The Society for Human Resource Management has found that most organizations believe workplace diversity is important, but only 30 percent have an official definition of it, and most respondents said there is no common language to guide companies in managing their diversity efforts. The survey asked more than 1,400 HR professionals and diversity practitioners to rate how well their company's diversity practices accomplished their specific business objectives. Fifty-two percent said that to a "large extent," diversity practices created a work environment or culture that allows everyone to contribute all that they can to the organization, while 49 percent said the practices achieved appropriate representation of racial and ethnic groups.

Sounds like great news, right? And it just gets better. Forty eight
percent of respondents surveyed said that their organization’s diversity initiatives enhanced the ability of people from different backgrounds to work together effectively. It looks like companies are becoming more aware of the importance of diversity in the workplace.

But here’s the bad news: only 38 percent said diversity practices actually eliminated or minimized prejudice. The survey also found that smaller companies, defined as those with 99 or fewer employees, are the least likely to have an official definition of diversity, while public/government organizations are more likely than private non-profit and for-profit organizations to define diversity.

While many of the study’s results are promising, the fact that such a small percentage of companies actually define workplace diversity and have no common language to guide their diversity efforts is a problem. I can understand that in smaller companies that have little resources to devote to diversity initiatives, but it is entirely unacceptable in larger companies.

However, no company, large or small, can claim that they have a functional diversity program in their workplace unless they have a clear definition of what workplace diversity actually is how to implement it in the workplace to create positive business results. It is not a shock that in the midst of the survey’s promising results, a relatively small percent of respondents believe that diversity practices minimize prejudice in the workplace.

If there’s no clear definition of workplace diversity, its purpose and its benefits, and a guide as to how it should be implemented, how can a diversity initiative possibly work to reduce workplace prejudice?

Companies who have missed this point and implemented a diversity program in their workplace because it was the right thing to do must revamp their diversity programs to clearly define them, even if it means undoing them entirely and starting from scratch. A diversity initiative must be clearly defined so that employees will know what behavior is expected of them in this area and what behavior is unacceptable. Employers should also take the time to explain to their employees how workplace diversity specifically affects them, using the myriad of available positive research on the subject.

In my humble opinion, letting employees know what’s in it for them when it comes to workplace diversity will eventually lead to a reduction in workplace prejudice. By the same token, if companies reevaluate their diversity programs and develop a common language to guide them in managing their diversity efforts, they will not only see a positive impact on their bottom line, but they will also begin to notice that their workforce will gradually begin to reflect the diverse makeup of the markets they serve.

Developing and implementing diversity programs that actually work will always be a challenge for companies. It is never enough just to draft a memo or develop a handbook and have employees sign something that says they read it, nor is it enough to hold a few companywide diversity training meetings. Diversity initiatives must be consistently tweaked so that they can achieve their maximum potential in an organization.