Diversity Delivers

A Guide for Managers Working with Culturally Diverse Staff

Foreword

Diversity Delivers is a guide to working with diversity in government organisations in the 21st century.

As business environments become increasingly global and complex, and staff more diverse and mobile, working effectively with diversity is essential to success.

Many Public Sector agencies are benefiting from the expertise they have developed in working with diversity:

• The Ambulance Service of NSW has improved services for a multi-lingual community by recruiting overseas trained medical professionals as ambulance officers.
• Sydney Catchment Authority has improved the management of water in the Sydney basin by utilising the highly specific technical skills of migrants qualified in water technology.
• NSW Health is meeting the demand for general practitioners in rural and regional NSW by recruiting overseas trained medical professionals through the Area of Need Rural Doctors Scheme.

Diversity delivers when managed well. It can produce innovation and business advantage.

It can also be dynamic and challenging. How does an organisation create a positive, cohesive team yet allow individuals from diverse social histories, styles and perspectives to shape, influence and bring their unique insights to bear?

Diversity Delivers shares the experiences of a number of agencies that have turned the NSW Government policy of valuing the skills, experience and linguistic abilities of the State's diverse population into a reality.

The Public Employment Office recognises and thanks agencies for their contribution to this guide and applauds their approach to building increased equity, accessibility and productivity throughout the NSW Public Sector.

I encourage all managers to use Diversity Delivers to work with diversity in your workplace.