The True Importance of Work Place Diversity in Direct Marketing
There is no doubt that diversity in the workplace benefits everyone from employees to clients, and the challenge is to continue to embrace that culture; here at InfoCision, we have done, and continue to do, just that. I was able to sit down with our director of human resources, Carla Grasso and had a conversation all about how we celebrate diversity here at InfoCision and the difference it makes in our call centers.
Direct Marketing Diversity Programs
Diversity programs are about creating and maintaining an inclusive environment no matter what an employee brings to the table. When you embrace everyone’s strengths, the organization as a whole is more productive; and it also helps managers to better lead their teams because they have a better grasp on whom their employees are and where they come from.
Diversity programs must be undertaken slowly to ensure they are done the right way, because they must include everyone regardless of ethnicity, religious beliefs, political views, etc. In addition, changes that are made in the workplace too rapidly without proper planning run the risk of being resisted by employees.
For the program to be successful, it must fit in with the company’s current corporate culture, not attempt to change it. So starting slowly is key to getting employees to buy in to the program.
How to Get Started
Starting diversity programs may seem like a daunting task for companies that don’t have an expert in the subject matter, and especially for smaller companies without a great deal of resources.
For employers that want to start a diversity initiative but don’t have a lot of time or resources to invest, here are some easy and low-cost tips:
- Spotlighting diverse employees in a company newsletter or calendar
- Offer brown-bag lunch lectures on a diversity topic – many groups will speak for free
- Create affinity groups to support a specific segment of the workforce (such as women, Asian-Americans, workers with Military experience, etc.)
- Have a potluck where workers bring in foods and recipes from their ethnic heritage
- Announce local events that support diversity on your bulletin board or intranet
There are even community resources available to help companies of all sizes that want to harness the power of embracing diversity.
Diversify Your Call Centers
By expanding your pool of applicants to include everyone, regardless of sex, ethnicity, religious views or anything else, you are giving your organization an advantage over the competition, because they might not be finding the same quality of applicants.
And beyond employee and productivity issues, embracing diversity can have other benefits for your company. InfoCision has several clients that are embracing diversity, and appreciate the fact that we have chosen to do so as well.
How do you feel about diversity in the work place? Any tips to getting started I missed? Get the conversation started below!
Carla Grasso is director of human resources at InfoCision Management Corporation. Reach her at carla.grasso@infocision.com.