We simply can't afford to ignore the diversity in our communities, our customer base or in the people we're attempting to recruit. Companies that do will not be in business in the long term. Also, a diverse workforce helps produce innovation, and innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are what make successful companies successful. I believe that an innovative team made up of people with different life experiences and points of view will consistently outperform a very homogeneous team. Can you imagine 5 Allan Iversons playing 5 Kevin Garnetts . . .
People like to work with and do business with people like themselves.
From the time we're born, we're taught to hang out with people that look like and act like us. It's comfortable, and people tend to make friends with people who share similar values and points of view. But it's difficult to break the pattern that's been established. For most of us, it's easiest to hire people who think like you do and work like you do. Markets have been good in the 1990s, so firms haven't been forced to seek out new business avenues.