HR Professional - February/March 2009 - (Page 49) H R101 DIVERSITY PLANS BY DUFF MCCUTCHEON ere are two good reasons for implementing a diversity plan in your organization: it’s good for business and it’s a tremendous boon to attracting and retaining talent. The fact o is you can’t afford not to have one. And if you t don’t, you can be assured your competitors do. n HR Professional talks to LCBO’s Janet R l Naidu and KPMG’s Michael Bach on i the whys and wherefores of strategic diversity plans. e H Mirror your customers The first question you must answer e in selling the idea of a diversity plan to your senior management n (and you’ll need their buy-in) is d “why?” Fortunately, it’s easy to h answer. s From a business perspective, it makes sense to leverage diversity— k new Canadians, gays and lesbians, w aboriginals, persons with o disabilities—in your a workplace. These r people o S ILLU TRA TION :M EL ICHA EDD END EN mirror your customers. If you’re selling consumer goods and services, these groups make up huge markets that your diverse employees can help you reach. “Here’s a great example I always trot out when I’m making the business case for diversity,” says KPMG Canada’s director of diversity, Michael Bach. “A few years ago, Frito-Lay was struggling with the launch of a new product—a guacamole-flavoured tortilla chip. It consulted with its Hispanic employees, reformulated the product, tinkered with the branding and boom—it resulted in the company’s most successful product launch ever. w w w.H RThoughtLeader. c om They sold $5 million worth of guacamole tortilla chips in the first year.” Building your brand Then there’s the HR rationale. If you want to attract the best and brightest—from around the world—you need to show that you’re an employer that embraces everyone. Leveraging diversity into your employer brand shows new Canadians that your company is a good place to work. And once you’ve got them, it helps to keep people happy and engaged. “An inclusive workplace means people from all walks of life can bring their whole selves to work and not leave F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 9 49 http://www.HRThoughtLeader.com
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