Diversity Journal - May/Jun 2014

® All Things Diversity & Inclusion

MAY/JUNE 2014 $5.95

STRATEGIC INTEGRATION Behind KPMG’s Supplier Diversity success JOHN B. VEIHMEYER

Chairman and CEO, KPMG LLP

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16 Companies Tell How They Find— and Keep—Diverse Talent

We Celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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You’re unique.

We’re unique.

Let’s work together.

We believe that diversity encourages collaboration and innovation. We respect and appreciate our employees’ varied backgrounds and skills.

And what this variety does for our culture.

Schwab looks for talented people who share our inclusive values. If you’d like a career with a unique company where you can learn and grow with your colleagues, Schwab could be the place for you.

BUILD YOUR CAREER AT SCHWAB. http://www.aboutschwab.com/careers

©2013 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. CS18682-03 (0413-2612) ADP72661-00 (04/13)

Visit aboutschwab.com/careers.

| PUBLISHER’S COLUMN

Since 1999

®

All Things Diversity & Inclusion

Celebrating Innovation and Achievement

FOUNDER/CEO/PUBLISHER

James R. Rector EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kathie Sandlin COPY EDITOR

Teresa Fausey

“All successful people—men and women—are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision—that goal or purpose.”

STAFF WRITER

Nikki Hunt VP OF OPERATIONS

James Gorman ART DIRECTOR

– Brian Tracy (motivational speaker and author)

Paul Malanij

T

HUMAN RESOURCES

he achievements, the discoveries, the breakthroughs—they are what keep us energized and engaged at work and in life. They are the alchemy that transforms ordinary existence into something extraordinary. They give each of us purpose and give life meaning. And some of them change the world in exciting ways.

In the next two issues of Profiles in Diversity Journal, we’ll celebrate the discoveries, the breakthroughs, and the achievements of some of the most innovative organizations and exceptional women across the globe.

In our July/August issue, we’ll name our top 10 Innovations in Diversity Award winners. Each year, we receive nominations that describe exciting, inventive, and forward-thinking initiatives, tools, and programs that support the success of diverse workforces across the country and around the world. This is the 11th year we’ve recognized innovations in diversity, and we expect it to be better than ever—filled with fresh ideas that take diversity and inclusion across new frontiers. In addition to our Top-10, we’ll include a list of Awards of Excellence recipients and Honorable Mentions. We want to thank the organizations that submitted entries, for giving us the opportunity to share their ideas with our readers and for helping to propel diversity forward. Profiles in Diversity Journal is honored to play a part.

Of course, September/October is our Women Worth Watching® issue. For 13 years, Profiles in Diversity Journal has been honoring successful women executives from around the world, as well as the organizations that saw their talent, hired them, and continue to support their success. The women we honor in this issue are high achievers, who bring passion, commitment, and leadership to their roles. This year, each nominee will talk about her professional and personal journey, and share her views on mentors, work/life balance, learning, and more. A perennial favorite with our readers, partners, contributors, and advertisers, we look forward to bringing you the Women Worth Watching class of 2015.

Join us in celebrating these dynamic professionals, who have envisioned what the future could be—and who work every day to fulfill that vision. PDJ

Vicky DePiore EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Elena Rector CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Alanna Klapp

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Profiles in Diversity Journal Gemini Towers #1 • 1991 Crocker Road, Suite 204 • Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: 440.892.0444 • Fax: 440.892.0737 profiles@diversityjournal.com

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profiles@diversityjournal.com EDITORIAL: edit@diversityjournal.com PHOTOS & ARTWORK: art@diversityjournal.com REPRINTS:

James R. Rector, Founder, CEO & Publisher profiles@diversityjournal.com

May/June 2014

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| CONTENTS

MAY | JUNE 2014

FEATURES 14

36

14

36

ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE 32 Lost Among Caucasians: How stereotypes are holding Asian Americans back.

34 Teach for America recruits teachers from across the API spectrum to better serve API students.

36 To celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we asked API professionals from across the country to share their inspirations, strengths, and career advice. And we learned how they’ve moved past the model minority myth.

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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

RECRUITING AND RETENTION

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Sixteen companies share the positive things they do to recruit diverse talent.

COVER STORY

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STRATEGIC INTEGRATION Learn how KPMG’s Supplier Diversity program has nearly doubled their dealings with diverse suppliers.

May/June 2014

FOLLOW US AT: twitter.com/diversityjrnl scribd.com/diversityjournal twitter.com/mentorings facebook.com/diversityjournal linkedin.com/diversity-journal

Since 1999

VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 3

®

DEPARTMENTS All Things Diversity & Inclusion

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12 | Book Report: Authors share what they learned while writing The New Talent Acquisition Frontier.

48 | The Hartford launches a new portal to complement and support its engagement with diverse suppliers.

49 | Prudential increases supplier diversity through strong relationships and a disciplined sourcing process.

54

THOUGHT LEADERS 50 | Catalyst examines the difficulties employees who feel like the “other” face, and how to overcome them.

51 | Dr. Helen Trumbull discusses the problem of affinity bias in Part III of her series, “The Illusion of Inclusion.”

PROFILE 52 | Attorney John Nixon found his niche at the intersection of tax and employment law.

NONPROFIT 54 | Lead for Diversity works with high schools across New Jersey to teach diversity and acceptance to the next generation.

PUBLISHER’S COLUMN 01 | In this issue, Publisher James R.

PERSPECTIVE 06 | Lincoln Financial’s 3-year

Rector talks about upcoming issues that celebrate the latest innovations in diversity and Women Worth Watching®.

initiative to celebrate the legacy of our 16th President.

EDITOR’S NOTE 04 | In this tough economic climate,

Leah Dunmore discusses influential leadership.

offers a new master’s degree concentration with a workplace focus.

09 | Senior Manager of Political

BULLETIN 58 | Who’s on the move, what’s on the

why is it still important to invest your time and money in diversity conferences and leadership events?

08 | Campbell Soup Company’s

Affairs Nick Jimenez on how Comcast’s community focus inspires employee involvement.

10 | Jeff Martinez from Atmos Energy, on what inspires him to lead.

HIGHER EDUCATION 56 | USC’s School of Social Work

horizon, and more diversity news.

CORPORATE INDEX 62 | Index of organizations appearing in this issue of Diversity Journal.

May/June 2014

WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

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| EDITOR’S NOTE

Should I stay or should I go?

Why attend diversity conferences and leadership events? Given the investment of time and money, you must make it’s a legitimate question.

O

ver the last few months, I’ve had the pleasure of attending two very important learning events—The Multicultural Forum for Diversity, hosted by the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Linkage Diversity Institute, an event Profiles in Diversity Journal proudly supported as a partner.

As someone whose new role recently returned me to this discipline, I knew these experiences would be extremely important to my success, and would allow me to meet many professionals who—like me— needed “grounding” to succeed in their new roles. But more important, I had the chance to meet with thought leaders and seasoned practitioners from nearly every industry and every corner of the world.

And it made me ask…

“In this busy, already over-connected world, why is event attendance such an important investment?”

Why attend diversity conferences and leadership events?

There is tremendous power in being connected to other people who are actively “doing the work” within their own organizations. These allies can help you shift your thinking, uncover new talents, develop new skills, and reveal tactics and measurement methods that you may have overlooked.

“I come away from these meetings with a renewed passion for the work and a broader view of the landscape” said

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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Linkage attendee Cheryl Williams, vice president at Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. “We all have a tendency to get ‘stuck’ and complacent in the day-to-day activities required of our work.”

From a tactical standpoint, Williams believes there is much to be gained by participation. “I learned about creating successful business resource groups, which is going to be important in our organization going forward,” she said. “I also learned to be patient when it comes to seeing progress. It’s easy to think ‘it’s not happening’ when, in fact, it takes time. I also gained the perspective needed to put some of the plans we’ve been talking about into action—jumping in, so to speak. To say what I’ll be bringing back from this meeting will be impactful in my organization is an understatement, to say the least.”

While everyone brings something different back from an event, I can almost guarantee your attendance will help you: Gain perspective. Workforce diversity—like our organizations—is ever evolving. An event can help you gain insight into the experiences of others who face challenges similar to yours. And there’s no better way to learn about key issues in the industry as a whole (and your area of interest in particular) than by hearing them articulated by practitioners.

Develop a network. Imagine having a resource at the ready, made up of people and organizations who are currently addressing the same issues you are—or May/June 2014

looking at similar challenges in completely different ways!

Expand your toolbox. No one has time to stay totally up-to-date on the latest tools and resources. Events can help you find out what’s new in the market, and enable you to “pick the brains” of experts in a variety of areas.

Build some traction. Many organizations give their enterprise-wide initiatives a shot in the arm by sending people from several business units or physical locations to an event. Not only does it help employees build an internal network in relationship to this work, but helps inspire participants to be true advocates for it, as well.

Here’s to those who believe the practice of diversity requires continued learning, and to those organizations, like Linkage Inc. and University of St. Thomas, who are so willing and able to provide it. PDJ Kathie Sandlin, Editor in Chief ksandlin@diversityjournal.com

IS THERE A

IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? Profiles in Diversity Journal invites you to participate in our 13th annual Women Worth Watching® issue recognizing dynamic professional women who are using their talents and influence to change our workplaces and our world.

Nominate your organization’s Woman Worth Watching today.

WomenWorthWatching.com/nominate

©2014 Rector Inc. All rights reserved.

2014

INNOVATIONS IN DIVERSITY AWARD

The competition celebrating new ideas for empowering a changing workforce Each year, Profiles in Diversity Journal recognizes companies, nonprofits, and government agencies that take diversity and inclusion to the next level by developing innovative programs that enable and encourage their employees to thrive at work.

Over the past decade, we’ve found that innovations in diversity can and do happen everywhere—in all kinds and sizes of organizations, all around the world. And, again this year, we’re on the lookout for great organizations that are finding new ways to create an even better workplace.

Is yours one of them?

The 2014 Innovations in Diversity Awards Nominations are now open Learn more at diversityjournal.com/innovations

®

©2014 Rector Inc. All rights reserved.

Thanks to you,

our legacy will be a healthier future for her.

In May, WellPoint pays tribute to generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders who have enriched our country’s history and celebrates the generations to come.

At WellPoint, diversity is more than just the right thing to do. It’s the way we approach business, how we build relationships within our communities and with our employees.

Our associate resource groups – including ACE (Asians Committed to Excellence) – reflect our commitment to a culture of inclusion for all.

Better health care, thanks to you.

For more information, visit: www.wellpoint.com/careers

® Profiles in Diversity Journal. ® Registered Trademark, Diversity Inc Media LLC. ® Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. © 2014 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EOE. M/F/Disability/Veteran.

| PERSPECTIVE

Leaving a LEGACY

Lincoln Financial’s three-year initiative seeks to celebrate communities and families, as well as the inspiring vision of the president for which the company was named.

P

resident Abraham Lincoln left our country a tremendous legacy of freedom, opportunity, and equality—ideals Lincoln Financial celebrates on an ongoing basis.

However, through 2015, a special three-year initiative called Lincoln’s Legacy may help the organization make these ideals more personally significant to the people and communities it serves.

The initiative comprises a series of events and experiences, which began in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and will culminate in 2015 with the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution.

“We knew we were approaching a period of great historical significance,” said Nancy Rogers, senior vice president of Corporate Responsibility and president of the Lincoln Financial Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Lincoln Financial Group. “As an organization, we saw an incredible opportunity to pubAn original signed copy of the Emancipation licly recognize the Proclamation was unveiled at the opening recepinspirational legacy tion of the 2013 National Urban League Conference of our namesake, to at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. educate children and Lincoln Financial will sponsor a multicity tour of the adults on the hisdocument over the next three years.

