Good Term Paper About Human Resource Management: Ethnic & Gender Discrimination

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: ETHNIC & GENDER DISCRIMINATION

Introduction:
Diversity has become common word in each field due to global expansion of business. People are moving from home countries to host to search out jobs and take place in host countries on a permanent basis most of the time. Each country caters expatriates and, therefore, it has become vital that departments that are made with the help of community. For instance, police force must cater diversity in their workforce as well, in order to show the respect to ethnic groups and represent equality rather to promote differences. A community with diverse group requires such police workforce that can serve the needs of all communities; diversity in police department enhances the confidence of citizens that they will be treated fairly (Metropolitan Police Service 2012). Diversity is also important in this regard that policing is most successful when department has the support of society it serves; lack of diversity lead an organization towards the deficiency of knowledge regarding some aspects of community and people tend to take police force as less favorable; such circumstances create differences and then problems between community and police departments that in result reduces the effectiveness of police and make their work more harder (Kurke and Scrivner, 2013).
It is essential that diversity be managed properly within the organization because this results in increased performance and positive outcomes such as crime reduction through community cooperation. It has been found that most communities cater negative perception regarding police that cause to enhance crime.
The paper aims to define the ways to reduce the discrimination in the police department by considering human resource development stages in order to deal with discriminatory issues. This paper has been divided into four sections. The first section is based on the stages of human resource development process in this section. It has been discussed that how each stage of human resource development obviate the organization from discrimination and what strategies can help in reducing discrimination. Second section is based on strategies that can be implemented to fast-tracked the disadvantaged groups at senior rank. Third section is based on initiatives that should be taken to identify the officers involved in operating discriminatory system and how such issues should be handled. The fourth and last section consists of the summary of overall paper that provides the reader with a quick overview of the paper.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:

Stage one: Police Recruitment and selection:
Police administrators are liable to manage the diversity, and diversity management is about managing the concerns of minorities or ethnic groups and women. In order to better manage the diversity, the sentiments and commitments should be expressed during the process of selection, recruitment, and retention.
Diversity management is a process that starts with the recruitment of workforce; organizations can consider networking approach when recruiting people, but this can lead to less diverse recruitment. Police recruiters should seek to recruit a diverse workforce actively and must take proactive actions in this regard. Police recruiters should approach women and minority’s professional organizations for bringing diversity in the organization. Educational and news sources that are diverse can be considered, and the job posts should take place at appropriate magazines, locations, websites, and newspapers. In order to make sure that people are being recruited on equality basis, unbiased assignments of recruitment should be distributed among recruiters. Moreover, recruitment interviews, and presentation should be fair to avoid discrimination. For example, job posting should include a clear description that communicate the equality of the organization by saying that diverse groups are encouraged to apply. Such precautions will prevent the organization from any lawsuit. Top management can evaluate the success level of recruitment from the number of diverse candidates have been hired candidate.

Stage two: Selection process

According to several experts, diversity in the police workforce is better than homogeneous workforce is and considered as enhanced performance technique. However, managing the diversity is an essential task otherwise the advantageous turn into disadvantages and bring negative consequences. The work of police is coveted; wider range of people applies for a single post. Therefore, selection is the most important and complicated process for police recruiters and plays a major role in managing the workforce diversity in the police department. For providing the chance to minorities and women and promoting the environment of diversity within the organization. The composition of the interview committee is pivotal because diversity based interview panel will reduce or eliminate the chances of bias and make sure that the selection has been made on equality basis. The more the interview panel will be culturally diverse or sensitive the more the chances of fair hiring will be possible..

