Introduction
The concept of diversity is often mistakenly limited to be the differences in physical
characteristics between individuals; however that is not the case. In fact diversity has several
categories, in addition to physical characteristics such as gender, race and age, diversity is
present in a psychological aspect being values and beliefs, as well as in an organisational
category such as education and occupation. For this essay however, the focus will be on
mainly cultural and demographic diversity. The major change in characteristics of our present
day's population today in terms of gender, age, culture and ethnicity has resulted in an
increasingly diverse workplace today. In order to respond to these changes in trends, it is
necessary for organisations to adopt 'a vision of inclusion' and take into account individual
and intergroup differences (Childs Jr, 2005).
The reasons behind why diversity is important and its benefits to organisations will be
analysed in the first part of this essay by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a
diverse workforce. The second part of the essay will focus on the methods of attracting,
selecting and retaining diverse employees. This will include a brief mention of aspects of job
analysis and design, various recruitment methods as well as methods of retaining culturally
and demographically diverse employees, which all organisations should consider when
embracing diversity.
Importance of diversity in the workforce
This section will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of having a diverse workforce,
discuss the importance and benefits of diversity in organisations and, to address the question,
explain why organisations should attract, select and retain culturally and demographically
diverse employees.
i) Advantages of diversity
Childs Jr (2005), stated that any business that intends to be successful must have a
borderless view, and an unyielding commitment in ensuring that workforce diversity is
part of...