WITH AN INCREASING global economy and the corporate strategies of global sourcing of labour, it is imperative for companies to implement IT diversity programs to obtain a competitive position in the global market, according to international analysts at Gartner
WITH AN INCREASING global economy and the global sourcing of labour, it is imperative that companies implement IT diversity programs to obtain a competitive position in the global market, according to international analysts at Gartner.
“Whether companies are trying to gain access to new customer bases domestically, are expanding business into international markets, are moving into a global IT sourcing model, or are simply facing the challenge of recruiting and retaining the best and brightest people in the market, managing diversity must become a part of their strategic kit to maintain the competitive edge in this increasingly diverse and complex business world,” said Lily Mok, research director for Gartner.
Valuing diversity has become a management philosophy that is critical to only not attract but also retain the best talent available. She said true diversity is exemplified by companies that attract people who are “different” not just in their looks but in who they are –knowing and valuing that they will change the way they do business.
Diversity is often defined differently from company to company based on individual organisational needs. Valuing diversity means to encompass every characteristic and experience, whether they are visible or invisible, that defines each individual’s talent desired by the organisation to achieve its objectives.
Mok said IT and HR leaders need to follow a set of processes to gain commitment and support from the entire organisation for the success of diversity initiatives. Gartner has identified five key initiatives that organisations should implement to embrace diversity.
A key step revolves around integrating diversity initiatives with human capital management to create a total rewards proposition for the talent the company is trying to attract and retain.
“The use of metrics enables IT and HR leaders to constantly evaluate the outcomes of a diversity initiative against the original business case, and make necessary adjustments to the processes and/or approaches to ensure its overall success,” Mok said.