Stage Three: Training and Development Strategies

It has been encountered that mostly in police departments employees are sent for training in term of punishment such as when they are not productive or not taking their duties seriously. However, in order to deal with the issue of discrimination, training, and development department have to bring diversity issues into consideration while formulating training program. Department should integrate the principles of human rights in training programs.
It has been encountered that stereotypes constantly create issues for female and ethnic minorities (Bowling and Phillips 2003). Sensitivity training is a way to cope up with these issues. Police administrator should provide sensitivity training that includes the new perspectives in order to change the perception of bias and stereotyping, and the success of this programs can be measured by the duration of the program. This training program should be designed for the improvement of relations between ethnic groups and majority police officer. Police managers should be provided with intense training because they are liable to implement the cultural diversity program, and nothing changes the behavior of management changes. Intense training will bring hatred in their tone against the practices of bias and minority discrimination that will encourage the development of minorities. The success of such programs can be observed through the tone of management they have regarding the ethnic and gender minorities (Goleman, 1991). In order to reduce the discrimination and for the appropriate design of training and development programs for disadvantaged groups, human resource personnel must design the comprehensive counseling program, and all employees should have access to that program. Department makes sure that all officers are being provided with constant counseling programs from the beginning of their career to their retirement and special counseling to disadvantaged employees should be provided to deal with their concerns. The personal or special counseling will help in developing the skills of dealing with discrimination issues and guide them in this regard.
Administrator Department should analyze the training and development needs of minorities groups should distribute the personal development form. Moreover, all employees should be asked to fill that would help the department in analyzing the training and development needs of all employees and will aid in formulating the effective training and development plan for them.

Stage four: retention of a diverse workforce within the organization:

However, when comes to the organization, minorities may have to face different challenges. Police department and officers may influence the promotions of gender-based or ethnically based minorities, and this is the case that has been encountered in metropolitan police department. There can be several reasons that do not let the promotion of minorities happen such as police officers are prejudiced, and sometimes organizational culture plays a significant role in not promoting the minorities. Minorities may not have the abilities due to lack of expertise, and this can occur due to not having the proper training and development program.
In order to reduce the discrimination, it is essential that appropriate strategies be formulated. Human resource department should formulate the discrimination policies, and department should make that procedure manual comprehensive; Department should follow all federal and discrimination laws while formulating policies. Second, Management is liable to manage such issues. Therefore, manual based on discrimination policies should be reviewed with management, policies regarding discrimination should be communicated to managers, and they should be encouraged to asked related questions. Same policies should be communicated to staff members, and mandatory trainings should be provided to them on a quarterly basis. Each employee should be provided with a form and require to sign that he or she has attended the discrimination training. Employees should have access to management in order to report the discrimination issues and management should respond to these issues immediately (Hoffman, 1999). This stage will also include equality in incentives and promotions this will make sure that equality has been processed.

FAST-TRACKED MINORITIES TO SENIOR RANK

Moreover, fast tracking training is an important technique that is used to fast track the employees at senior rank (Whitehead and Hope, 2011). In order to fast-tracked the minorities at the senior position fast-tracked training will be provided to minorities groups. After finding that they are up to strength and are open minded to take the senior position, and its related opportunities would be promoted immediately. This step will enhance the diversity and improve the performance of the department. The evaluation of their skills will be done through evaluating their performance and number of cases resolved by appointing them at senior level.
In order to enhance their skills and improving their performance on a constant basis, they will require some developmental training such as coaching, mentoring and shadowing. Coaching will be provided to them on the basis of one to one discussion that will not just enhance their competencies, knowledge, and skills. However, this also will support their career transitions through improving and developing their personal skills and performance. Feedback regarding their strengths and weaknesses will be provided to them that will help in making personal improvements. Mentoring will be provided to police employees that have been fast-ranked in order to serve them with support and delivering the experience of senior officers. Shadowing will help employees to adjust to their new roles. The evaluation of these developmental techniques will be done through the outcomes in term of employees’ performance.

IDENTIFY SENIOR OFFICERS OPERATING DISCRIMINATORY SYSTEM

Senior police officers may be involved in discriminatory practices either wittingly or unwittingly this result in decreased trust of society on the police department.

What to do, how to catch them, what should happened to them when convicted.

