring people from different backgrounds tends to happen organically, especially if the management team also includes representatives of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Organizations that do not share such characteristics will require more proactive efforts to bring in these people, especially if their communities lack large populations. Regardless of a company’s history with hiring minorities, however, HR can support their current efforts by:

• Reaching out to the company’s surrounding community to identify and provide additional educational opportunities to qualified minority candidates

• Asking employees to encourage their family members and friends to apply for open positions

• Assembling a diverse team that represents different departments and perspectives to interview important candidates

• Using relevant interview questions to determine whether candidates fit the company culture of inclusion

IV. The Golden Rules for Managing People from Different Cultures and BackgroundsBeing “culturally sensitive” to your ethnically and racially diverse employees does not mean treating them all the same, but rather valuing their differences. At the same time, you also need to recognize their similarities — and affirm that everyone at your organization can achieve great outcomes. Along the way, however, you and your managers should be prepared to address challenges related to communication,

assimilation, and differing work experience. Practices that have proven effective in supporting the successful integration and development of all employees include:

• Opening dialogues with new employees, and encouraging them to ask questions and learn about their colleagues

• Sharing information on how employees can advance their careers

• Celebrating peoples’ different heritages by providing them opportunities to share their food — and customs (as appropriate) — in the workplace

• Fostering an open environment where employees feel safe to divulge information about themselves and their heritage

• Helping employees understand your company’s prohibited behaviors, such as recruiting non-believers to any religious faith

• Continually evaluating company policies to ensure they are relevant and enforceable, and not unduly restrictive of the expression of different styles of dress and behavior

V. Essential Take-AwaysIn companies and industries that do not naturally experience diversity in their staffs, formal programs may be essential to foster the concepts of inclusion and cultural sensitivity that are essential to maintaining a dynamic and nurturing workplace environment. However, employees at every organization can benefit from improved awareness of the differing backgrounds, beliefs, and practices of their colleagues. This can be gained through:

• Friendly, informal conversations

• Staff lunches featuring foods from a specific culture or from employees’ cultures

• Diversity education that covers company values and expected behaviors, and is delivered at new employee orientation programs and other forums

• Leadership trainings to help managers identify potential cultural issues and provide appropriate intervention and guidance n

© Books24x7, 2011 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 1�

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points (continued)

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10 Key Questions and discussion Points

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At your company, what are the top three challenges that employees face when working with colleagues from different cultures? To what extent do you encounter issues with differences in languages? Cultural/religious practices? Expectations of the job and/or of the company?

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What percentage of your HR resources is spent on developing sensitivity and other educational programs for your diverse workforce? Is this typical for your industry?

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What are your best practices for fostering an environment of cultural sensitivity? Why have these practices proven effective? How do they vary by department and job function?

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In the next 12 months, what changes do you plan in your education programs to improve cultural sensitivity? What impact do you expect them to have? How will you evaluate their impact?

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How do you benchmark the effectiveness of your efforts to successfully integrate a diverse workforce? What role do retention rates play in your calculations? Performance reviews? Other companies’ performance?

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How do you calculate the ROI for your cultural sensitivity programs? What do you measure? Has it changed in the past five years?

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In the next 12 months, how do you plan to improve cultural sensitivity at your company? What do you hope to accomplish? What challenges might you face?

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What are the top three assets that a diverse workforce offers your company? Have these assets changed in the past five years?

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