What do you think about workplace diversity?

Question

I'm currently doing an essay on workplace diversity and just thought about getting alternative views on the subject. personally all for it but what do you reckon?

Answer 1

I have never worked in a very ethnically diverse workplace....mainly because I live in the rural midwestern US, and we are 99% white, of european descent. Around here its a big deal if you were German or Polish or Scandinavian or English five generations back....thats about the only difference. It makes an easy place to work, because you really know people, but boring, and not particularly creative.

When I was in college, it was the most diverse group of people I have had the opportunity to work with, and we really came up with a lot of ideas and worked very well together.

My Mom has worked in Arizona for several years. Her offices are a cultural and ethnic melting pot of engineers from all over the world. She said it was very hard at some times, because people were so touchy about their races, religions, etc. Especially after the O. J. verdict and 9/11. Both of those times she ended up leaving the companies because of the racial divisions and reactions of people. She said it literally made her sick to see their reactions, and she just couldn't work with them. (They probably felt the same about her!Miss WhiteBread Midwesterner.)

I prefer to think positive and think we can work best when we challenge each other with new ideas, and a culturally diverse workplace is one way to do that.

Answer 2

By opening up the workplace to a wide variety of people, a company can draw upon a much larger population of qualified individuals.    That puts them in a more competitive position than companies that allow hiring managers to engage in narrow-minded hiring practices.

Personally, I enjoy the wide range of cultures and ethnicities at my job.