It has been realized that the police complaint system is complicated and due to Department should make the complaint system easy regarding practices of discrimination and should undertake these complaints seriously. Online complaint system should be introduced. Employees working within the organization and members of the community can log the complaint against the discrimination activities and police department should take actions by following the allegations that have been mentioned by IPCC in police regulations regarding discriminatory behavior. For example, if the discrimination is not done wittingly then complaint can result in warning or training classes to give the officers proper training and if the officer has been found guilty and involved in discrimination act wittingly then he or she must be warned and if does not take the warning seriously then should be dismissed.
Discrimination is an offense and responding to such act is essential; this will reduce the concerns of the community and enhance the confidence of minorities. Moreover, police department will be able to eliminate the discrimination from within the department that will result in fair services and justice. It has been found that professional standards department has been poor in handling the complaints due to conflicts in handling situations and lack of training. Therefore; it is essential that proper training be provided to complaint handling departments. Complaint handling departments should not rely on local resolution and up to date training should be provided to police regarding the handling of communities they serve; they must have complete understanding of community. Moreover, the police complaint system should be simplified, and investigating officer should improve the recording of information. Complaint cases should be assessed properly so the investigating officers can prevent themselves from misjudging the complaints at early stages. The law enforcement agencies such as “Her Majesty’s Inspectatorates of Constability”must implement the laws against the discriminatory behavior because this is the official body that is liable for the essesment and examination of police activities and to ensure that all requirements are being met.
In order to evaluate the progress the number of complaints against a single officer in a particular period can be assessed that will help in making improvement. First, such officers who have been found involved in discriminatory practices should be given warning, and if complaints continue to take place then serious allegations should be placed. Termination of such officers involved in discrimination may not cost department much as compare to those that leave the department due to discrimination issues because a considerable amount of budget is spent on the training of police officers and increased turnover means training of new employees that require more amount and incurred as loss for organization. According to a research the turnover of UK police represents 25% of overall budget, which is a significant amount. According to Mayor of London 9% turnover occur due to gender discrimination and 4% due to ethnic discrimination, and 82% allegations were based on race discrimination in 2011, the total turnover rate is 12.85 in 2014 and female turnoverrate was 12.19; if the sdiscrimination is reduced and stricked actions are taken against police officers that are involced in discrimination then this turnover and associated cost can be reduced (MOPAC, 2014). If the actions are taken seriously and investigation is done properly including training, complaint resolution, and issues handling then 6-month time will be required.

Conclusion:

It has been realized that organizations that are involved in diversity workforce have to start their planning from the recruitment stage in order to manage discrimination. Each stage of HRD plays a significant role in managing diversity. If people will not be recruited on equality basis, then discrimination will take place automatically. It is essential for the police department that it represents the fair distribution of duties in order to gain the trust of diverse communities. In order to make a selection process fair, it is essential that interview panel be based on diversity so the chances of discrimination and bias decision can be reduced or eliminated. Training and development is an important process and plays important role in eliminating discrimination. Management or police administrators through communication policies regarding discrimination and training employees in this regard can change their perception and this also help minorities in dealing with such issues. Retention is essential because turnover enhances the budget in term of training new employees; therefore, employees should be provided incentives on an equal basis.

References

Bowling, B., & Phillips, C. (2003). Policing ethnic minority communities. Available from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/9576/1/Policing_ethnic_minority_communities_(LSERO).pdf [Accessed 16th March, 2015]
Goleman, D. (1991). New Way to battle Bias: Fight Acts, Not Feelings. NY Times, Available from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/16/science/new-way-to-battle-bias-fight-acts-not-feelings.html [Accessed 16th March, 2015]
Hoffman, G. (1999). Good Training Strategy Helps Avoid Discrimination. INC, Available from http://www.inc.com/articles/1999/10/15366.html [Accessed 16th March, 2015]
Kurke, M. I., & Scrivner, E. M. (Eds.). (2013). Police psychology into the 21st century. Psychology Press.
MOPAC. (2014). MPS workforce diversity. Available from https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/14-07-14_MOPAC%20Challenge_Presentation.pdf [Accessed 16th March, 2015]
Whitehead, T., and Hope, C. (2011). Outsiders could be parachuted in to police to boost diversity. Telegraph, Available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8812527/Outsiders-could-be-parachuted-in-to-police-to-boost-diversity.html [Accessed 16th March, 2015]