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torical relevance of his work, and to underscore the continued importance of freedom and opportunity to America’s future.

“In 1905, our founders wanted a name that spoke to the integrity with which we intended to operate as a company. Abraham Lincoln embodied that for them. They asked Robert Todd Lincoln—the president’s only surviving son—for permission to use his father’s name and image. We take that association and our obligation as his namesake seriously.”

And that they do. According to Allison Green, senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Lincoln Financial Group, their values-driven environment is a draw for candidates and customers alike. “We do use words like integrity, opportunity, freedom, and equality. And today, as we mark the progress that’s been made over the past 150 years, we thought it was especially important to celebrate these values externally, because we celebrate them internally every day. They are woven into the very fabric of our organization.

“Both Lincoln’s Legacy and our Diversity and Inclusion strategy, revolve around our purpose and our work.”

Celebrating the Past The Lincoln’s Legacy initiative was launched in July 2013, with the unveiling of a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation at the opening reception of the 2013 National Urban League Conference at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

The Proclamation, which served as the precursor to the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution effectively outlawing slavery in our country, paved the way for freedom, opportunity, and equality—values that form the cornerstone of the American experience.

The copy of the Proclamation to which Lincoln Financial has access is known as the Leland-

Boker Authorized Edition. It’s part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, which the company owned until donating it to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites in 2008. Only 25 of the original 48 printed copies of this edition signed

by President Lincoln remain in existence today.

Celebrating Our Future Lincoln’s Legacy is also dedicated to recognizing the contributions of each generation. Its Oral Histories project gives families and communities the opportunity to commemorate and pay homage to their family experiences through storytelling. Selected oral histories will be featured in the Lincoln’s Legacy oral history anthology at lincolnslegacyoralhistories.com.

“We’re trying to gather as many of these oral histories as we can, so that children can see themselves reflected in the stories,” said Green. “The opportunity to sit down with a child and talk about things that are important to you, what you hope for them, and your advice to them, is very exciting. We’ve really been gratified that nearly everyone we’ve spoken with about this initiative has been receptive— and excited to participate.”

While participants in the project come from every walk of life, some capture on film a piece of history we might have otherwise lost. For example, among those who have already shared their oral histories are civil rights leaders Julian Bond and Dr. Franklin McCain (Dr. Franklin died earlier this year). Green explained, “Through our diversity engagement in the community, we have been able to involve many notables in this project. Each has been enthusiastic about creating a piece that they can share with their own children, as well as their communities.”

The ultimate goal is to create an anthology that can serve as an educational supplement for use in classrooms across the country. “If we’re going to impact this next generation—if they are going to be able to achieve their hopes and dreams—we want them to hear how important the legacy of freedom, opportunity, and equality is to their families and community,” Green said.

Celebrating Educational Opportunity The Lincoln’s Legacy Award recognizes nonprofit organizations whose education mission embodies

About Lincoln Financial Group

L

incoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. Headquartered in the Philadelphia area, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $209 billion as of March 31, 2014. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers the following: annuities; life, group life, disability, and dental insurance; employer-sponsored retirement plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.

and perpetuates the 16th president’s legacy of freedom, opportunity, and equality. One $50,000 Legacy Award is being presented during each year of the initiative.

Last year’s inaugural winner was Brigade Boys & Girls Club of Wilmington, North Carolina.

The Club was recognized for its holistic approach, continued mentoring, grade-progress tracking, and family involvement in student success.

Applications for this year’s award are being accepted through June 6, 2014, with the winner chosen by the Lincoln Financial’s social community on Facebook.

“Our company has a rich history of supporting education in the community,” said Rogers. “From a practical standpoint, research tells us that educational attainment helps raise earning potential and helps create secure financial futures. We continually support, and specifically target, those organizations that help children obtain that high school diploma and get ready for college.

“Through the Lincoln’s Legacy Awards, we can recognize organizations whose mission, vision, and programs create the level of educational access and opportunity that our namesake envisioned for this nation.”

“The Lincoln’s Legacy Awards have been a great source of pride for Lincoln Financial employees and advisors,” said Green. “We hear again and again how important our people believe it is to be personally involved in the communities we serve. There are many opportunities to do that here; it’s always been part of the culture. It is why the Lincoln’s Legacy initiative has resonated so well.” PDJ

May/June 2014

ROGERS

GREEN

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| PERSPECTIVE

WOMEN on Leadership A discussion with Leah Dunmore Vice President, U.S. Soup, Campbell Soup Company

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COMPANY AND EXECUTIVE

2015 AWARD WINNER

Profiles in Diversity Journal is proud to name Leah Dunmore a Woman Worth Watching for 2015.

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eah Dunmore leads the overall vision, as well as the strategic and operating plans, for the U.S. Soup portfolio for Campbell Soup Company. She is responsible for delivering profitable growth, strengthening brand equities, building an innovation pipeline, and leading and developing the talent of a team of marketers and dedicated cross-functional partners.

Former vice president of marketing for the more than $1 billion Post Foods cereal business, as well as marketing director for the M&M’s® business at Mars Chocolate N.A., Dunmore’s success in the consumer goods field—and her career accomplishments—are a product of her passion for the work.

“What has drawn me to different roles throughout my career is the breadth of the opportunity, the different aspects of the role, and the ways I believe I can add value to the business,” says Dunmore.

“That’s why the opportunity at Campbell was so exciting to me. It is an iconic brand and a wonderful—very relationship-driven—company, and this was an opportunity to head up an important part of the business in a role that is the perfect marriage of marketing and general management. It impacts all aspects of the business.

“No two days are the same. One day, I may be working with my advertising agencies and, the next, with the team at the plant to improve our cost structure, or with brand managers to build their skills.”

Dunmore says the right words and actions from senior leadership can make an incredible difference.

“I believe my passion and optimism—for our business, our people, our results, and the bright possibilities our future holds—help inspire and motivate my team to think big and deliver brilliant results.”

PDJ: What makes a leader truly influential?

“A leader must invest time and energy to build

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

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HEADQUARTERS: Camden, New Jersey

EDUCATION: BA, Spelman College; MBA, Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management

WHAT I’M READING: The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant.

BEST ADVICE: It’s never too early to develop a vision for your long-term career goals. It is natural for your goals to change over time, but your vision will always inspire and motivate you, as well as others around you.

trusting relationships. When connecting with people, I like to develop an understanding of what motivates them and how I can help them achieve their own definition of success.

“For example, I serve as a mentor and sponsor to several professionals within the Campbell organization who I believe have the potential and desire to succeed. I also support my alma mater, Spelman College, as I believe I can help Spelman continue to empower generations of African American women to prosper both professionally and personally.”

PDJ: Who first recognized your potential

and desire? Who is it that inspired you?

“My father inspired me with his own success, strong work ethic, and his belief in the value of education. He has always demonstrated tremendous confidence in me and encouraged me to have big ambitions. My thriving career and happy family are a direct result of my father’s influence.” PDJ

| PERSPECTIVE

Inspired FOCUS A discussion with Nick Jimenez, Comcast’s Senior Manager of Political Affairs

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n 2009, Comcast Corporation acquired 51 percent of NBCUniversal from General Electric. Along with a majority stake in the network and ownership of their iconic peacock logo, Comcast gained some of the newly acquired company’s best practices, including its employee resource groups.

At the time of the merger, NBCUniversal was already home to eight employee resource groups, including groups for women, LGBT, and African Americans. The opportunity to create a Hispanic group inspired Comcast team member Nicolas Jimenez to get involved.

“In Unidos@Comcast, we focus on three things—developing our members, giving back to our community, and making an impact on our businesses,” Jimenez says—and as the founding lead of the group, he would know. “The most surprising thing to me was the involvement of our members. I expected entry- to mid-level employees would come to the events, but we have an incredible group of executives who really take the time to attend our meetings and stay active in what’s going on.” With participation from both Comcast and NBCUniversal, Unidos@ Comcast has over 180 active members.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nicolas Jimenez moved to Philadelphia in 2006 to attend Temple University’s Fox School of Business. His sister, who had recently started working at Comcast, referred him to the Comcast internship program—which launched his career with the company in 2007. He is now Comcast’s senior manager of political affairs.

But Jimenez didn’t always think he would end up in the corporate world; during college, he started a commercial painting company, booking jobs by word of mouth.

It’s no surprise, then, that one of his favorite parts of working with Comcast isn’t related to his job title. Instead, it involves facilitating a special charitable-contributions fund.

“I think it’s the coolest part of my job. I manage three million dollars a year in donations to organizations as big as the United Way (our number one recipient) or as small as individual churches.”

It isn’t just managing charitable donations that makes Jimenez proud to work at Comcast. He also serves as a Big Brother through the company’s Beyond School Walls partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and coordinates a group of employee volunteers who visit a local school to speak with students about their futures. “Edison High School in North Philadelphia is majority minority, with a graduation rate below 40 percent. Suffice it to say, the students at Edison face many challenges, says Jimenez.”

But, recently, the school district has classified it a Promise Academy, designating extra resources in an effort to turn it around.

Basically, what some fellow Comcasters and I do is visit the school for a day to share our stories with the kids and answer their questions about college and careers.”

Before the Comcast team’s first visit to the school two years ago, Jimenez sent out an email asking others to join, and recruited Josh Cortes, an Edison alum. “When we went to speak,” says Jimenez, “we started with the ninth graders, in their individual classrooms. Afterwards, the school administrators asked if one of us would speak to the tenth through twelfth graders in the auditorium, since each classroom would only have a few students in attendance. Josh spoke about his life, what he does, and where he’s from. When he finished, the students gave him a standing ovation. He was able to get

a roomfull of high school students to really listen, because they related to him, and could see what was possible if they expanded their horizons and stepped up to the challenge.”

JIMENEZ That first year, three Comcasters were involved. Last year, a dozen participated. “This year, we hope to double that. It’s absolutely amazing to see.

These kids, coming from a tough neighborhood, usually have to hide what they’re interested in or what their goals are, but they open up when they hear our stories and are able to see a way out for themselves.”

Jimenez can sympathize with students holding back. “I was never that person in high school who signed up for clubs or groups, nor was I like that in college. It wasn’t until I started here, right around the time of Comcast Cares Day, that I saw the impact that can be made when people volunteer their time and effort.”

Since its inception in 2001, Comcast Cares Day has become the largest corporate volunteer effort in the nation—more than 2.6 million volunteer hours have been served to date. “I saw people using their Saturday to give back, executives working next to regular employees. It really opened my eyes. The mentoring, the culture here at Comcast, has really been the most rewarding part of my job.” Last year, Unidos teamed up with Congreso de Latinos Unidos on Comcast Cares Day to beautify and add a playground at Von Nieda Park in Camden, New Jersey. This year, Jimenez and Cortes decided to pay back Congreso by leading a project at their North Philadelphia headquarters. With 200 volunteers, the team worked to rejuvenate the campus, cleaning up empty lots, painting murals, and expanding a community garden that will be a food source and a point of pride for the local community. PDJ

May/June 2014

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| PERSPECTIVE

Leadership is PERSONAL Jeff Martinez Vice President of Operations, Atmos Energy

I

believe that inspired leadership is vital for the long-term success of our company and communities. As a leader, one key inspiration that drives me is a focus on a diverse and balanced approach in all aspects of the business. Two very important elements of this approach are community outreach and support initiatives that become ingrained in the fabric of who you are.

