in the hospitality sector, towards the outlying regions of Europe, is significant in terms

of scale and pace. Failte Ireland (2005) report that about 25,000 of the country’s

hospitality workers are non-nationals. The equivalent figure for Northern Ireland is

estimated at 2,000 (Jarman, 2004). The rapid and unanticipated pace of migration has

raised many questions for both industry and government. Indeed, both Ireland and the

UK have limited labour market access to workers from the Romania and Bulgaria, the

newest members of the European Union. This change in labour market policy may

reflect the scale of migration towards Ireland and the UK following the accession of ten

new Member States to the EU in May 2004. Therefore both the scale and pace of contemporary labour migration are significant measures. Indeed commentators have used the term tsunami to convey the sheer scale of contemporary labour market flows. Nowhere has this development been more evident than in the hospitality industry.

Consequently, hospitality professionals have had to move beyond the general media

debate on the phenomenon and embrace the challenge of “instant intercultural workplaces”. These efforts have been documented in a plethora of studies (Failte Ireland, 2005; Melia and Kennedy, 2005; Devine et al., 2006). The most recent study, Devine et al. (2006), emphasises the need for further support of the integration and socialisation of international workers with local employees and indeed the wider

community.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00400910710762922/full/pdf?title=the-implications-of-contemporary-cultural-diversity-for-the-hospitality-curriculum

Communication – Perceptual, cultural and language barriers need to be overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale.

Resistance to change – There are always employees who will refuse to accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is changing. The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality silences new ideas and inhibits progress.

Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies – This can be the overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Armed with the results of employee assessments and research data, they must build and implement a customized strategy to maximize the effects of diversity in the workplace for their particular organization.

Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace – Diversity training alone is not sufficient for your organization’s diversity management plan. A strategy must be created and implemented to create a culture of diversity that permeates every department and function of the organization

 

 

Management can use diversity to spark a more creative operating environment. According to a Stanford Graduate School of Business survey by Professor Margaret A. Neale, the conflict resulting from building diverse teams can provide the edge needed to spur creativity. People from diverse backgrounds can offer differing views and experiences that lead to lively debate, which often fosters innovation. In contrast, a more homogeneous team may not handle dissenting opinions as well, as they are not expected and may be viewed as "rocking the boat."

On the other hand, conflicts created by diversity can create tension in the workplace, which could ultimately affect productivity if not managed effectively. If the workplace is moving from a homogeneous to a more diverse workplace culture, members of the "old guard" may resent the change, which could make it difficult for people to work together. One way management can ward off potentially damaging conflict is to emphasize group goals and values early on in the diversification process.

Implementing a diverse workplace can create the need to change an organization's hiring practices. Companies attempting to add more women to their workforce, for example, may need to alter recruiting practices to focus on attracting qualified female candidates. Companies also need to ensure their recruiting practices are not in violation of anti-discrimination laws relating to attributes such as race, gender, religion, nationality and disability, which could result in legal action.

Successfully creating a more diverse work environment typically requires planning. In addition to altering hiring practices, planning and implementing diversity training programs may be necessary to prepare a company for a changing workforce and to make the assimilation process successful. The company should also develop an action plan to deal with issues diversifying may create, such as procedures for conflict resolution.

 

 

Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences to contribute and realise their full potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all staff and students.
https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/about/equality-diversity

https://www.thiswayglobal.com/blog/top-diversity-issues-in-the-workplace/

1. Information-based

You won’t know if your diversity efforts are successful unless you have a means to track your success. By establishing clear goals and monitoring their progress, your business can hold leaders and managers responsible for their decisions and encourage key decision makers to keep diversity a priority.

2. Mentoring

According to research compiled by Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, mentoring programs — particularly those that actively match participants across genders, races, and ages — can greatly improve workplace and managerial diversity. On average, an effective mentorship program can increase the representation of black, Hispanic, and Asian-American women, and Hispanic and Asian-American men in managerial positions by 9 to 24 percent.

3. Targeted recruiting

As part of the same project, Dobbins and Kalev also identified targeted recruiting programs as a useful diversity tool. Based on their findings, if your business launched a diversity-focused college recruitment program this year, by 2022 your company would likely have increased the number of women and ethnic minorities in managerial roles by almost 10 percent.

4. Diversity and inclusion training

You should offer diversity education to everyone in your business, not just managers. This approach will not only reinforce the importance of inclusion to your corporate culture, it will also empower everyone on staff to identify and respond to discriminatory behavior before it can take root or cause further issues.

5. Diversity managers

One of the most proactive measures your business can take is to appoint a company diversity manager — someone who is responsible for monitoring and enforcing corporate standards regarding diversity, inclusion, and tolerance.

6. Frequent reassessment

Even if your diversity program is perfect for today, it likely won’t be sufficient for tomorrow. Establish set time periods (e.g., quarterly, annually) where you review all of your existing policies and programs for diversity and inclusion.

https://everfi.com/insights/blog/6-elements-successful-workplace-diversity-program/

There are limited circumstances in which it is lawful to require a job applicant or worker to have a particular protected characteristic, for example where an occupational requirement applies. Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance gives the example of a women’s refuge requiring all members of staff to be women.

https://www.personneltoday.com/equality-diversity/discrimination/positive-discrimination-discrimination/ 
pj donnelly 

https://www.brighthr.com/articles/equality-and-discrimination/direct-discrimination