Should diversity issues be part of the HR function?

Eileen Ang
Human Resources Manager
Royal Plaza on Scotts

In today’s work environment, co-workers are increasing likely to be of different gender, age, religion, cultural background, race and ethnicity. They will also differ in terms of lifestyle choices, perspectives, attitudes, value system, beliefs, behaviours, expectations, skills and experiences.

I feel that the human resources department has an important role to play in transforming the organisational culture so as to reflect the values of the diverse workforce. Therefore it is important that HR professionals understand that policies, practices, and ways of thinking within an organisational culture will have different impact on different groups. They must understand organisational changes should meet the needs of a diverse workforce as well as to maximize the potential of all workers.

Managing diversity is one of the most important challenges facing many organisations, including my own company. To me, diversity means acknowledging people's differences and recognising these differences as valuable. People are not the same and although they want to be treated equally, this does not translate to being treated the same. This has implication not just in respect to the workforce but also in the delivery of services, the design and development of products.

Ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency. Some consequences can include unhealthy tensions between people of differing gender, race, ethnicity, age, abilities etc.; and inability to attract and retain talented people, resulting in lost investments in recruitment and training. Therefore I feel HR must be able to recognise this and tap on the diverse talent to develop a competitive advantage.

Jeff Ong
Head Human Resources Development
Nokia Asia Pacific

Diversity consists more than just race & gender. It also includes diversity in thought, culture, language, opinions, etc. This diversity allows management to make better decisions and create more innovative solutions leading to higher profitability.
 
Given this orientation, I feel that diversity is a business concern, not a HR issue. Therefore I believe that HR can play a role in facilitating this process and outcome.
 
Given this context, my answer is diversity may not necessarily be part of HR functions but it can also sit with the Office of CEO, Strategy dept, etc. However, HR must be a key part of the value chain.

Lynn Chia
Director of HR services and training
Singapore Marriott Hotel

With around 500 staff at Marriott, there are definitely differences in terms of our work, past experiences, backgrounds and age profiles which I believe it is a similar situation in any other organisation. We have to understand our associates in order to make a difference. Just like how we anticipate our guests’ needs, we need to learn how to anticipate our associates’ needs. With that in mind, we tailor different programmes and training according to our associates’ relations and their needs.

My personal view is that diversity is important and it is very much part and parcel of our lives. More importantly at Marriott, we work as a team to tap on each other’s different background and experiences to work towards a good communal living, just like how Singapore has multi-ethnic groups.

I think diversity issues are very much everybody’s issues. It’s not just the HR’s role. We, at Marriott, believe in letting everyone play their role in creating a fun environment. The associates have formed mutual respect and genuine care for one another. So diversity issues are not so much of a specific person or department role.

In HR, we spearheaded a couple of HR diversity programmes and practices for the hotel itself. We will take the lead and work very closely with the line managers to ensure that information do gets down to the line associates so we can create a good conducive work environment for everyone.