I grew up in Fort Worth, where I attended Catholic school, and then, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University. After graduation, I chose to work for Atmos Energy, a company with stellar values and beliefs in community outreach and support. I have worked in numerous capacities—project manager, director of engineering, and my current role as vice

Meet Jeff Martinez MY PHILOSOPHY: I believe that all good things come from a service mindset and compassionate heart. Each day is an opportunity to make a positive difference for someone. Doing the right things from a true position of caring will always foster the right long-term results.

WHAT I'M READING: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell. It’s a great book on collaboration and teamwork through effective communication and influence.

BEST ADVICE:

You have to genuinely care to make a real difference.

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president of operations. Throughout my career, I have been afforded and have taken advantage of opportunities that supported diversity and education.

I actively participated in the INROADS program during high school and college, and took advantage of internship opportunities that greatly broadened and enhanced my perspective. During my college years, I benefited from multiple scholarships, including some supporting Hispanic youth. Through these experiences and others, I developed the strong belief that community outreach and support are fundamentally beneficial and necessary to develop our youth and grow our communities.

Because I have experienced similar benefits in my own education and career, I am grateful to be able to give back to the community. As an example, I continue to help others as chair of the School Advisory Council for the Diocese of Fort Worth.

The Council strongly encourages a focus on diversity in the marketing, education, and recruitment efforts of the schools, while fostering a tradition of service and ministry to the community.

Atmos Energy continues to inspire me with its commitment to the communities it serves. The company is committed to a number of youth programs, including INROADS and various programs through the Dallas Mayor’s office, which support the professional development of youth. We are also actively engaged in literacy efforts, including the Atmos Energy West Dallas Literacy Center.

The Center provides an opportunity for youth and adults to learn English as a second language and obtain their GEDs—two achievements that will open doors for them and lead to greater success in life. More than 1,000 adults attended the Center’s first year of operation. Atmos Energy continues to inspire youth and community to new levels of achievement and commitment. And that motivates and inspires me. PDJ

Engaging

©3M 2014. All rights reserved.

Diverse Perspectives Creativity as diverse as the people behind it.

3M knows that diversity is at the heart of our market-leading innovation for over 100 years. That’s because our culture values, encourages and rewards the rich and varied perspectives of our employees. It is their diversity of cultures, backgrounds and insights that powers our creativity.

Be part of what’s next 3M.com/careers-diversity

| PERSPECTIVE

The New Talent Management PARADIGM Integrating HR and Diversity Strategy

I

n a relentlessly competitive and fastpaced global economy, research reveals that executives in global corporations worldwide recognize the importance of diversity, as well as HR’s pivotal role in fostering inclusive talent practices. Yet, despite this recognition, some organizations still have failed to capitalize on the synergy that can be gained from an integrated HR and diversity strategy. Within these organizations, the diversity and HR functions may exist in any uneasy alliance or have failed to attain the needed synergy to work in collaboration.

Far too often, diversity is not viewed as an essential aspect of an organization’s talent acquisition and management strategy. As such, the diversity function can be sidelined and treated as a silo operation without impact on the organization’s talent equation. Diversity leaders frequently do not have the resources or staff needed to marshal diverse organizational talent, create talent pipelines, and work with their HR partners to develop integrated diversity talent practices. They often must rely on their HR partners to implement training programs that foster cultural change, overcome subtle biases, and

T

he new talent paradigm requires the dynamic integration of HR and diversity strategy to optimize and unleash the creativity and innovation of a diverse and talented workforce. Chun and Evan’s latest book, The New Talent Acquisition Frontier: Integrating HR and Diversity Strategy presents a systematic approach to integrated HR and diversity talent practices.

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embed diversity as a mindset among stakeholders.

In compiling research and case studies for our book, The New Talent Acquisition Frontier: Integrating HR and Diversity Strategy in the Private and Public Sectors and Higher Education, we have identified four primary challenges faced by organizations in their efforts to implement a comprehensive HR and diversity strategy: 1. Diversity is not seen as a collective responsibility owned by stakeholders throughout the organization. Developing collective ownership for integrated HR/diversity efforts involves persuasion and engagement of stakeholders across the boundaries created by geographically dispersed divisions, lines of business, and internal hierarchies. Such collaborative ownership begins with obtaining the active buy-in of HR and diversity leaders themselves.

Carolynn Brooks, chief diversity officer for OfficeMax, describes the evolution of such a partnership in a corporation with over 29,000 employees.

“The advantage I have now,” she says, “is that we all sit down together and talk about how we are going to meet the goals and how they are aligned with HR rather than in conflict with HR.” She adds, “What I love about it, is we are … collaborating on how we can be a more diverse workforce, and not combating one another, in terms of “that’s not my job,” or “why am I doing this kind of thing.” So maybe we’ve evolved to a place where we all own this….”

2. A clear business case for integrated HR/diversity efforts has not been articulated. While experts understand the need for a clear business case for diversity, the new talent paradigm calls for an active link between HR and diversity in articulating this case. HR leaders often fail to mention their contribution to diversity in their departments’ mission statements. As Shirley Davis, vice president of diversity and inclusion for the Society for Human Resource Management and president of the Success Doctor, explains, “I think that it really comes down to helping people understand why change is neces-

sary. The business case behind the change that we are trying to implement with HR and diversity professionals is not going to go away.”

3. The high turnover among diversity leaders undercuts long-term, systematic HR/diversity change. Unfortunately, the rapid turnover of chief diversity officers, noted in interviews conducted for our book, can undermine efforts to build synergistic HR/diversity practices. Since changing the cultural fabric of an organization to be more responsive to diversity can take three or four years, some companies may focus on quick wins in branding and public relations, rather than grappling with the complex issues associated with long-term cultural change. And in an era of budgetary constraints, organizations may view diversity as a luxury rather than a necessity.

4. HR leaders themselves have not recognized diversity as an essential facet of their responsibilities. Given the existence of HR and diversity silos, some HR leaders are hesitant about entering the diversity realm. They may not view diversity as an essential aspect of their portfolio and skill set.

This perspective is heightened when organizational leadership fails to recognize or explicitly define HR’s contributions to diversity work. In such cases, the development of diversity competencies among HR leaders can be overlooked.

Consider the best practice strategies in the systematic orchestration of HR/diversity practices shared by Dr. Rohini Anand, senior vice president and global chief diversity officer for Sodexo. A leading food services and facilities management corporation that employs more than 413,000 people in 34,000 locations in 80 countries, Sodexo has led a phase-based diversity approach that gauges organizational readiness and maturity before moving to the next phase.

Upon joining the executive team in 2002, Anand quickly partnered with the chief human resources officer, who served as a strong supporter and ally in the diversity journey. Both sit on a Diversity Leadership Council chaired by Sodexo CEO Michel Landel. The structure of the company’s eight market segments (corporate, defense, education, health care, justice, sports and leisure, seniors, and remotes sites) involves a dedicated diversity vice president for each segment report-

ing to the market president with a dotted line to Anand. The market segments are, in turn, tightly aligned to HR in the market. In essence, Anand believes that Sodexo’s long-term diversity success is attributable to its unique structural organization; clear metrics and accountability for all managers; link to the core business strategy; and cultural change through a top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up approach. She has designed an organizational diversity maturity model with progressive phases that begin with compliance and culminate in inclusion for business breakthroughs.

Complementary and synergistic HR, and diversity talent management practices, is essential to the creation of an inclusive, high-performance workplace that will lead to improved business results.

HR’s ability to serve as a change agent within complex line cultures provides a valuable complement to diversity leaders as principal owners of diversity efforts. Diversity is an important intangible asset when actualized through HR-related workplace processes that include recruitment, retention, and total rewards. Through an integrated HR/diversity talent strategy, organizations will be equipped to cross the new talent frontier in a competitive global economy and differentiate their performance, products, and services by drawing upon the rich creative potential of their human capital resources. PDJ

CHUN

EVANS

Edna Chun and Alvin Evans are the award-winning authors of Are the Walls Really Down? Behavioral and Organizational Barriers to Faculty and Staff Diversity and Bridging the Diversity Divide: Globalization and Reciprocal Empowerment in Higher Education, as well as other books dealing with diversity and HR issues. Their most recent book, The New Talent Acquisition Frontier: Integrating HR and Diversity Strategy in the Private and Public Sectors and Higher Education (Stylus, 2013) will be showcased at the upcoming Society for Human Resource Management Diversity and Inclusion Conference in San Francisco.

May/June 2014

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Fueling Success The integration of HR and diversity strategy

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nhancing workforce diversity means new opportunities for both employees and employers.

But for organizations to find—and keep—the diverse talent they need today requires a more strategic approach to everything from position development to sourcing and selection, as well as development programs and support processes.

We asked hiring organizations and sourcing specialists to share their approaches to recruitment and retention for diverse markets. In each case, the integration of HR and diversity strategy has been integral to their success.

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JBK ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL

Developing a Welcoming Atmosphere If the recruiting process is a courtship, then an employee’s first days set the tone for the marriage that follows.

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fter more than a decade spent running a firm that specializes in diversity recruitment and retention, I’ve learned that success comes down to building genuine relationships. Given the stakes and the sensitivities that come with even discussions of diversity, these relationships only develop when every step of the process shows care and integrity.

Ironically, the organizations that do best in diversity recruitment don’t prioritize diversity above all else.

They prioritize diversity equally with skills and cultural fit. It’s easy to take a shortcut by permitting a spot on a slate for a diverse candidate who may be less qualified, but that approach puts hiring managers in an impossible position and sets up potential employees for failure—hardly a formula for respectful relationships.

JBK Associates International conducts hundreds of searches, including some for highly complex roles, and I can tell you that it’s a mistake to suggest that diverse candidates with top qualifications just aren’t out there. They are out there; they just require effort to find and attract.

It helps to have a diverse hiring team. Clients who do are more likely to show the sensitivity needed to answer common tough questions ranging from “Am I on this search because I’m a person of color?” to “Why does no one running this company look like me?” At JBK, the experience and skills of a fully diverse team help us work through the questions to build a promising candidate-employer relationship.

We also follow up closely with every executive we place—that’s when we see the impact of onboarding. If the recruiting process is a courtship, then an employee’s first days set the tone for the marriage that follows. Diverse employees who don’t receive thoughtful onboarding can feel like a new spouse left alone to take out the trash, and that disappointment makes an early exit look tempting. Those welcomed with a customized program, resource groups, mentoring, and a willingness to listen will want to stay—provided they

have the chance to grow.

The most effective tactic I’ve seen for instilling that confidence is sensitivity training. The benefits of diverse perspectives come at the price of tough conversations, and few executives have a natural ability to negotiate tough conversations in an environment that’s multiracial, multigenerational, gender-balanced, and filled with employees of different faiths, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and backgrounds.

Internal audiences may not always welcome sensitivity training, but its absence has real costs. When employers don’t train managers to question the assumptions and filters they use to make business decisions, diverse new employees may need years to assimilate. By shortening the assimilation period, organizations can drive gains in productivity and also increase their ability to retain the diverse workforce they’ve worked so hard to attract. Increased retention, in turn, will help draw new diverse employees.

As with anything involving human relationships, successful diversity recruitment and retention takes commitment. For the team and clients of JBK Associates International, that commitment pays off by offering us exciting opportunities to work with some of the world’s best diverse talent. PDJ

KAMPF Julie Kampf is CEO and founder of JBK Associates International, an award winning executive talent solutions organization that specializes in senior-level talent. Learn more at JBKAssociates.net.

