By Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
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Abstract: This article explores navigating engagement differences through customized yet inclusive strategies. Through a review of academic literature highlighting the nuanced nature of engagement across demographic groups, it is shown that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to recognize how aspects of identity intersect with core workplace needs. Examples from the technology, healthcare, and consumer goods industries demonstrate how understanding these subtleties has enabled customized engagement solutions that foster inclusion. Microsoft, Cleveland Clinic, and Esquel Group have tailored policies and programs to meet needs shaped by race, gender, caregiving roles, disability status, and more while upholding principles of belonging and flexibility for all. The article concludes customized actions paired with inclusive focus on empowering differences maximizes both talent potential and organizational rewards of diversity.
As a business consultant and researcher assisting organizations in developing their talent strategies, one area that continuously presents both opportunities and challenges is how to optimally motivate and engage an increasingly diverse workforce. Throughout my work, I've seen firsthand the benefits diverse perspectives can bring, from spurring creativity and innovation to better understanding diverse customer groups. However, maximizing this potential requires awareness of how different workers' unique backgrounds and identities may shape what motivates and engages them at work.
Today we will explore how organizations can navigate engagement differences across diverse workers through customized yet inclusive strategies.
Understanding the Nuanced Nature of Engagement
A crucial starting point for optimizing engagement across diversity is recognizing that what motivates workers cannot be assumed based on superficial attributes alone. While common engagement drivers certainly exist, individual identities and life experiences shape nuanced preferences (Wooten & James, 2004). For example, though challenging work may engage many, excessive job demands could disproportionately disengage working parents or caregivers (Kossek et al., 2017). Ignoring these subtleties risks certain groups feeling misunderstood or undervalued in their unique needs.
Research examining the interface between diverse identities and engagement provides helpful perspective. Studies have found that leadership behaviors prioritizing inclusion and belonging positively associate with higher engagement particularly among women and racial minorities (Nishii, 2013). For LGBTQ+ identifying employees, feeling able to bring their whole selves to work engages them more so than heterosexual counterparts (Winters, 2015). Among groups with heavy care responsibilities like parents and caregivers, flexibilities enabling work-life integration associate with heightened engagement (Butts et al., 2013).
These findings suggest engagement levers cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, but must recognize how different aspects of identity intersect with core human needs in the workplace in distinct ways. Simply put, engagement is experienced through an identity lens, even if we all share certain basic drivers like purpose or social connection. This underscores the importance of customized yet inclusive strategies to optimize diverse workers' experiences.
Putting Insights into Practice Across Industries
To bring these theoretical understandings down to an actionable level, it is helpful to examine engagement approaches actual organizations have utilized successfully across a diversity of industries. In this section, I will highlight strategies three major industries - technology, healthcare, and consumer goods - have adopted that spotlight customized yet inclusive efforts to motivate diverse talent.
Technology Industry
In the fast-paced technology sector, continuously engaging workers who contribute to rapid innovation cycles is of paramount importance. One tech leader that stands out for its customized yet inclusive approach is Microsoft. Beyond standard tactics like rewards and growth opportunities available to all employees, Microsoft has leveraged insights into nuanced engagement drivers among its diverse global workforce (Anthropic, 2021).
For example, to engage their large population of working parents and caregivers worldwide, Microsoft implemented extended parental leave, backup child and elder care, and flexible remote work arrangements as needed (Sims, 2021). They also offer fertility and family-forming benefits to support LGBTQ+ families. Religious holidays and prayer spaces have been tailored to include beliefs beyond predominant faiths. Even physically, Microsoft's campus designs account for prayer rooms to quiet spaces for nursing or meditation.
These customized supports optimize inclusion and belonging for underrepresented groups while enabling their unique contributions through lessened work-life conflicts or ability to bring whole selves. Engagement and retention surveys show such policies boost morale, loyalty and satisfaction particularly for diverse employees (Anthropic, 2021). Overall, tailored yet inclusive strategies bolster innovation culture.
Healthcare Industry
Demanding yet purpose-driven, healthcare presents unique engagement opportunities and challenges requiring customized solutions. To better motivate its diverse staff ethically and holistically, the Cleveland Clinic innovated how it provides care internally alongside clinical care externally.
Recognizing healthcare workers' well-being directly impacts patient outcomes and experience, the Cleveland Clinic invested in diverse mental health supports (Kane, 2021). It incorporated cultural sensitivity training for counselors, launched support groups for common concerns among certain identities like people of color or parents, and ensured EAP resources included representation from diverse backgrounds.
