HRM 7620 Module 3 Discussion: What Counts as a Diversity Competency? Example

Module 3 Discussion: Building Diversity Competencies

Behaviors, Not Slogans: Defining and Developing Diversity Competencies

When Hudson State added "diversity competency" to its manager evaluation form last year, managers asked what it meant, and HR could not give a clear answer. The form simply asked supervisors to rate whether the manager "values diversity." That is an attitude, not a competency, and it is almost impossible to rate fairly.

Chun and Evans (2014) describe diversity competencies as the capabilities individuals and organizations need to create inclusive environments. I think they are most useful when defined as behaviors. For a manager, that could include using the same structured questions with every candidate, giving specific and timely feedback to every team member, distributing high-visibility assignments fairly, inviting input from quieter team members in meetings and addressing exclusionary comments when they happen. Each of these can be observed, practiced and measured.

How should competencies be developed? Bezrukova et al. (2016) pooled four decades of studies on diversity training in a meta-analysis. They found that training effects on knowledge were relatively durable, but effects on attitudes and behavior tended to decay over time, and that training was more effective when it was integrated with other initiatives, lasted longer and combined awareness with skill building. That suggests one-off workshops will not build lasting competencies. Kalev et al. (2006) likewise found that training aimed at changing managers' attitudes was among the least effective diversity practices in their study of more than 700 employers.

For Hudson State, I would replace the general rating with a short list of behaviors and develop them through practice: managers would rehearse structured interviews before serving on panels, practice feedback conversations with coaching, and review the distribution of assignments on their teams twice a year with HR. Assessment would use specific evidence, such as interview scoring consistency and team survey items about fairness of assignments, rather than a supervisor's impression.

Comment on Ana's Post

Ana, you shared your company's competency model, which lists "cultural humility" as a core competency. I like the idea, but I wonder how your managers are assessed on it. Humility is hard to observe directly. Could it be translated into behaviors such as asking for input before making decisions that affect diverse groups, or acknowledging mistakes when they occur? That might make the competency more useful in performance reviews.

Comment on Jordan's Post

Jordan, you mentioned resistance from managers who see diversity competencies as a political agenda. Framing the competencies as management skills, such as consistent interviewing and fair assignment of work, might reduce that resistance, since these behaviors benefit every employee and improve decisions. The meta-analysis I cited also suggests that skill-based approaches last longer than awareness alone. Have you tried presenting the competencies that way?

References

Bezrukova, K., Spell, C. S., Perry, J. L., & Jehn, K. A. (2016). A meta-analytical integration of over 40 years of research on diversity training evaluation. Psychological Bulletin, 142(11), 1227-1274. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000067

Chun, E., & Evans, A. (2014). The new talent acquisition frontier: Integrating HR and diversity strategy in the private and public sectors and higher education. Stylus Publishing.

Kalev, A., Dobbin, F., & Kelly, E. (2006). Best practices or best guesses? Assessing the efficacy of corporate affirmative action and diversity policies. American Sociological Review, 71(4), 589-617. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240607100404