May/June 2014

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ACCENTURE

Creating a Global Culture of Growth CEO for the US and Senior Managing Director for North America Jorge Benitez, on the role an inclusive culture plays in enabling Accenture to attract and retain diverse talent worldwide.

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BENITEZ

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t Accenture, embracing inclusion and diversity in the widest possible sense—beyond gender, ethnicity, or religion—is part of our recipe for success. Our ability to harness the rich diversity of our people—their unique mix of capabilities, expertise, and their commitment—allows us to truly understand and be relevant to our clients. It makes us stronger, smarter, more innovative, and a betterperforming company across all dimensions.

We recognize that each person has unique strengths, and that by embracing those strengths, we achieve success, foster innovation, and deliver high performance. We invest in the professional development of our employees—directing more than US$875 million annually to employee training, including customized inclusion and diversity programs.

Both our global and local inclusion and diversity initiatives underpin our focus on building a dynamic workforce equipped with the skills, passion, and energy to deliver high performance to our clients.

Globally, we provide guidance, coordination, and vigilance around our priority initiatives and champion best practices across the organization. Our global strategy sets overarching objectives and outlines key tactics for raising awareness and building diversity into our recruiting efforts and talent supply chain. The strategy also ad-

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dresses other areas essential to meeting our goals, including promoting a discrimination-free and harassment-free work environment for all Accenture employees around the world.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) help drive our activities, both internally and externally. Based on local demand and interest, these groups differ from location to location. But all of them offer members opportunities to collaborate with colleagues who have similar interests or backgrounds and participate in career development workshops, mentoring, and local recruiting and community service activities.

At the same time, leadership at Accenture takes an active role in championing an inclusive and diverse workplace. From our board of directors to our executive leadership team, and through every facet of our business, our leaders are committed to inclusion and to rewarding our people on the merits of their contributions.

At our locations across the globe, each managing director, in addition to his or her business-facing role, serves as a human capital and diversity lead, helping to implement our Inclusion & Diversity programs. Additionally, the Accenture Diversity Council, which comprises company leaders (including me), sets the strategic direction of our Inclusion & Diversity actions globally, including assessing the issues we might face.

At Accenture, we like to say that our people are the thousands of diverse pieces that complete our mosaic—and I am a part of that. Through championing inclusion and diversity, and the experience of working at Accenture every day, I see that by bringing people together, we unlock the power of an inclusive culture and are able to leverage the power of diversity. PDJ

FORDHARRISON

Creating an Engaged and Active Workforce

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ordHarrison is a labor and employment law firm with 27 offices across the US. A member of the global employment practice alliance Ius Laboris, our resources allow us to provide clients with sound legal advice, practical counseling, and excellent client service—no matter where in the world they operate.

The firm believes a diverse and inclusive environment creates a pathway to success and employee fulfillment. Our efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce are focused on three objectives—to recruit, retain, and advance; to create a better workplace; and to create an engaged and active workforce.

Some examples of our most successful efforts include: • Implementing a pipeline initiative for diverse attorneys. One significant reason that associates leave firms is lack of mentoring. We provide all diverse associates a 4-member mentoring network for their first three years of employment. This network helps new associates foster multiple relationships across the firm, ensures meaningful work assignments, and accelerates the diverse associate’s overall professional development. Currently, 5 of the firm’s 34 diverse associates are being mentored through the pipeline initiative—11 of the firm’s 81 partners serve as mentors.

• Supporting our diverse attorneys’ growth and learning. Providing internal and external learning opportunities helps us to attract and

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keep our diverse talent. We’ve sponsored the Corporate Counsel Women of Color’s National Conference, as well as the Florida Diversity Council’s LGBT-Allies Diversity Summit, which was co-chaired by one of our associates.

An associate in our Chicago office served on the National Summit of Black Women Lawyers Steering Committee. Our attorneys have attended and spoken at conferences hosted by the National Employment Law Council, the National Asian Pacific Bar Association, and the Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys.

Embarking on a campaign to increase cultural competence within the firm. Cultural competence is critical to recruiting and retaining diverse attorneys. Spearheaded by the firm’s diversity partner, Dawn Siler-Nixon, and the firm’s Executive Diversity Committee, the campaign includes a cultural competence panel, featuring diverse in-house counsel and law firm attorneys, as well as an email series about cultural norms and blunders. Our attorneys will also take a cultural competency assessment and participate in cultural competence and unconscious bias workshops led by renowned diversity consultant Verna Myers.

Championing our diverse attorneys by honoring their achievements.

Recognizing our attorneys’ accomplishments helps to attract and retain diverse attorneys. For example, we successfully nominated an associate May/June 2014

FordHarrison Associate Brian Cunningham, Associate Aisha Sanchez, Partner Vista Lyons and Associate Luis Santos attending the 2013 National Employment Law Council (NELC ) conference.

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for the Lawyers of Color’s inaugural Hot List.

Providing resources and networking opportunities for our women attorneys. Empowering our women attorneys is a key part of our retention plan. We are one of only six firms granted gold standard certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum. We recently hosted our first Women Leaders Forum for our women partners and general counsel clients led by well-known diversity consultant Angela Vallot. PDJ

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GEORGIA TECH

Web of Brilliance Georgia Tech Creates the First ERG for Introverts

By Cheryl D. Cofield, Director of Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Georgia Institute of Technology

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ince first opening its doors in 1888, the Georgia Institute of Technology has long been known for its culture of academic excellence, and for fostering technological advances and innovation.

As a science and technology-focused learning institute, Georgia Tech is renowned for its deeply held commitment to improving the human condition. Now, members of the Georgia Tech employee community are developing innovative ways to hardwire inclusive excellence into the campus’s DNA, and increase community and organizational effectiveness by sustaining a work environment where all employees feel supported, valued, respected, productive, and engaged.

In September 2013, Georgia Tech, through the Office of Human Resources (OHR), created the nation’s first Employee Resource Group (ERG) specifically for introverts, called “Web of Brilliance” (Web).

In addition to offering staff and faculty a true “sense of belonging,” and enriching the overall employment experience by contributing to a campus environment where employees feel supported, valued, and respected, Web provides a safe forum for introverts to explore their unique gifts and examine the “quiet” nature of their significant contributions.

Since introverts are generally modest and reserved people who rarely seek the limelight, their strengths are often masked and their intellectual depth is often discounted or overlooked. The ERG educates those who work with introverts, brings active awareness to the impact introversion has on work style, and provides insights into the chal-

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lenges introverts face in extrovert-ideal workplaces. It also dispels notions that extroversion is “right” and introversion is somehow “wrong” by reframing introversion as an interesting aspect of identity.

The introvert group is the first of its kind in the US. The approach to managing the group is, therefore, being “birthed” day by day. It is managed by introverts with introvert sensibilities in mind; there is a spaciousness to the approach which leaves room to think, room to breathe, room to reflect, and room for people to be who we are with no forced “extroverting” required.

More than 130 staff, administration, and faculty members attended the initial kickoff meeting for Web and engaged in a think tank/affinity mapping reflection collage, resulting in more than 200 ideas toward the ERG’s annual business plan.

Putting Our Plan into Action As a part of the plan, we’re developing introvert-friendly hiring processes and procuring “job aids” to enhance each introvert’s ability to thrive in the Georgia Tech workplace. For instance, we’re recommending headphones with apps containing “white noise” or “pink noise,” and cube curtains containing messages like “Introvert at Work.” We’re also creating official protocols for proactive reflection, designating areas as introvert “chill zones,” and lobbying for the configuration of serene, calming spaces designed for introspection and thoughtfulness— that is, designed with visual and acoustic separation, and little outside sensory stimulation or distraction.

In 2014–15, we’ll spread the good word of Georgia Tech’s pioneering innovation by creating a blog for introverts, May/June 2014

showcasing the school’s introverted executives and leaders, and sharing thought leadership at national and global conferCOFIELD ences. We already presented ERG-related sessions with Princeton and MIT at the College and University Professional Association Annual Conference and Expo. We also presented on the impact introversion has on work style and the challenges introverts face in extrovert-ideal workplaces for The Conference Board and Atlanta Diversity Management Advocacy Group.

We’ll continue collecting data to better understand the nature and needs of introverts, create a resource guide titled How to Manage Introverts: A Guide for Extroverts, by Introverts, and a resource that helps reframe perceptions, dispel myths, and break stereotypes. In future months, we’ll engage introverted employees through special interest groups, such as TED Talk discussion circles, local/ regional/national “travel clubs” that tour state-of-the-art innovation centers, and a “Special Edition Toastmasters” tailored for introverts. Finally, later this spring, we’ll begin designing a professional development series focused on embracing the unique strengths of introverts, getting noticed, becoming better conversationalists and public speakers, and developing strategies to ensure the success of introverted students and leaders.

Since Georgia Tech is one of the few places where it actually is about rocket science—where the nature of the work is analytical, contemplative, and life-changing —we honor the desire many people have to put down the “extrovert mask,” and we respect their preference to be left alone to perfect equations and formulas, produce one-of-a-kind works, and otherwise improve the human condition. PDJ

GOVERNMENT OF MANITOBA

What’s New in Diversity and Inclusion at the Manitoba Government?

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ecruitment and retention strategies must consistently be developed and improved upon for an employer to remain competitive in Manitoba’s labour market. Adding to the challenge of recruitment and retention is that of ensuring that the workforce is as inclusive and diverse as possible. To that end, the Manitoba government has continually implemented and updated policies and programming that align with our vision of a civil service reflective of the population we serve.

One of the initiatives implemented by the Manitoba government is the Manitoba Diversity Internship Program introduced in 2013/14. This one-year internship is for high-potential external candidates who self-declare as persons with disabilities, Aboriginal persons, or members of a visible minority.

To address the need for overall renewal and succession planning, the Manitoba Diversity Internship Program requires that departments submit proposals for positions in which they anticipate future vacancies. For example, this may be in response to expected retirements or for positions that are typically more difficult to fill, such as in rural locations or certain areas of technical expertise.

The interns are recruited for one-year terms, with a commitment to appoint successful participants to a government position at the conclusion of the program.

Each internship placement focuses on occupation-specific experience, and offers the intern an opportunity for rotational assignments within the department or similar occupational groups across government.

As part of the program, interns are eligible for training and courses specific to their individual learning plans. Participation in the program includes a strong focus on mentorship, an introduction to various employee networks, and participation in many of the Manitoba government’s diversity-related learning events, conferences, and workshops.

Manitoba Legislative Building

The Manitoba Diversity Internship Program’s training curriculum also includes participation in the Manitoba government’s “Diversity at Work” workshop. The aim is for these interns to become informal ambassadors, promoting diversity and inclusion in each of their respective workplaces.

Led by its senior leadership group, the Manitoba government continues to make significant strides in improving its already award-winning diversity and inclusion programming. (This includes being named as one of Canada’s Top Diversity Employers in 2012, 2013, and 2014.) Each department has its own diversity and employment equity plan in place. These leader-driven strategies help shape the organizational culture, according to the unique realities and context of each department, into one positively linked to both retention and engagement rates within the civil service.

The Manitoba government is committed to a workforce that is both inclusive and representative of the population it serves. We take pride in having made significant strides in living up to this commitment. We continue to demonstrate leadership to our province in building diverse and inclusive workplaces. PDJ May/June 2014

Jeff Joaquin, Policy Analyst Intern with the Manitoba Diversity Internship Program, and Barbara Crumb, A/Director, Disaster Management, Department of Health, Government of Manitoba.

