Asian recruitment practices favour harmony over diversity

Most Asian companies are more concerned about inclusion and harmony in the workplace than “celebrating the uniqueness of the individual”, according to recent research. This contrasts with many Western firms, where the focus, during the past 25 years, has been on hiring a greater number of women, ethnic minorities and different generations.

Achieving a balance between different elements among employees to maintain harmony is the primary focus of 355 companies in the region surveyed by Mercer, a global human resource consulting firm.

“How diversity is understood varies widely across the region since the topic is a relatively new one,” said the authors of the report, published this...