Workforce Diversity Management Strategies And The Performance Of The National Social Security Fund Kenya

Abstract

The current changes in the business environment have posed several challenges such as workforce diversity which is a natural phenomenon that has both negative and positive impacts on the performance of the organization depending on how well it is managed. Workforce diversity involves differences and similarities of employees in an organization. Workforce diversity management strategy implies a policy on how a given organization succeeds in bringing together employees from different backgrounds to form a strong team that will push an organization to meet its goals. Organizational performance refers to the extent to which organizational objectives and goals are being achieved. Failure to effectively manage diversity in the workforce can lead to corporate and institutional failures across the world. The objectives of this study were to identify workforce diversity management strategies at the National Social Security Fund Kenya and to determine effects of workforce diversity management strategies on the performance of the National Social Security Fund Kenya. This was a case study that used an interview guide to obtain primary data. 9 senior management out of a team of 23 in the institution were interviewed because they champion strategy formulation and implementation in the organization. The interview guide had open-ended questions that aided in the collection of qualitative data from the respondents. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data as received from the respondents. The findings revealed that NSSF Kenya has adopted workforce diversity management strategies and had an approved workforce diversity management policy in place. The strategies included the hiring process, education through training and career development, fairness and policy review, encouraging interaction among employees, commitment from top leadership and compensation of workforce. These workforce diversity management strategies had a positive impact on the institution’s performance if effectively implemented.The organization recruits employees from diverse backgrounds, they are treated impartially and offered attractive packages. Top management was also committed to the implementation of workforce diversity management strategies which boosted employees’ morale. The study concludes that continuous training through programs that encourage valuing diversity in the workplace by employers typically increased employee satisfaction and teamwork, reduced the rate of employee turnover and at the same time increased employee morale for the job which ultimately led to increased productivity in the organization. The study recommends that management must ensure successful adoption of workforce diversity management strategies in order for the organization to remain relevant, successful and competitive in the market.