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DHR INTERNATIONAL

Securing Diverse Leadership Talent

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n the first quarter of 2014, less than 10 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs were diverse (defined for this article as gender and ethnicity). Data for other leadership levels within these organizations are not as readily available, but most sources suggest that the percentage of direct CEO reports, as well as the next level of direct reports, is also less than 10 percent.

Many organizations have modest levels of diverse leaders—or none at all. But there is a way to remedy this situation. When an opening for a leader presents itself, and an external candidate is required, a search firm can help source strong diverse talent. DHR International is particularly strong in this regard, since a third of our placements are diverse.

Sourcing and securing diverse leadership talent can be challenging. However, it is a hurdle that can be overcome, as illustrated by this case study: The leader of a large procurement team for a Fortune 50 company, with responsibilities of over $3 billion, was looking for additional leadership talent. Because of the capabilities required, he needed to look outside his organization. Candidates for these leadership positions would have to 1) lead in a manner consistent with the company’s core values and 2) demonstrate a high level of competence. The pool also needed to include diverse talent.

The two positions had been open for nearly a year, during which time the search continued through the company’s internal efforts and those of a contingent search firm. Thus, the company demonstrated patience and a commitment to the high expectations originally set for these new leaders.

The organization selected DHR International, led by Executive Vice President Dwain Celistan, to fill the two positions. DHR International is a Top 5 global search firm with a commitment to identifying great talent and including diverse talent as part of candidate slates.

For this organization, a successful candidate pool would have to 1) come from a narrow industry group, 2) achieve a desired score on two third-party assessments, and 3) include diverse talent. DHR International sourced the talent requested. It required extra effort to identify diverse candidates that met the criteria.

Following an extensive interview process, the two positions were filled with diverse candidates. The pool proved to be so rich that a third diverse candidate was selected for another position.

In summary, the organization was able to hire three diverse leaders whose leadership styles were consistent with the culture for these challenging and important roles. In fact, one of the newly hired leaders was promoted within two years. These fantastic results—as well as subsequent process improvements and millions of dollars saved—led to an expanded partnership between that organization and DHR International. PDJ CELISTAN

For information about how DHR International can help your organization, regardless of size, to expand diversity in its leadership team, please contact Dwain H. Celistan, Executive Vice President and Global Diversity Practice Leader, at dcelistan@dhrinternational.com, or call 312-782-1581.

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CITY UNIVERSITY OF SEATTLE

Engaging a Diverse Student Body Seattle’s CityU employs a three-step process to recruit and retain a diverse student body.

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s an institution focused on serving the working adult and transfer student, City University of Seattle (CityU) has developed some best practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse student body—a daunting task in today’s market.

Here are three ways CityU is achieving this goal: 1. Communicating Often and Clearly When recruiting and retaining a diverse student body, it is extremely important to create an academic atmosphere that fosters clear and open communication. Prioritizing student achievement and service, and putting policies in place that require a 24-hour follow-up to all communications, is necessary to recruiting and retaining students today. Hosting a chat feature on the university’s website and carefully leveraging social media also enhance conversation between students and their current or potential university. Open communication is vital to growing any relationship. The relationship with a prospective or current student is no different.

2. Making Education Affordable and Accessible As the job market continues to demand higher levels of education, the cost of that education continues to increase. To recruit and retain a diverse student body, universities must offer affordable and flexible learning options that meet the needs of full-time workers, parents, transitioning veterans, and others trying to balance work, life, and school. Convenient onsite and online options, as well as competency-based modalities (offering credit for experience) and need-based scholarships, are crucial to meeting the modern student’s needs and thus, are essential to recruitment and retention. CityU offers competency-based education as a way for students to demonstrate

“According to recent reports, 60 percent of job openings will require

a college degree in four years. Considering the number of people that do not have this prerequisite, college classrooms are filled with what was once called ‘nontraditional students.’ At CityU, we recognize that students have families, careers, financial obligations, and lives beyond what is happening in the classroom. The diversity of student needs, skills, and experience begs universities like ours to offer more flexible and affordable learning options. In offering these options, universities are bound to see improvements in their recruitment and retention efforts.”

– Marianne Fingado, Vice President of Enrollment at City University of Seattle (and get credit for) what they already know, so they can spend time taking classes that teach them new things. After all, students expect to attend a university to learn what they do not know, and gain the skills and knowledge they do not have.

3. Offering an Education that is Relevant to People’s Lives There is inherent value in getting an education.

However, in today’s world, education is often judged by how it can be applied. With the high cost of education, students are actively looking for schools and degrees that will help them find and grow a career. Offering a curriculum informed and taught by professionals who are leaders in their respective fields, enables students to grow professionally and academically, while getting a degree. By taking this approach, CityU supports the career success and overall satisfaction of its students, and has definitely enhanced its recruitment and retention efforts.

These are just a few of the recruitment and retention tactics that have been employed by City University of Seattle. We hope these tactics are useful to you as you pursue your university’s recruitment and retention objectives, and look to improve student satisfaction. PDJ May/June 2014

FINGADO

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CVS CAREMARK

Building Dynamic Partnerships How the nation’s largest pharmacy health care provider fills its pipeline with diverse talent.

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VS Caremark continues to hit new marks of achievement in its commitment to recruiting and retaining talent from our nation’s diverse population. As an innovative health care leader, CVS Caremark builds partnerships that attract and equip diverse talent for dynamic and rewarding careers. Our strong support of education, training, healthy living, and career opportunities helps ensure that CVS Caremark’s diverse workforce is productive and thriving. A culture that cultivates an appreciation of differences is the cornerstone for this success.

The CVS Caremark Workforce Initiatives team performs local, state, and national outreach that targets youth, mature workers, veterans, and people with disabilities. Also, partnerships with schools, churches, universities, and faithbased and community organizations help us find and hire talented people with diverse backgrounds.

Pathways to Health Care Careers, a program that focuses on underserved youth, provides hands-on career exploration through job shadowing, intern experiences in CVS/pharmacy stores, training, mentoring, and employment. In addition, elementary and middle school students are introduced to rewarding occupations within the pharmacy and health care industries at career fairs, during CVS/pharmacy store visits, and via

in-school presentations by technicians, managers, and pharmacists. As part of the seamless transition from school to work, store associates and managers help guide young people to post-secondary opportunities at partner colleges and universities.

Talent is Ageless is an initiative that cultivates mature job candidates who are either re-entering the workforce or changing careers. They often bring skills, experience, a strong work ethic, knowledge, and a passion for customer service to the job. National associations, such as the American Society on Aging (ASA), Jewish Vocational Services (JVS), and other agencies, help CVS Caremark reach and engage with older workers.

Veteran and Military Alliances, such as CVS Caremark’s partnership with Hiring Our Heroes (a U.S. Chamber of Commerce initiative), connects men and women who are leaving active duty, or who are in the National Guard or Reserve, to meaningful jobs within the company. CVS Caremark partners with Hiring Our Heroes and other militaryfocused organizations to reach potential employees who are leadership and management ready. As a result of these partnerships, CVS Caremark’s Workforce Initiatives team has hired veterans and military spouses at job fairs around the country.

Abilities in Abundance connects individuals with disabilities to fulfilling careers with CVS Caremark. Vocational

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rehabilitation agencies, schools, and nonprofits are valuable partners in helping to identify talented and enthusiastic associates.

CVS Caremark recognizes the role training and development play in helping workers reach their potential, and in enhancing employee retention. Endless learning opportunities are offered at every level of the organization. A robust suite of training tools reinforces each employee’s skills and helps advance his or her career.

In partnership with community agencies, the company has opened a number of CVS/pharmacy Regional Learning Centers (RLCs) in cities across the US. These RLCs are fully operational store and pharmacy training locations that support the development of employees at all levels.

A vibrant, diverse workforce and ongoing opportunities for career growth do not happen accidentally. CVS Caremark’s Workforce Initiatives team aggressively seeks new opportunities to hire, train, and retain a quality workforce that reflects the communities it serves. PDJ

BRIDGE PARTNERS LLC

Battling Misconceptions about Recruiting Diverse Senior-Level Talent Why your search firm should be focused on supporting your efforts to attract diverse talent.

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f you are a human resources or diversity and inclusion professional, we imagine that you have probably had at least one of the following recruiting interactions with hiring managers: “We don’t need to focus on diversity recruiting—we are already diverse.”

There is no growing organization today that cannot make a strong business case for focusing on diversity recruitment. You may see diversity in the organization when you “crunch the numbers.”

But do you have the very best possible talent at the senior-most levels?

“The hiring manager is 100% behind the broad diversity recruitment initiative…but maybe it’s not the best approach for this search.” The comments range from “It never works—the talent isn’t out there” to “Diversity recruitment means the process always takes longer.” These assumptions can be disproved by a solid business case for diversity and a strong diversity-focused recruiting team/partner.

“The talent isn’t out there.” Yes, it is. Diversity recruiting requires effort and focus. Obstacles to desired results include: • An inadequate diversity outreach effort. Building the capability to identify high-caliber minority candidates and developing a positive relationship with them is a process, not a one-off event.

It is necessary to build your brand as an employer of choice and invest time in understanding the market.

• A recruiting team/search partner that “hopes to come across” minority candidates, rather than actively pursuing that talent. While in-house recruiters and traditional search firms may have the best intentions, they are often not in a position to prioritize diversity. As with any other area of your business, you will be best served by experts.

• A focus on the path of least resistance— recruiting candidates who are already looking for their next career move, rather than those who may

be “below the radar.” Reach out and recruit your candidates—if they don’t come to you, you need to go after them, or use a search firm that can effectively do it on your behalf.

Clients across all sectors are requesting that their traditional search partners include high-caliber, diverse candidates in search shortlists; unfortunately, in many cases, their requests are being met with limited or no success.

There is a reason for this—many search firms view driving diversity into a shortlist as something that is done “upon request,” not as a matter of course. When we founded Bridge Partners LLC as a diversityfocused search firm a decade ago, we struggled with the idea that we may not be needed in five years— certainly not in ten—as diversity became naturally embedded in executive search at all levels and across all functions. We were wrong; the need for an innovative search firm that operates at the senior level and focuses on inclusivity has never been greater.

Critical to our success is our development of a distinct search practice and methodology that can identify, approach, and attract diverse executives. We are a diverse team committed to the advancement of diverse professionals in senior roles; and we have years of experience building relationships with these coveted, high-caliber executives and addressing the specific concerns they have when contemplating a move.

By leveraging a proven, research-driven methodology, a robust and continually updated database of senior executives, and a strong and actively cultivated network that we constantly develop and access, we have a significant edge in attracting the most qualified executives and building an inclusive candidate shortlist. PDJ

CLARKE

GRIFFIN

Tory Clark and Larry Griffin are co-founders of and partners in Bridge Partners LLC, a retained executive search firm that specializes in leadership and senior-level recruitment, both in the US and internationally. Learn more at www.bridgepartnersllc.com.

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RYAN SEARCH & CONSULTING

Maintaining our Global Competitiveness

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recently traveled to Mumbai, India, to attend the World HRD Congress, where I made presentations regarding organizational culture and strengths-based leadership. When I arrived, I found that the surroundings were pretty comfortable and the weather was a welcome change from the frigid temperatures here in the Middle Tennessee area.

While the change in the weather was to be expected, there were several things I learned and experienced at this event that did catch me by surprise. Here are just a few I found worth sharing: • While India produces more engineers than the USA and China combined, it still doesn’t produce enough. Our opening speaker lamented the fact that India has a problem with a workforce shortage in key technical areas, while they have an overabundance of unskilled workers who are barely employable.

