Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/52321
Another key reason tends to be expectations: When major- ity employers interview minority applications, they sometimes see what they expect to see, which is someone less qualified for the job. When one set of researchers observed companies interviewing both black and white candidates, they noticed that the interviews with black applicants were shorter and included questions posed in a way that would make them more difficult to answer. As an experiment, the research- ers trained the interviewers in the different techniques they used for white or black applicants. When candidates of either race were inter- viewed as if they were black, they did less well than candidates inter- viewed as if they were white. The researchers concluded that expecta- tions influence the behavior of the interviewer and the performance of the applicant. If companies fail to hire minori- ties, they miss out on promising candidates who could bring a great deal to their organizations—and they also shrink their own potential labor pool, which is already growing smaller due to demographic shifts. If governments don't encourage orga- nizations to hire minorities, they risk increasing social tensions that can lead to rage and violence. Therefore, it's essential that companies find ways to incorporate ethnic minorities into the workplace. 3. Members of certain religions. Immigration, emigration, mobility, travel, and the expansion of the EU all have contributed to the diversity of religions in Europe. While religion in the workplace is rarely discussed, prejudices still exist. It is difficult to the 2000 Millennium Declara- tion. Economic empowerment is one of the surest, fastest ways toward gender equality. Governments can encour- age that empowerment. For instance, the European Union had set a target for its member states: a 60 percent employment rate among women of working age by the year 2010. Despite the recession, 16 of 27 member states reached this goal. gather detailed information on how workplaces handle this issue because employers are not entitled to obtain information on the religious affili- ation of their employees. However, anti-racism policies that are meant primarily to protect ethnic groups can be widened to include religious minorities as well. 4. Women. Different societies hold different beliefs about the roles and responsibilities of men and women, but too frequently the result is that women are considered inferior. Women suffer forms of discrimi- nation that range from economic inequity to outright violence. In some communities, their work is unpaid but essential to the well- being of the family, so it is difficult to move them into paid positions. In other communities, discrimina- tion is codified into law. It's not easy to overcome all these hurdles, but many interna- tional movements and organiza- tions have addressed the task, from the 1979 U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to 5. Workers with disabilities. While society has begun to recognize that it has a respon- sibility to care for people with dis- abilities, companies don't always feel the need to offer them employ- ment. For example, 78 percent of people with severe disabilities were out of the EU labor force in 2002, according to Eurostat, which compiles data about the European Union. In addition, people with chronic illnesses often are viewed as undesirable hires. Research suggests that hiring people with disabilities and keeping them employed is a responsibility that lies with both governments and employers. Business execu- tives and policy makers need to work together to develop coherent, coordinated strategies for preparing these workers for employment and giving them the support they need to retain their jobs. Everyone Wins How does it benefit business to promote diversity? A host of researchers have identified improvements in performance, productivity, problem solving, market penetration, staff morale, and job satisfaction when the BizEd January/February 2012 33 CORBIS/GLOW IMAGES