HR MANAGEMENT
Diversity HR strategies have become an important element of contemporary HR management as more and more companies have to manage a diverse workforce. Notably, research shows that during financial crises (or when facing certain financial constraints) companies pay little attention to diversity management (Crawshaw, Budhwar & Davis 2014). Nonetheless, it has been acknowledged that efficient diversity management positively affects employees’ performance (Torrington et al. 2014).
Google is a company that understands the benefits of proper diversity strategies. The organization claims that they are not satisfied with Google’s diversity as only 30% of women and 40% of ethnic minorities are employed (Making Google a workplace for everyone 2015). However, the company is implementing various strategies to improve the situation. For instance, to improve gender diversity Google’s top managers use a very interesting approach. Several researches show that women are less likely to apply for promotion than men, which is one of the reasons there are fewer women in top management. Kang (2014) notes that a senior in Google sent a reminder about applications (concerning promotion) and the letter included the results of the research on female’s behavior related to self-promotion. The number of female applicants, and, as a result, women in managerial positions increased significantly (Kang 2014). As for ethnic diversity, Google has created an Asian Googler Network, which is a group educating other employees about peculiarities of the Asian culture (Making Google a workplace for everyone 2015). The group also provides support to Asian employees (which are the major ethnic group in the organization). Of course, the company pays special attention to equality when it comes to benefits. All employees’ performance is measured with the help of tools and strategies that are fair.
It is possible to note that companies utilize various strategies to address diversity issues. For instance, Barak (2014) mentions that a diversity sensitivity approach can be quite successful when implemented in connection to the corporate goals of the company. The strategy presupposes training aimed at increasing employee’s awareness of particular cultures. At the same time, the researcher claims that this approach can often be ineffective as companies fail to tie the training to corporate goals, which often leads to reinforcement of stereotypes (Barak 2014). Another strategy used in many organizations is a cultural audit. The approach implies audit of major diversity-related issues the employee’s face and the development of strategies to address the challenges. The strategy is quite effective as it enables the company to actively solve various issues associated with diversity (Barak 2014). The strategy should be concise and consistent with the corporate goals of the company.
Google employs the strategy of sensitivity as seen from the development of the Asian Googler Network. It is clear that the policy is quite effective as the number of Asian employees is increasing and the atmosphere in the workplace is favorable (Making Google a workplace for everyone 2015). Of course, the company may consider the development of similar groups to increase ethnic diversity. Thus, Hispanic and African American groups can also be created.
Reference List
Barak, MEM 2014, Managing diversity: toward a globally inclusive workplace, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.
Crawshaw, J, Budhwar, P & Davis, A 2014, Human resource management: strategic and international perspectives, SAGE, Thousand Oaks.
Kang, C 2014, ‘Google data-mines its approach to promoting women’, The Washington Post. Web.
Making Google a workplace for everyone 2015, Web.
Torrington, D, Hall, L, Taylor, S & Atkinson, C 2014, Human resource management, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow.