• One of the key segments of the overall conference was the Balanced Scorecard. While I have found the label “Balanced Scorecard” one that has seemed to lose favor in this country, the focus on metrics and ROI was more of a factor than I might have imagined.

• Most of the presenters were from countries other than the USA. I met colleagues from places such as Australia, Dubai, Italy, India, Malaysia, and many other countries. Every one of them spoke English well. In comparison, only 18% of Americans speak a second language. Over 50 percent of Europeans speak a second language, and in many other areas of the world, the numbers are increasing.

We live in a world where our business competition is increasingly not next door or even across the state. We compete in a world economy, and our inability to speak other languages or understand other cultures hinders our ability to be competitive on the world stage. My work in the executive search and leadership area continues to make me aware of my need to become more “culturally competent.” It is an area I plan to focus on this year and in the future. I have to in order to remain competitive. PDJ

RYAN Dan Ryan is the principal of Ryan Search & Consulting, a Nashville-based talent acquisition and talent development firm, focusing on mid- to senior-level leadership and talent development activities, including executive coaching, organizational and leadership development, and leadership facilitation. Learn more about Ryan and his firm at http://ryansearch.net.

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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Establishing an Early Connection

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ounded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a privately endowed, coeducational university with nine colleges and more than 200 academic programs emphasizing career education and experiential learning. Approximately 15,000 undergraduate and 2,900 graduate students are enrolled at the university, representing all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The university occupies 1,300 acres in suburban Rochester, the third-largest city in New York State.

RIT also has international campuses in Eastern Europe and Dubai.

RIT’s annual Future Faculty Career Exploration Program (FFCEP) is one of a series of recruitment strategies designed to fill the Institute’s future faculty pipeline. This innovative program furthers RIT’s diversity efforts by bringing scholars nearing the end of their doctoral studies, MFA studies, or postdoctoral assignments, as well as interested juniorlevel faculty, to Rochester to experience life as a RIT faculty member.

The FFCEP is a weekend-long, allexpense-paid program targeting African American, Latin American, Native American (AALANA) and female populations. Each year, the program draws an average of 170 applications to compete for 20 spots in the program. Nearly 250 qualified MFA, PhD and postdoctoral participants have gone through the program in the past 10 years.

Although the program is not considered a formal interview, it does allow RIT to build a relationship with candidates

and lay the foundation for open communications. Deans engage prospects in discussions about their academic work and career interests. This program also allows faculty to share RIT’s teaching and research agenda, and discuss current open faculty positions or those that may be available in the near future. The participants are able to learn about the campus culture from current students and faculty, and meet with administration to gain an understanding of the core values of the institution. While they are here for the weekend, these potential faculty members are shown the highlights of the Rochester region, including a presentation by the business community, and a city and neighborhood tour.

During previous programs, RIT hosted students from top colleges and universities, such as Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Columbia, Berkeley, Harvard, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Cornell, among others.

As faculty positions open, the FFCEP participants are contacted and encouraged to apply. With the in-depth information they gather from their visit with RIT, we hope that they see a potential fit with the university and our region, and apply to open faculty positions.

Since the FFCEP’s inception in 2003, 16 AALANA and female participants have accepted faculty positions with RIT, and four have been offered tenure. PDJ

OSGOOD

“Nearing the end of my graduate

school journey, my decision to become an inaugural member of RIT’s Future Faculty Program was both exciting and historic for me. Through the experience, I’ve gained valuable insights, friendships, colleagues, and a profound understanding of myself, my mission, and the need for my voice and presence in academia.”

– Robert C. Osgood, PhD Associate Professor of Microbiology Department of Biomedical Sciences

To learn more about the faculty recruitment programs at RIT, visit www.rit.edu/academicaffairs.

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UNITEDHEALTH GROUP

Enhancing Brand Reputation through Talent Communities

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t UnitedHealth Group, building a diverse team of high-performing employees is key to achieving our mission of helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone. As our customer base and businesses evolve, our recruiting strategies and tools evolve right along with them, combining tried-and-true methods with new ideas that give UnitedHealth Group a competitive edge.

One of the ways UnitedHealth Group meets the challenges of recruiting and retention is through the efforts of talent community managers. Part of the talent acquisition marketing team, they attract, engage, and educate targeted professionals in order to build “talent communities” from which recruiting teams can fill open jobs. Today, UnitedHealth Group employs eight talent community managers who seek diverse and military candidates to fill open positions across all areas of the business.

Talent community managers use a variety of marketing tools and tactics to build diverse talent pools, including social media, search engine optimization, online content creation, relationship marketing, virtual career events, online chat sessions, employee referral programs, podcasts, videos, and more. These tools, designed with the flexibility to meet our changing business needs, help UnitedHealth Group provide a high level of interaction with potential candidates.

Talent community managers, and the robust marketing tools they use, have been very effective for UnitedHealth Group.

In order to support the growth Ouraphone Willis of a diverse talent community, Director of Diversity Recruiting

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the talent community managers have written employee profiles, created diversity-related video content, enlisted company leaders to contribute to a monthly diversity blog, and hosted a “Twitterview” (an online interview format hosted on Twitter) with leadership on diversity and inclusion. These activities offer an already engaged talent pool a place to gain insight into UnitedHealth Group’s culture and a lens through which other job seekers can view the company.

“Our talent community managers have enhanced our diversity recruiting efforts and our online brand reputation. We have seen a dramatic increase in our careers website traffic and grown our talent communities across all functions,” said Ouraphone Willis, director of diversity recruiting at UnitedHealth Group. “The UnitedHealth Group careers website (http://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com) provides candidates with information about UnitedHealth Group and our job openings.

It features information about our diversity commitment through blog posts from our executives, and highlights our partnerships with organizations such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, National Black MBA Association, AARP, and Reaching Out MBA.” At UnitedHealth Group, diversity is about differences that reach far beyond gender and ethnicity. Teams that reflect a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs are best equipped to produce the innovations that drive business. UnitedHealth Group is always on the lookout for people whose résumés reflect accomplishments beyond the parameters of the health care industry. As the talent community managers and the recruiting team reach out to potential employees, whether it is face to face or via high-tech tools, the message is consistent: At UnitedHealth Group, your ideas can come to life in ways that touch the lives of millions. This is the place to do your life’s best workSM. PDJ

NEWELL RUBBERMAID

Creating an “I Want to Work Here” Culture through Diversity

By Paula Larson, Chief Human Resources Officer, Newell Rubbermaid

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s a company rapidly expanding into new global markets, it’s critical that Newell Rubbermaid attract and retain an employee base that closely reflects our consumers worldwide. To do this, we are creating an “I want to work here culture.” My experience shows that many HR functions and companies treat talent acquisition as a “procurement” exercise, LARSON rather than a “marketing” exercise that enables potential and current employees to make good career decisions, and adds value for our shareholders.

From a recruitment standpoint, we need to build a reputation for developing great talent and building teams for growth. That reputation depends on hiring the absolute best people from all corners of the earth.

To leverage the true power of diversity, we need to ensure that diversity isn’t a “special exercise,” but rather, is embedded in all of our people practices. We want to hire people who want to work in a culture that is all about inclusion.

Attracting great talent also requires being visible and active in communities around the globe. Our best advertisement is our people. When we encourage them to serve where they live, we offer our neighbors a chance to see our team in action, and to see the caliber of employees who call Newell Rubbermaid home. At the same time, we’re building goodwill through our community service and philanthropy. Embedding diversity in community work means building relationships purposefully with a diverse set of partners in our communities worldwide—not as an afterthought. It takes

more work to hire a diverse array of talent when companies haven’t grown those relationships.

From a retention standpoint, creating an “I want to work here culture” requires that we foster an environment where making brands matter is achieved, while also offering employees careers that matter. This begins with ensuring that the hiring process—external or internal—is what it needs to be. As we evolve our strategic HR model, we are offering more HR value-added analysis, and looking at trend data by manager and talent acquisition staff, to be sure we’re focused on filling critical jobs (and integrating diversity expectations within this critical hiring/ retention pool). We are evolving our hiring, growing, and rewarding centers of excellence to focus not only on high-potential employees (high performance, high potential), but also high-professional employees (high performance, low potential).

At the end of the day, recruitment and retention is all about creating a high-performance environment where anyone with the skills, and the ability to deliver value to Newell Rubbermaid and our shareholders, is welcome to contribute—regardless of non-job-relevant characteristics.

I’m passionate about my role as the “chief employee advocate,” in addition to managing the business financials, as part of a global executive leadership team. I believe focusing on employee engagement and delighting shareholders are not mutually exclusive objectives. In fact, the power of hiring and retaining a high-performance, global, diverse workforce is critical to achieving our Newell Rubbermaid Growth Game Plan. PDJ May/June 2014

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WILSONHCG

Developing Diversity Brand Advocates

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Scan this code to hear John Wilson’s podcast on empowering employees to be brand ambassadors.

WILSON

e hear it all the time—an organization’s greatest asset is its talent. So, it’s no surprise that recruitment and retention are among the most talked about topics in HR. Yet, the best ways to recruit diverse talent and the most effective ways to retain employees are ever-evolving.

As a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) firm, we are constantly developing new and innovative talent acquisition methods, because we know that a company with a diverse workforce is better positioned to serve its clients and communities.

The initiative for recruiting diversity needs to start at the top. Without having a leadership team that is involved and collaborative, it’s nearly impossible to get employees on board. Your executive team and all managers must take the time to find connections between employees, ask for feedback, and listen to ideas and opinions. When employees feel comfortable sharing, companies benefit from a rich diversity of ideas. So it’s important to foster an open environment.

Employees who feel their ideas are valued will become ambassadors for your organization and bring in more people who want to contribute their own ideas.

To attract candidates who are a fit for your organization, you must pinpoint your company’s core values and define its DNA. Without this knowledge, it’s impossible to distinguish what sets your organization apart from

John Wilson is CEO of WilsonHCG, a global recruitment process outsourcing, human capital consulting, and managed services provider. To see WilsonHCG’s own brand ambassadors in action, visit wilsonhcg.com.

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other employers. Once you can define and communicate your organization’s core values, you can recruit candidates who share them.

Growing our diversity brand ambassador and subject matter expert (SME) committee has been key to our diversity recruitment initiatives. These diversity recruitment experts create partnerships with various diversity organizations; write for our blog, Human Capital Connection; network with other diversity thought leaders; and manage monthly internal diversity initiatives. Diversity brand ambassadors who can be the voice of your company will influence attitudes both internally and externally. These efforts grow diverse talent communities that you can leverage as hiring needs arise.

Now that you’ve hired the talent, how will you ensure they remain happy working at your company?

Employee engagement is a major factor in whether your employees stay or leave. While “engagement” may mean something different to everyone, I believe it comes to down to whether your employees feel appreciated, enjoy the work that they do, and share the company’s values and goals.

Start by asking employees and candidates what’s important to them. Some may prefer flexible hours or the option to work remotely; others may want to be able to join committees that offer additional responsibilities; still others may want the opportunity to participate in job shadowing for career advancement. Whatever is important to your employees, you need to know about it so you can address it.

The ability to recruit diverse talent and retain employees is in your organization’s hands. The diversity of ideas will be perpetuated by the culture your company creates. Embrace diverse opinions and promote respect, and you’ll be well on your way to laying the foundation for a diverse workforce that will be appreciated by candidates and clients. PDJ

RYDER

Drawing Women and Veterans to a Fast-Growing Career Field The Bureau of Labor Statistics says employment in the field of logistics is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020—faster than average for any profession.

