Workforce Diversity

Recently, I watched a news program where the headline story was, "What are the most important skills for employees today?" This is a thought-provoking question that is most simply answered by considering the two skills that can make a seemingly good employee on paper be a bad employee in reality.

The first of the two skills is the ability to adapt to changing cultural diversity and to be able to get along with a wide variety of people. There was a time, not long ago, where work was a fairly homogeneous place. When you went to work, you generally saw only people within your same race, culture, class, sex and even religion. Accounting offices were often staffed with middle-class white guys. Sewing jobs were, generally, filled by lower class immigrant women. Being able to accept diversity in the workplace wasn't an overwhelming concern.
This is no longer the case, however. You will find a wide variety of races, cultures, sexes, and religions in any office. People who want to succeed in today's workforce need to be tolerant and accepting of the people they work with and strive to understand their viewpoints to be as productive as possible. When people with all sorts of different backgrounds come together to collaborate, amazing work can be done. However, this can only be accomplished if employees are willing and able to accept thoughts and ideas that may be new to them.

The second skill that is critical for success in today's workforce is the ability to adapt and accept changing technology.
To be able to see why this is an important skill, all one needs to do is take a little stroll down memory lane. Not too long ago, people were using typewriters and dictating to their secretaries, but everything in business has been changing rapidly.
The employees that will thrive in today's technological environment are those who can adapt to change and embrace it. The employee who quickly learns to utilize new accounting software is more valuable than the one who continues to use the pencil and ledger long after everyone has converted over. In addition, the employee who is afraid to use the copy machine is not nearly as valuable as the one who quickly picks up new technology and learns how to use it in inventive new ways.

In the end, I've found that to be a good employee today, you have to be the kind of person who is open and accepting of new people, technology, and ideas. Adapting to changes in the culture, being tolerant of others and accepting new technology are all mandatory skills
now.

The days when you could learn your trade and then go to work for 40 years and retire are gone. Every employee must be willing to get along with everyone around them, to collaborate, and to listen to new ideas and viewpoints. They also must be able to adapt to changing technology and embrace it to be as efficient and effective at their job as possible. These two simple skills are the most important for success in today's workforce. If an employee has these skills, they will ultimately find themselves both more valuable and successful in their chosen career than those who do not.