Companies learn to cope with employees of different sexes, nationalities and ages. Diversity – specific “multi-cult” in human resources policy – can be a cure for labour market problems – according to experts.

With demographic forecasts, 50+ people will be a growing number of employees. They will team up with the generations X, Y, and Z, each of whom has quite different expectations and approaches to work. Large diversity of employees, including gender, origin, views, nationality or living situation, requires companies to implement appropriate policies. On how to do it effectively, experts will speak during the Congress of Diversity, which will be held in Warsaw.

Large generational variation among employees is and will be increasingly challenging for employers. Hence, the concept of managing diversity is gaining more and more importance. This phenomenon is particularly popular in Western Europe and the United States, and in Poland it is relatively new.

The share of workers after 50 years of age in the labour market will gradually increase. The cause is an aging society. According to the data cited by the Institute of Structural Studies, the median age of the population will increase from 39 in 2015 to 45 in 2030.

Managing employee diversity affects not only age and generational differences but also gender, origin, religion, nationality and secondary factors such as education or family circumstances.

The polish labour market is increasingly opening up to foreign employees. There is a big interest from the side of EU citizens but also inhabitants of more distant, on issues of distance and culture, regions like for eg. East ,Middle East ,Asia. The non-EU citizens have to meet additional requirements concerning visa, work permit or temporary residence permit. There are specified regulations prepared for them by the migration offices. They can always use the support of professional, polish business consulting companies with adequate knowledge and experience which can help to choose the best way, avoid significant mistakes in the first contacts with Polish officials and complete all the necessary formalities.

Diversity policy must be implemented on several levels to be effective. First, it must be found in the business strategy of the company – in line with the popular business principle that “what is not in strategy, does not exist”. Secondly, diversity policies must be accompanied by numerous HR programs targeted at specific groups of workers. Third, corporate diversity policies must be followed primarily by the managers.

Building and implementing such a policy in a company is a real challenge. This year’s edition of the Congress of Diversity will focus on building tolerance and openness and the associated business responsibility. Among the issues raised will be the involvement of women in the labor market, the multiculturalism of cities and the discourse in social media.