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ttracting and retaining diverse talent is essential to ensuring that Ryder stays ahead of the competition, grows the business, and delivers on its promises to customers. As part of this initiative, Ryder recently partnered with Women in Trucking (WIT) to develop female-friendly vehicle designs.

This collaboration is aimed at improving working conditions for female drivers and enhancing safety through ergonomic truck cab designs that address the unique challenges women face when operating today’s commercial heavy-duty vehicles.

Women represent an important talent segment the industry has traditionally done a poor job of attracting and retaining. By working with WIT and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), Ryder’s goal is to give women the tools they need to enter and remain in a growing employment sector. Plus, Ryder’s dedicated transportation solution, which enables drivers to come home daily and work with predictable hours and routes, makes Ryder an attractive career home for women, especially those who have children.

In 2013, Ryder held its second Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF)—a Ryder Diversity and Inclusion Council initiative. The event brought together Ryder’s women directors and above from throughout the company, across the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico. The WLF provides women leaders the opportunity to do the following:

• Network with other executive leaders at Ryder in order to support collaboration and share business insights • Participate in interactive workshops led by internal and external subject-matter experts • Leverage new tools to increase personal effectiveness and strategic networking • Gather new insights and tips on maintaining work/life balance • Identify additional career development resources Ryder has also been successful at attracting and retaining military veterans.

The distinct logistical, mechanical, and management skills learned through military service are a great asset to Ryder’s organization, and veterans fill a variety of roles important to Ryder’s operations.

Since joining Hiring Our Heroes® in 2011, Ryder has increased the percentage of veterans in its almost-23,000 employee US workforce from 8 percent to 10 percent, and also doubled the number of recently separated veterans hired in that same time period. By the end of 2013, Ryder announced it had surpassed its goal to hire 1,000 military veterans—a full 10 months ahead of schedule! The company has also strengthened its 20-plus-member veteran hiring task force by focusing its efforts on customizing onboarding, training, and development practices to better meet the needs of veterans transitioning to civilian jobs.

May/June 2014

Chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez (center, top) serves as executive sponsor for Ryder’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Comprising cross-functional leaders, the Council helps ensure that the company’s work environment fosters productivity, enhances its ability to attract, hire, and retain the best talent, and ensures that Ryder can respond to workforce changes and dynamic market conditions.

Finally, in support of Ryder’s ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance an inclusive culture, the company implemented a global employee engagement survey. The survey provides a platform that enables all employees to voice their perspectives on Ryder’s culture, and share their insights regarding how to ensure its inclusive workplace environment continues to meet the evolving needs of a diverse, multigenerational workforce.

To learn more about careers at Ryder, visit ryder.com/careers. PDJ WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

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BASF

Creating the Total Offer BASF developed a holistic solution to draw the best and brightest, and then keep them engaged.

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o create innovative solutions for some of the most challenging issues facing our society—the need for clean water, a sufficient food supply, and more efficient use of resources, as well as improving our quality of life—BASF relies on the power of connected minds. This means our ability to attract, develop, and retain smart, talented people is critical to our goal.

BASF is committed to forming the best team and hiring diverse people, with unique opinions, backgrounds, and experiences. We look for people who reflect the markets and industries we serve. And we work to build a stronger employer brand—innovating with respect to how and where we recruit top talent, and changing how we communicate with candidates at all levels of career experience.

To accelerate our efforts, BASF created a position for a “diversity sourcer”—a dedicated resource, whose primary goal is to find diverse talent for the company. BASF is also a regular participant at national diversity conferences, such as National Black MBA and Society for Women Engineers, among others. We also work with local chapters of diversity associations to host on-site events at its facilities. As a result of these activities, we have met

Members of BASF’s University Recruitment team and leaders from Southern University—one of BASF’s core schools for recruiting diverse talent.

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thousands of qualified diverse individuals who have joined our talent community, available through BASF's careers page: jobs.basf.us.

In addition, BASF’s Professional and Leadership Development Programs continue to be important tools in the company’s recruiting portfolio.

Through these well-established and successful programs, selected undergraduates, MBAs, and PhDs can jumpstart their careers by joining BASF in twoyear rotational development programs, which may include international exposure. We recruit on campus at 25 universities, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs). BASF’s University Recruiting team has developed a diversity liaison role for each university; this person is responsible for reaching out to diverse student groups on campus to share our brand and explain why BASF is a great place to work.

It is important to note that the work of forming the best team does not end just because BASF has offered and a candidate has accepted a position; it continues well beyond. BASF works diligently to ensure that when people join the organization, they can develop, thrive, and enjoy a rewarding career and a balanced, healthy life. With a unique internal brand called you@BASF, our employees engage with their Total Offer in four main areas: Development; Benefits; Work Environment; and Compensation. Developing and retaining the best people is an important piece of the BASF talent strategy. All employees are encouraged to commit to lifelong learning through formal training, coaching, and on-the-job experience. BASF offers a formal regional mentoring program, and eight employee resource groups—a great way for employees to engage in company activities, from recruiting talent to business partnership to community relations. Our employees also enjoy competitive compensation, benefits, and perks that include a wellness program, flexible work options, and generous vacation time.

All with the goal of ensuring that the best team in business can be at its best—at work and in life. PDJ

CenturyLink values diversity.

A diverse workforce is one of our greatest strengths in a competitive global marketplace. We are committed to fostering a culture that honors mutual respect and collaboration which results in our best work to improve lives.

See how we connect at www.centurylink.com and our careers page at centurylink.jobs.

See how we connect at centurylink.com.

Š 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The name CenturyLink, the pathways logo, and the CenturyLink brand sub-graphic are trademarks of CenturyLink, Inc.

A S I A N A N D P A C IF IC IS LANDE R HE R ITAG E

LOST AMONG CAUCASIANS: The Lethal Fallacy of the Model Minority Stereotype

By Nicholas D. Hartlep, PhD

Do you believe that Asians/Asian Americans are largely successful? Do you assume they all win spelling bees, attend Harvard, and become brilliant scientists?

Then you, like many other North Americans, subscribe to the “model minority” stereotype—the faulty belief that, by and large, Asians/Asian Americans are occupationally, financially, and academically successful.

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he stereotype is prevalent in higher education, embodied in slogans that describe Asians/Asian Americans as taking over prestigious universities.

Some have dubbed the University of British Columbia the “University of a Billion Chinese,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology as “Made in Taiwan,” University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as “University of Caucasians Lost among Asians.”

These acronymic puns reveal a pervasive misperception. Despite widely held claims that Asians are overtaking topflight 4-year colleges, the truth is most attend 2-year colleges.

Killing Them Silently: The Model Minority on Campus This supposed “positive” stereotype is in fact “negative.” Studies actually indicate that the model minority stereotype correlates with increased numbers of suicides among Asian students who do not achieve the academic success expected of them.

The model minority stereotype is killing Asian/ Asian American students silently. On April 10, 2000, Elizabeth Shin, a Korean student at MIT, committed suicide by self-immolation; in May 2007, Mengyao “May” Zhou, a Stanford University

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graduate student, committed suicide by taking more than six times the safe dosage of Unisom; and on April 21, 2012, Wendy H. Chang, a senior at Harvard, was found dead in her dorm room, having apparently hanged herself.

While the loss of life is clearly the most extreme damage done by a general acceptance of the model minority stereotype, there are many other serious implications. For example, despite data that indicate otherwise, there remains a widespread belief that Asians/Asian Americans in North America are all financially prosperous and occupationally successful.

The Model Minority Stereotype at Work According to 2012 API Representation on Fortune 500 Boards, a report published by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), 129 Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) held 144 board seats at 114 Fortune 500 companies—in 2010, there were 96 API directors and 115 board seats at 98 companies. Asian Americans continue to be woefully underrepresented in leadership roles despite the group’s incredible growth rate. Why are Asians/ Asian Americans underrepresented in leadership positions within Fortune 500 boards and companies? Could it be that the model minority suggests that they are more technologically and scientifically

savvy, and that they lack the interpersonal skills necessary to lead?

This reminds me of something a colleague once told me: People don’t see and interpret the world as it truly is; rather, they see and interpret it as they are. The media reinforces our tendency to think of Asians/Asian Americans as a model minority, by often portraying them as scientists, mathematicians, or medical doctors. Because we are inundated with these stereotypes, we can’t rely on our perceptions, but instead, must apply critical analysis.

Our unthinking acceptance of stereotypes causes us to lump individuals we identify as belonging to a particular group together as if no meaningful differences exist between them. If it is wrong to stereotype African Americans as athletes or drug dealers (which, of course, it is), isn’t it just as wrong to stereotype Asians/Asian Americans as overachievers who do exceptionally well in college and the workforce?

Origins of the Model Minority Stereotype in the United States The stereotype of the North American Asian/ Asian American model minority arose during the 1960s when an academic by the name of William Petersen authored a story published by the New York Times Magazine, titled “Success Story: Japanese American Style.” The piece highlighted and overemphasized Japanese success, comparing it to the lack of success African Americans were having in the United States. The timing of Petersen’s publication is notable, coming months after the release of Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s infamous The Negro Family: The Case For National Action.

The “Moynihan Report,” as it is now come to be known, accused African Americans of having a culture that caused the undesirable outcomes they were having. Together, the takeaway message of Moynihan’s demonization of blacks and Petersen’s praise of the Japanese in America produced the modern-day model minority stereotype.

The Asian Model Minority Stereotype at Work All stereotypes are harmful to employers precisely because they constrict employees’ sense of individuality and stifle creativity. Interestingly, the more people believe in stereotypes, the more accurate the stereotypes seem to be. Human nature causes us to remember situations that confirm a stereotype, and forget the many times the stereotype was disconfirmed.

Research conducted by Harvard University’s Project Implicit illustrates how stereotypes are linked to our implicit biases. Implicit biases are prejudices and ways of thinking that are subconsciously present. Implicit biases have occupational implications for Asians/Asian Americans. If, because of implicit bias, an employer assumes that Asians/Asian Americans lack qualities needed to succeed as leaders, they will track Asian/Asian American employees into technical positions instead. In the business world, this is referred to as the “bamboo ceiling”—in the medical profession, the “sticky floor.”

Working Past Stereotypes Stereotypes are always more hurtful than helpful. University administrators and professors, as well as those in the corporate world, are best served when they understand that the Asian/Asian American model minority stereotype is limiting and inaccurate. PDJ

HARTLEP

Read the expanded online version of this article, which includes Dr. Hartlep’s five suggestions for supporting diversity and equity initiatives: http://pdjrnl.com/1spRwzm

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A S I A N A N D P A C IF IC IS LANDE R HE R ITAG E

LEAVING THE MYTH BEHIND Teach For America launches a new initiative to bring teachers from across the AAPI spectrum into the classroom to help AAPI students deal with the realities they face every day.

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By Teresa Fausey

Sarah Ha Managing Director of TFA’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative

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hen it comes to education—and society in general—the model minority myth often applied to all Asian Americans, like all myths that lump unique individuals into a homogeneous group, does more harm than good. In case you’re unfamiliar with the Myth of the Model Minority, it goes something like this: All Asians are super smart (especially in math and science), super hardworking (but aren’t looking to lead), don’t want to rock the boat, and don’t need any help, because they’re already doing great.

Of course, the Myth has a lot of problems.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) “group” is actually made up of 48 different ethnic groups that speak more than 300 languages.

