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In order to develop a human resource strategy that is to incorporate diversity training for all employee levels, we need to understand what each one of these levels entails. A strategic plan that links the workers and the management is a necessity in any large or small company. The basic aim of any strategic plan is to ensure that the needs of the workers and various stakeholders are met. This is while ensuring that the company’s overall success and mission are achieved. Diversity in an organization is where the group being employed by the firm is free from any bias associated with certain members of a given societal group. The laws that govern this diversity are in the Equal Employment Opportunities laws.
The strategic human resource plan of the company as relates to employment is in the development of a culturally and socially diverse group of workforce. That would provide the company with the needed human capital for its present and future growth plans. The plan is divided into five main components. The first is in the restructuring strategy that will see all employees of the firm reviewed on the basis of their merits before they are up for any dismissal. The job groups shall also be so selected that they will provide the human resource management team with the opportunity to assign tasks to any diverse group.
The second component is that the company shall implement training and development programs that should allow any new or existing staff member to take on the new roles with ease. These programs will also ensure that those working under the firm do not become redundant in their duties. This will cater for any discrimination that may be related to the age as a factor. The third component is that the company recruitment strategy will have to include the inclusion of a diverse group of recruits. The talent pool, from which the company will need to pick its workforce, will be from a diverse group of the society. This will involve ensuring that all job advertisements are placed in various media sources in order to target these audiences.
Another component of the company’s strategic plan would include opening up some tasks to other individuals through outsourcing. Apart from helping the company to save money, it will also provide it with an opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals. Finally, the human resource department will need to work collaboratively with different organizations, so as to benefit on skill sharing opportunities. An advantage gained is that this will give the company an opportunity to be able to tailor the courses that are taught to staff to be more diverse friendly in line with the company’s diversity goals (Bandt, Haines, 2002). If all these are affected, they will minimize diversity related lawsuits, while improving the company’s overall performance.
Diversity training
The managements concern may be divided into two. The first concern is that of compliance with the regulations that have been stipulated in the Equal Employment opportunities (EEO) laws. These laws basically entail that no one is to be discriminated due to their age, race, or skin color. The second concern is that the company is yet to adopt any diverse training program of any kind. These two issues should be catered to in a way that they both look towards the company’s developmental plans.
The company needs to include EEO standards into the program. These laws are the backbone of the diversity training that it will be required to adhere to. Informing the different members of the company on these laws will enable for improved acceptance of any new policies that will need to be implemented as regards to adherence to these laws. It will also give the upper management grounding, on why the policies that they implement are important (Clements, Jones, 2008).
There should also be education on tolerance in the workplace. This is because with any diversity program that the company gets to implement, there are going to be changes in the composition of the workforce. There is need for this training program to bring cohesion among the different individuals in the firm in order to ensure that there is synergy. This will present the company with an opportunity to get the maximum benefit off the diversity program.
Finally, and probably of most importance, is that the program should include training on what it is that the program would like to have achieved at the end of it all. This is because without this definition, the workers, whom the program is directed towards to, may not be receptive to the training. This should be the introduction to any of these sessions. The idea here is to bring every employee, including the leadership of the firm, on board with the idea of having diversity training in the firm (Wildermuth, Gray, 2005).
Change model
The change model that will be used in this case is Kotter’s 8 step model of change. This change model provides the best way, in which the company may be able to adapt these needed changes into the firm. The model is also adaptable to most companies. The first step is to create the urgency with the change. There is need for the whole firm to be on board with the idea of this change. The major reason is that the company has over the years been involved in a number of lawsuits, with regards the issue of diversity. This part is meant to convince a large part of the management. This model proposes that the next step is to create coalitions. Using the help of strong leadership, one needs to ensure that they bring more people on board with the idea of change. Those, who will be charged with creating this change, may not necessarily be a part of the management team.
