Introduction
Diversity in the work environment promotes acceptance, respect, and teamwork despite
differences in race, age, gender, native language, political beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, or
communication styles among employees.
Workplace diversity exists when companies hire employees from various backgrounds, race,
religion, gender, geography, ethnicity and experiences. Many companies see workplace diversity
as an investment toward building a better business, and an inflow for fresh new ideas.
There are many benefits to having a more diverse workplace. Process and product innovation
results from having employees from a wide variety of demographics and backgrounds. When
different minds come together to achieve a common goal, the result can be monumental.
Although workplace diversity provides many benefits, it also poses many challenges to
employees and managers. Some of the major diversity challenges that are being faced by people
in today’s workforce environment have been highlighted below.
Communication Barriers
Communication barriers lead to problems in a company attempting to create a diverse
workplace. When a U.S. based company hires employees of other cultures whose first language
is not English, employees and managers may experience difficulties communicating with one
another. This can lead to misunderstandings and a decrease in productivity.
