Recently, Kellogg Company, based in Battle Creek, Mich, launched its own efforts to encourage diversity by forming six employee resource groups made up of employees for the purpose of improving business results. The Latino and African-American employee resource groups provided feedback on television advertising geared toward these ethnic groups, and after receiving the employee resource groups' thoughts, Kellogg developed new TV promos to comply with the findings.

"At Kellogg, we know that diversity and inclusion are essential business imperatives to succeeding in a competitive global marketplace," says John Bryant, president and CEO of Kellogg. "Specifically, a diverse workforce helps us better anticipate the needs of our increasingly diverse consumer base. It is also is more adaptable to change, more innovative and more open to new ideas."

A diverse workforce also increases employee morale, Mullins says, because it creates a sense of inclusion. Employees want to feel valued and appreciated, and embracing their various cultures shows a true commitment to promoting diversity.

"If you are not happy where you are and you don't feel valued, then it will affect the way you feel about coming into your work environment every day," Mullins says. "Diversity affects employee morale in terms of their relationships, and that impacts productivity and turnover."

In an effort to improve relationships among its diverse workforce, each year Aflac organizes a weeklong diversity celebration, where colleagues have the chance to ask questions and learn more about everyone's unique background.  Though Aflac employees were first hesitant of this event, they soon warmed up to the idea and now value it as a chance to enhance working relationships, Mullins says.

"They didn't know they could ask certain questions to these people about their cultures, but as it turns out, people want to talk about their cultures," Mullins says. "They'd rather you ask the question than keep making assumptions and having those stereotypes. It allows people to interact with each other and build relationships, which, of course, are part of a stronger work environment and workforce."

Attracting a diverse workforce

For Kellogg, specifically recruiting with diversity in mind has played a large role in attracting a wide range of employees. According to Kellogg's report, Kellogg Global Staffing launched a recruiting campaign with strategies to better develop its employer brand, use social media and track progress. Kellogg also partnered with talent acquisition alliances, which are organizations that promote development among women and minorities, to help find diverse talent.  

To attract a diverse workforce, some HR departments are appealing to their benefits programs. Benefits packages are one of the top considerations for prospective employees, so it comes as no surprise that robust benefit offerings are helpful for attracting a diverse workforce.

Aflac offers a work-life balance with its benefits package, Mullins says, and many prospective and current employees find this appealing. For example, Aflac houses two onsite day care centers, which are the largest in the state of Georgia. At any time of the day, employees can take a quick stroll to either day care center to check up on their children, and this is largely appealing to women.

According to the Diversity Annual Report by Hartford,Conn.-based Aetna, the company promotes diversity by appealing to specific groups. In 2010, Aetna was a signature sponsor for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign in Connecticut, which was started to encourage women to fight against heart disease. As part of the sponsorship, Aetna organized a special event in its headquarters for all Connecticut employees, where they could engage in a multiple activities and take part in an event that encourages women's health while bringing together employees of various backgrounds for a cause.

While many employers are making strides in promoting a diverse workforce, the effort is not over. Effectively building a diverse workforce takes a defined strategy and a strong commitment. But for employers that are embracing diversity, the future payoff is well worth the endeavor.

"If you don't have the infrastructure in place for a diverse workforce, then how can you service your customers, especially those new markets you want to tap into?" Mullins says. "A diverse workforce sets us up for the future because it allows us to expand our market and target the customers we want to do business with."