Guest Post: The Weakening Definition of Diversity
What qualifies as a “diverse” workplace? Does it mean that employees are of a variety of different races and genders? Or does it mean they’ve had a variety of life experiences?
This article, written by Gillian B. White – a senior associate editor at The Atlantic – gives an interesting take on the how the evolving view of what diversity means in the workplace is impacting American business. This evolving view comes from the perspective of Millennial’s, and it questions whether this view of diversity meaning more than just demographics benefits those who have been disenfranchised in the business world – such as women and minorities.
This is a departure from what older generations understand diversity to mean. “Millennials frame diversity as a means to a business outcome, which is in stark contrast to older generations that view diversity through the lens of morality (the right thing to do), compliance, and equality,” the study of more than 3,700 individuals spanning different generations, races, and genders found. According to Christie Smith, one of the study’s authors, this generation is already comfortable with the idea of diversity in a traditional sense and they’re looking to expand the definition, which could be a good thing.
Read the entire article here.
