Monday, July 9, 2018

How To Develop A Solid Company Affirmative Action Plan

By Diane Cooper


It is the duty of all organizations to ensure that different interest groups are catered for. It could be race, religion, gender, persons with disabilities or such interest groups. This is best done by developing a Company Affirmative Action Plan. This is a highlight of areas that require attention, the people involved and a formal policy on what must be done. Here are tips to enable you get the best plan.

Legal provisions must guide every stage of the development of such a plan. The law is usually very clear and cannot be over looked in the process of development. Failure to consider what the law says means that you will develop policies that contradict that law. Your employees, people affected and lobby groups will sue you for such omissions. The government will also be on your neck for such oversight.

Get samples of plans from other companies. The best samples come from people in the same industry. Samples help you to get an idea of the issues to tackle and those to leave out. However, you must appreciate that all organizations are unique. Look at what defines your organization and operations and cater for it in your planning.

All persons in the organization should be involved in formulation of such a policy. They are the people who will be affected by its roll out. It means that if a particular part will hurt, they will be the first to suffer. Without involving them, you stand the risk of resistance during implementation. It will appear as though you are imposing issues that are not agreed upon at all levels. This becomes a weak point that will drive you to fail.

Look at the long term other than developing a policy because of the people who are presently in the organization. Workforce in organizations changes from time to time. If laws are made for the people present, it will be difficult to implement them in future when situations change. This is why you should compare what other organizations are doing to avoid bias.

Engage experienced development consultants to help in designing the plan. Experienced consultants do not rely on trial and error. Rather, they draw on lessons learnt from other industries and peers to develop the best and most updated blend. It enables you to conform to the law and develop a progressive policy that does not require frequent modification. Experienced consultants are a worthy investment for your company.

Because organizations are not static, you should review the plans from time to time. The reviews are also supposed to take care of emerging issues. The issues may arise from legal changes or changes in the industry. The changes should be to improve and accommodate special interests as they emerge. Look beyond the current situation to avoid instability that might deny your organization the memory it requires.

Implementation must involve all stakeholders in the organization. This reduces the possibility of resistance when the policy is being implemented. You will also not be imposing rules on people who do not understand them. Clauses that are unfavorable to some people will be understood. Those that are favorable will also be understood.




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