LEADING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE

INTRODUCTION

In the predominantly homogeneous Canadian workplace of the recent past, most employees and managers knew the unwritten rules concerning what was expected and how things were done (workstyle). But now the rules are changing. According to demographers, employees from diverse groups now account for 80% of Canada's labour force growth. New employees are bringing with them different perspectives, preferences and expectations.

The benefits will be considerable, but so will be the challenges: managers will have the responsibility of working in new ways with employees; the challenge of creating effective teams of employees who are unlike each other in gender, race, culture, language, education, values, lifestyles and family structure; and, the need to create an inclusive environment in which all employees understand, value and respect each others' differences.

AUDIENCE

This course is designed for managers and human resources advisors. It will enable them to recruit, develop and retain a diverse workforce as well as to create an affirmative and inclusive working environment in which ALL employees can excel.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Establish a business case for diversity management
• Develop strategies to integrate different cultural workstyles
• Improve their cross-cultural communication skills
• Improve their cross-gender communication skills
• Improve communication between those with disabilities and those without
• Conduct a bias-free hiring process including: staffing and recruitment; selection and assessment; and, interviewing
• Remove employment barriers
• Create an inclusive and affirmative working environment

COURSE CONTENT

Leading Diversity

• Definition and components of diversity
• Rationale for diversity
• Benefits and challenges of diversity
• Impact of diversity on the manager and the HR advisor
• Roles and responsibilities of the manager and HR advisor

Cultural Identities, Values and Expectations

• Mainstream Canadian values and where they come from
• Assumptions and expectations in effect in the Canadian workplace
• Workplace expectations, preferences and behaviours (workstyle) of persons from traditional-based cultures
• Strategies to successfully include different workstyles

Cross-cultural Communication

• What's your communication "style"?
• Cultural differences in communication styles
• Cross-cultural interview styles
• Cross-cultural communication do's and taboos
• Giving feedback in culturally sensitive ways

Cross-Gender Communication

• Ways in which men and women communicate differently
• Reasons for the differences in communication style
• Breakdowns in gender communication in the work place and strategies for improving communication.

Communication between Those with Disabilities and those without

• Improving communication between a person with a disability and someone without
• Using preferred (non-stereotyping) words and phrases that refer to persons with disabilities.

Bias-free Hiring

• Difference between "unearned advantages" and "unearned disadvantages"
• Define an "employment barrier"
• How to conduct a bias-free hiring process including: staffing and recruitment; selection and assessment; and, interviewing

Removing Employment Barriers

• Employment barriers to professional and career development
• How to remove these barriers
• How to create an inclusive and affirmative working environment

DURATION

Two days

COURSES AVAILABLE

Diversity at Work

Bias-free Staffing

Harassment Training

Employment Equity

Leading a Multicultural Workforce

Leading a Diverse Workforce

Cross-cultural Awareness

Cross-cultural Communication

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