Its 11:30 in the late morning, it's almost lunchtime. Usually at this time I call up my co-workers and find out who wants to do lunch. Four guys and myself meet up at a local burger place and shot the breeze, while filling our stomachs with greasy burgers and fries. We all have the same types of jobs and make about the same amount of money. But that's where the similarities end. The faces in this group couldn't be more different. One member of this lunch party was born in Mexico, another a black man from Texas, one co-worker's parents were born in China, one white male of Mormon faith and myself. I never gave it much thought before, but at this one table was an example of the "melting pot" that symbolizes America. In this paper I will discuss how having such a diverse work force can be valuable and discuss obstacles that can occur because of diversity.
When I first think of the advantages of having a diverse workplace, the first thing that comes to mind is conversations that take place during my workday. One of the best things about my job is that I can carry a conversation with someone while working on the systems that I am responsible for. The topics of conversation range from sports to religion, from politics to beer, and from music to the weather. If all my co-workers were Republicans who drink beer while rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and listening to Pearl Jam on warm sunny Sunday afternoons instead of going to church, the talk would get boring after a while. By having people from different cultures and backgrounds surrounding me at work, I am able to spend part of my day learning from this people. The lessons can be on little things such as the way someone's mother made tortillas and tamales or more serious topics such how one's parents fled communist rule to come to our country. All this would be impossible if I worked with people who looked just like me.
Being a field service engineer who maintains and repairs electronic systems a big part of my job is to identify and fix problems that have occurred.