The next step would be to create a vision for change that the company will be aspiring towards fulfilling. The reason for this is to make the goal of having diversity identifiable by everyone, who is a part of the company. This is to include the workers and the management. This vision that is developed may not be of any good if this is not passed well to the workers of the firm. The company through its leaders should open discussions with the workers of the company, so as to give them the chance to raise their concerns. This will also provide the management with an opportunity to bring everyone on board with the idea.
Next process would be to weed out all the impediments that may prevent this change from coming to fruition. These obstacles, be they people, policies or guidelines, will need to be removed, so as to allow for the change to take place. This should also be done in consultation and with the assistance of all the employees of the firm. The next part of the process would be to create small goals that the company will need to achieve. Getting to these goals will motivate the workers to keep working to the point, where the whole goal of diversity within the company is achieved.
The next step would be to build on the small changes that the company has been able to achieve. The success of the whole program will be pegged on the company’s ability to maintain and improve on the system that creates the initial change. This continual improvement will be able to create a system that the company can rely on, when it comes to effecting the needed change. After the firm has achieved it’s much needed diversity change, it should be able to integrate this change into the culture of the firm. This is the final step according to kotter’s 8 step model (Biech, 2007).
Training outline
For the purposes of passing along the training objective and topics already outlined, there is a need to develop an outline for the training. The first subject of the training topics to be discussed was that of the importance of the training. Here there is a need to identify, why it is important to have a diversity program aside from just the compliance with the law. This may include the increased synergies that may be achieved by a diverse workgroup. The training will also mention that its purpose is to prepare the workers for the upcoming change in the workforce composition.
The next part involves teaching tolerance among the different groups. There are numerous activities that different people have proposed, as a method by which this can be taught. One of these activities is the Bafa Bafa that divides the participants into two groups that are assigned different cultural characteristics. There is a need for observation to learn, what the culture of another group is, no explanation is provided for this. There are different variations to this activity.
For the purpose of teaching the laws and regulations that are involved in the EEO laws, one can simply present this to the group. Most of the activities that will be used in the lessons will mostly have to do with creating a rapport among the diverse workplace workers. These include such activities as the discovery hunt, diversity bingo and various role playing exercises. These activities will allow the participants to gain knowledge of how they can effectively interact with other workers in the company. It will also build on the relationships that are existent in the company (Lambert, Myers, 1994).
Evaluation method
For the management to ensure that there are no more lawsuits there is a need to check and know if the systems that have been created are as effective as intended. This is done by various evaluation methods. The most efficient one, would have to do with the analysis at the end of a given period, would seek to analyze the numbers. With this way the management team would look at how many of their employees may be categorized in a given social group. This will provide them with a good representation of if the workplace has become more or less diverse.
The second form of evaluation may be through job questionnaires that would seek to establish if the workplace has become more favorable to the different diverse groups that exist within the company. This will be established by the reactions of those, who are with the company. To analyze these questionnaires various questions as regards workers ability to relate to those of a different social group would need to be asked (Goodman-Delahunty, Foote, 2011).
The best and probably most important measure would have to be the productivity of the company. At the end of the day the aim of having the program in place is to improve on the productivity of the company. Therefore, the output should be determined for periods before and after the diversity programs were implemented. Considerations of the number of the workforce in the company should be factor into this.
References
Bandt, A., Haines, S. G. (2002). Successful strategic human resource planning. San Diego, CA: Centre for Strategic Management.
Biech, E. (2007). Thriving through change: A leader's practical guide to change mastery. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.
Clements, P. E., Jones, J. (2008). The diversity training handbook: A practical guide to understanding & changing attitudes. London: Kogan Page.
Goodman-Delahunty, J., Foote, W. E. (2011). Evaluation for workplace discrimination and harassment. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lambert, J., Myers, S. (1994). 50 activities for diversity training. Amherst, Mass: Human Resource Development Press.
Wildermuth, C., Gray, S. (2005). Diversity training. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.