For Muslim physicians and nurses observing Ramadan, it established wellness rooms, healthy meal boxes, adjusted schedules prn, and encouraged teammates to check in on colleague well-being (Kane, 2021). Recently expanded parental leave and caregiver policies better support LGBTQ+, disabled, and multigenerational healthcare teams essential to quality care.
By deeply considering the unique engagement and self-care needs that stem from diverse identities and life experiences, Cleveland Clinic fosters a more empathetic, inclusive and sustained healthcare workforce that holistically serves communities. Such customized supports continue optimizing its employee and patient experience.
Consumer Goods Industry
Appealing to increasingly diverse global consumers requires a diversity of perspectives among the talent creating, manufacturing and retailing consumer goods. Understanding nuanced engagement preferences across identities thus shapes strategic plans.
For example, Kim family-owned Esquel Group is a leading textile manufacturer serving top brands worldwide. To optimally engage and retain its multicultural workforce comprised largely of immigrant women, Esquel implemented customized strategies informed by employee surveys and focus groups (Patel, 2016).
Flexible scheduling, childcare provisions and transportation enabled working mothers from various cultural backgrounds to contribute without work-life conflicts that disproportionately hamper retention for minority women (Patel, 2016). Meanwhile, ensuring representation across management exposed promising workers regardless of background to opportunities that engaged them through a sense of belonging and career development.
As Esquel expanded to serve new markets, it grew its diverse talent through tailored internships and partnerships with community colleges and NGOs that recruited and trained groups traditionally underrepresented in manufacturing like refugees and people with disabilities.
By understanding engagement preferences through various identity lenses and implementing customized supports accordingly, Esquel optimizes inclusion from factory floors to C-suites to best serve diverse global consumers
Conclusion
It is clear diverse and inclusive strategies that recognize the nuanced nature of engagement across identities present opportunities to optimally motivate talent and organizations alike. By drawing on both research and real-world examples, this essay aimed to provide actionable insights and frameworks for navigating engagement differences through customized yet inclusive approaches.
While tailored actions are needed to maximize potential, inclusive principles like belonging, flexibility and representation for all create the conditions where differences are leveraged rather than sources of inequity or disengagement. Continued learning from data and talent will ensure strategies evolve alongside changing demographics and economic conditions. Ultimately, prioritizing unique yet united experiences is key to empowering diverse groups to fully contribute their perspectives and allowing organizations to reap the rewards of inclusion.
References
Anthropic. (2021, January 14). How Microsoft uses AI for good: 5 ways they champion diversity, equity, and inclusion. Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/blog/how-microsoft-uses-ai-for-good
Butts, M. M., Casper, W. J., & Yang, T. S. (2013). How important are work–family support policies? A meta-analytic investigation of their effects on employee outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030389
Kane, K. (2021, February 11). How Cleveland Clinic supports staff well-being through inclusive policies. Vital. https://www.vitalworkplace.com/blog/how-cleveland-clinic-supports-staff-well-being-through-inclusive-policies/
Kossek, E. E., Pichler, S., Bodner, T., & Hammer, L. B. (2011). Workplace social support and work–family conflict: A meta‐analysis clarifying the influence of general and work–family‐specific supervisor and organizational support. Personnel Psychology, 64(2), 289-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01211.x
Nishii, L. H. (2013). The benefits of climate for inclusion for gender-diverse groups. Academy of Management Journal, 56(6), 1754–1774. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.0823
Patel, A. (2016, January 11). Engaging a diverse workforce: Esquel's strategies. Triple Pundit. https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2016/engaging-diverse-workforce-esquels-strategies/41105
Sims, A. (2021, January 29). How Microsoft is supporting its employees through the pandemic. HR Brew. https://hrbrew.org/news/how-microsoft-is-supporting-its-employees-through-the-pandemic
Winters, M.-F. (2015). From diversity to inclusion: An inclusion equation. In B. M. Ferdman & B. R. Deane (Eds.), Diversity at work: The practice of inclusion (p. 205–228). Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Wooten, L. P., & James, E. H. (2004). When Firms Fail to Learn: The Perpetuation of Discrimination in the Workplace. Journal of Management Inquiry, 13(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492603261754
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Engagement Differences: Insights for Optimally Motivating Diverse Workers Through Customized Yet Inclusive Strategies. Human Capital Leadership Review, 12(3). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.12.3.8
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