A diversity manager, also known as a diversity officer, is in charge of monitoring and enforcing cultural diversity standards in a workplace, business, agency, or school. This manager is usually in charge of informing employees about the legal requirements for diversity. The manager’s role could include developing a curriculum for training workers and management in how to appreciate disability, gender, culture, and age differences. Typically, the training would cover how people’s differences affect the workplace, as well as the employee’s role in fostering an accepting environment.
Diversity managers could be employed by all levels of government in the United States (US), as well as non-profit organizations and private businesses. Diversity managers are typically used in projects with regional and national funding that require affirmative action hiring or the use of minority subcontractors. These specialized managers document and file all necessary paperwork and reports in order to meet legal requirements. In small offices and businesses, the diversity manager’s responsibilities are usually combined with human resource (HR) duties.
In general, workplace diversity entails creating an environment in which all employees, customers, and management are treated with respect. The diversity manager is usually in charge of the environment’s development and is in charge of encouraging input from all employees. In addition, the manager will usually devise a program to ensure that employees maintain the climate of open acceptance on their own initiative. To determine the levels of acceptance, managers typically use a variety of ethnographic methods such as surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to assess the workplace. The measurements include both qualitative and quantitative results, which are frequently used to determine the type and amount of training required to maintain and, in some cases, improve the working environment.
Recruiting, promoting, and retaining a diverse workforce can also be part of the diversity manager’s responsibilities. If the workplace is lacking in diversity, the manager could create a program to increase recruitment. Outreach activities at local colleges or universities, as well as advertising in specialized forums or professional magazines and journals, are examples of this. When the hiring pool does not meet diverse needs, it may be necessary to hire interns who have been trained in a specific job. Law firms occasionally recruit groups of law school students to work as interns in their offices in the hopes of hiring the interns after they graduate, thereby increasing diversity in the office.
In most cases, diversity management entails a manager’s ongoing efforts to encourage input from the community, coworkers, and management. The groups could be asked to assist in the development of multiculturalism and respect for differences in gender, age, and sexual preferences by helping to plan and implement standards, programs, and practices. A diversity manager may also be in charge of creating and administering community surveys to gauge public opinion on the company’s hiring practices. The data collected in the surveys is especially valuable to businesses that rely on community participation or consumption.