Diversity in the Workplace

The Effect of Diversity Training and Initiatives on Business Recruits

Presentation by:Anne Koutoufas

About Me…..

I am an Administrative Specialist working in College Athletics

I am interested in Diversity training because I work with many people of different ethnicities and feel that I benefit from the diversity of those I interact with. I feel that having diversity

in the workplace helps it to function better and wanted to see it’s effects on the people who are recruited to work there

(i.e. if training has had an impact on their jobs).

Widely Held Beliefs

Diversity training and initiatives are effective in recruiting and retaining a non-traditional workforce

Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is good for a company’s bottom line

The Reality

Training and initiatives result in a diverse work force.

Training and initiatives do little to retain that diverse work force.

Training and initiatives may create a backlash Training and initiatives do little for the company’s

bottom line.

A Surprise

Few organizations evaluate their diversity programs

Background on Diversity

Goal: To acknowledge that everyone is different while behaving in ways that cause everyone to feel the positive feelings associated with sameness or being around people we perceive to like us

Background on Diversity

Diversity encompasses

Gender Sexual persuasion

Race Disability

Ethnicity Language

Religion Perspectives

Age Background

Origins of Diversity Programs

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

1965 Executive Order

Reasons for Programs

Personal Effectiveness Social Change Demographic Change Fairness

Profitability Equity Productivity Litigation

Reasons for Programs

Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the Twenty-First Century

Statistics

$300 million spent by U. S. companies alone

$10 billion spent by companies, institutions of higher learning, and government offices

76% of U. S. organizations have diversity management initiatives

Actual Impact

7.5% drop in overall number of women in management

10% drop in number of Black female managers

12% drop in number of Black men in top positions

Similar drops for Latinos and Asians

Accounting for Results

Training is mandatoryTraining is undertaken to avoid

litigationCompanies “unspoken

policies” may counter the initiatives

Three Common Practices

Efforts to moderate bias through training

Efforts to attack social isolation through mentoring and social networking

Efforts to establish responsibility for diversity

Effective Ways to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce

Goal setting

Programs in place in coordination with accountability

Voluntary training

Group processing skills

Coordination with mentoring and social networking

Examination of a company’s culture