And unlike many diverse groups in America, 69 percent of AAPIs are foreign born.* Also, many AAPI students

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are unfamiliar with the US and its culture, have limited English language skills, may face bullying and discrimination, and live in poverty. Serious challenges in the classroom—and in life. Then, there’s the greatest Myth buster of all—regardless of their ethnicity, every single one of them is a distinct individual—with different abilities and talents, different dreams and goals, and different life experiences. It turns out there is no Model Minority…no Myth. Just children, who want and need to learn.

Showing Initiative Teach For America (TFA), a nonprofit organization that helps eliminate educational inequities, trains would-be teachers to understand and meet the needs of America’s most underserved students.

In return, corps members agree to teach for two years at a high-need location in the US. Always looking for new ways to serve students, TFA recently launched its Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative. By recruiting, training, and placing AAPI teachers in underserved schools, the organization is confident that the challenges AAPI children face can be met more effectively.

To help ensure the success of the new Initiative, TFA has hired a professional with a solid understanding of the issues AAPIs may face. Her name is

Amanda Tran (Bay Area Corps ’12)

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rowing up in Columbus, Indiana—a small, mostly white community—Amanda Tran says she felt as if she “stuck out.”

When she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California (USC), she discovered a different world—one that helped her get in touch with her identity.

“I don’t think I really understood my heritage,” says Amanda, whose parents came to the US after the Viet Nam War, “until I surrounded myself with other children of Asian immigrants and heard their stories.”

Amanda soon joined an organization run by USC undergrads called Troy Camp that raises funds to send local children to a weeklong camp each spring, mentors and tutors those children all year long, and sponsors outings. She became a volunteer and camp counselor.

While looking for more ways to work with kids, she heard about Teach For America. “I went to the Teach For America website to research it…and an hour later, I applied. It was the only place I applied!” She was accepted and never looked back. Now Amanda is teaching preschoolers, which she loves. And after finishing her TFA two-year commitment this spring, she will continue to teach. “I’ve already applied for a position with a new school that’s opening in Los Angeles. I really want to stay in the classroom.”

Sarah Ha, and she is the first, and current, managing director of TFA’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative. Prior to taking on this role with TFA, Sarah, a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, worked for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.

Sarah explains why she is so committed to supporting the AAPI community: “Many of the social realities our AAPI students deal with every day are often overlooked, because there is an acceptance of the persistent stereotype that says AAPIs are not in need of any attention, or that they come from wellto-do backgrounds. When I think about that, it makes me consider my own background, recognizing that my own personal narrative is not anything like the Model Minority Myth.

“I remember growing up feeling pretty inadequate—feeling that I fell short of this perception.

I think from a young age, it made me think about my identity, and what that meant in connection to the larger AAPI community,” she says. “I had to find a way to translate my own personal experience—coming from a humble background, having been an English language learner, being the first in my family to go to college, and having to achieve beyond my limited social and cultural capital—into a public issue and advocate on behalf of the AAPI

community, so that no student gets lost in the system because of a mistaken perception.”

Sarah’s mission is to find AAPI leaders who will bring experience, talent, and energy to the classroom, as well as an understanding of the challenges these students face. Studies indicate that teachers who share similar racial, ethnic, or economic backgrounds with their students can have a significant impact on student engagement and success. Sarah will soon embark on a “listening tour” that will enable her to visit many communities and learn about their specific needs from the people who live there.

To build a pipeline of talented AAPI leaders, both inside and outside the classroom, TFA has also launched an Underclassmen Development Initiative intended to foster healthy identity development among AAPI college students. The Initiative’s goal is to encourage the students to retain their unique identities and cultural values, while developing new and critical skills that will make them effective leaders in the AAPI community and beyond. PDJ *Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division, National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (2011): The Relevance of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in the College Completion Agenda, New York NY.

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BREAKING NEW GROUND

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

In today’s business world, professionals of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage have a significant—and growing—role to play. The fastest growing minority group in America, and the most diverse, approximately 6 percent of the US population is of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Unfortunately, attaining a similar level of representation in corporate leadership is still a struggle for these communities. According to a 2010 report by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP), APIs now hold roughly 1.5 percent of all Fortune 500 board memberships; about the same percentage hold executive positions in those organizations.

Each year during Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we take the opportunity to celebrate professionals who are making their mark—and a difference—in organizations across the nation. The leaders we celebrate in this issue are truly breaking new ground, and we’re proud to share their stories.

See how they are shaping the future; read their full interviews online at diversityjournal.com/aphm2014

Mangala P Gandhi Area Manager, Human Resources MY GREATEST STRENGTH I consider my greatest strength to be my ability to coach employees to look beyond their current jobs. This benefits the organization, as sharing a broader perspective enables employees to contribute to the success of the whole organization.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH The “model minority” belief has generally helped the Asian/Pacific-American community, as we are viewed as hardworking intellectuals, with strong community and family support systems. I cannot say whether this stereotype has impacted me over time.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED The most important lesson I have learned is that resilience is the key to achievement.

If you are unsuccessful at something, pick up, brush off, and start again and again until you succeed.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

– Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi (1920)

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UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Balwant Grewal Plant Manager Major, Bay Valley THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH I think a very big myth is that in America we have “minorities.” We are a melting pot of diverse people who bring collective strengths to America.

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LEGG MASON

EY

Esther Wong, Director WHO INSPIRES ME My mother is my inspiration. She could barely speak English and had no formal education. Yet, she was able to raise three children on her own and put them through college. She was very determined to provide a better life for her family. She motivated me to have a successful career and raise two wonderful children.

MY BEST CAREER ADVICE My advice would be to work hard, learn how to prioritize, be proactive, take on challenges, develop a high EQ, and build a strong professional network.

OUR MOST CRITICAL ISSUE I believe the most critical issues facing the Asian/Pacific-American community today is low wages, which means many in the APA community are living below the poverty line.

Also, we don’t have enough representation in government.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED You won’t have all the answers, but you must have the determination to get them.

BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, PC Robert F. Tom, Shareholder MY GREATEST STRENGTH I consider conscientiousness about the work I do to be my greatest strength. When you care about the work you do, you always treat it seriously and do the best job you can. Conscientiousness is something that shines through. Clients take notice, trust you, and feel comfortable leaving work in your hands when they know that you will handle their matters with the same care and detail as if you were handling something for yourself.

MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Never give up on your goals, however unattainable they may seem. Goals are not reached overnight, but instead, one step at a time. Never be discouraged by mistakes or setbacks. Instead, realize that they are inevitable, everybody makes them, and that you learn the most from your mistakes.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt’s quote eloquently sums up my philosophy on success in life.

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Deborah L. Byers, Managing Partner, Houston, Ernst & Young LLP WHO INSPIRES ME My mentor, Marcela Donadio, who recently retired. It was a bittersweet moment. She was the first woman partner in the Ernst & Young LLP Houston office.

The way she conducted herself had a huge impact on me. She has a very positive, can-do attitude. She doesn’t worry about politics—she thinks about people.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH Right before I was promoted to partner, I was doing everything I needed to do, and yet there was a concern about my executive ability. Someone asked me if I would be able to go toe-to-toe with the senior partners in the firm and clients in the boardroom. I was very grateful to get that direct feedback, because I had no idea about that perception. It was a critical learning moment for me.

I went to the leadership team and said, “I’m going to be a partner in the Big Four.

If you don’t believe in me, I’m leaving and going somewhere else.” It demonstrated exactly the traits they thought I was missing.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE There’s an ancient Latin proverb: “If there’s no wind, row.” It personifies my attitude that things are not going to always fall in your favor. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes there’s no wind at your back, and sometimes there’s a headwind. When there’s no wind, there’s nothing to do but buckle down and work hard.

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TEXAS INSTRUMENTS Young Oh, Yield Enhancement Engineer in DMOS 5, one of the fabrication facilities at TI MY GREATEST STRENGTH When I am passionate about an idea, I commit to it fully and follow through until I see results. During the past five years, I have developed a special passion for community service—especially mentoring local youth in areas such as college preparation, study techniques, coping with failure, improving parent-student relationships, and building self-confidence.

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UNITEDHEALTHCARE

Susan Morisato, President, Insurance Solutions, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement WHO INSPIRES ME Early in life, my parents were my strongest supporters and gave me the confidence to believe that I could become whatever I wanted to be, even if it might be in a less traditional discipline. As I became established in my career, I had the benefit of a boss and an executive coach who inspired me to not just do a job, but become passionate about what I do.

I chose health care because it was an incredibly challenging and fascinating area where I believed I could make a difference and affect many people in a positive way at times when they were most vulnerable.

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ROBINS, KAPLAN, MILLER & CIRESI L.L.P.

WILMERHALE

Munir R. Meghjee, Partner MY GREATEST STRENGTH I have worked very hard to develop the skill of taking the complex issues faced by clients and developing solutions and pathways that help my clients meet their business objectives.

WHO INSPIRES ME Judge Ann Claire Williams, now on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, has been my greatest inspiration in the practice of law. I was fortunate enough to meet Judge Williams when I was a teenager in the early 1980s. She inspired me to consider the practice of law, and has served as an important mentor throughout my career.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH A significant issue I have with the “model minority” myth—among many issues with this stereotype—is that any generalization about the Asian/Pacific-American community ignores the vast cultural and experiential diversity within the community. A stereotype based on this myth makes it easy to discount the different real and pressing issues faced by members of the Asian/Pacific-American community.

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS Donna Ikeda Senior Vice President, Human Resources OUR MOST CRITICAL ISSUE “Over assimilation”—in other words, becoming so integrated into American society that our cultural heritage is diminished or lost; with each generation it is more difficult to maintain traditions. Another critical issue for our community is making sure the priority placed on the family unit always remains first.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED Don’t wait for the next career opportunity. Find a need or identify a problem in your company and figure out a way you can help to address it. My most gratifying and valuable career “steps” have not been formal jobs, but opportunities created by filling a “need.”

MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Always try to leave a place or situation better than when you arrived.

Jeannie Rhee, Partner THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH As an Asian-American woman, I am often not expected to be a fierce litigator. It takes that extra effort on my part, when I meet with clients face-to-face, to have them see me in action to convey how my ethnicity, gender, stature, and the like do not at all prevent me from being a formidable advocate.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED You have to be comfortable in your own skin. I remember being told as a baby AUSA (Assistant United States Attorney) to stand, dress, and deliver my openings and closings in a certain way. But that way wasn’t true to my own style, my own strengths, and my fundamental personality. It took time for me to develop enough self-confidence to take advice, but to tailor it to suit me.

MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Do not plan your retirement before you’ve even started your career. The path of one’s career is often crooked, and wonderfully so. If you keep your head down all the time to make sure you’re still on your predetermined path, you often fail to see the unexpected opportunities right in front of you. The people you work with and the satisfaction you get from working with a good team—if you are open enough to appreciate it in the moment—can lead to new and fulfilling career options that you never previously considered.

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BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON Christopher W. Soong, Principal WHO INSPIRES ME Public school teachers inspire me. I’ve learned that teachers have many characteristics that I strive for—leadership, patience, preparedness, storytelling, approachability, and the ability to make difficult topics easy to understand. Most important, they enjoy what they are doing, while building our next generation of leaders. Very cool.

MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Look for opportunities and take career risks now. Looking back, I wish I had taken more chances early on in my career—when there was less to lose. I had many opportunities, but for one reason or another, I chose to play it safe and let the opportunities pass. Now that I’m in the middle of my career and have a family, it is much more difficult to make significant career changes.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE “Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

– T.H. Thompson and John Watson I learned this quote after going through a very difficult time in my life. As I have matured, I’ve come to realize that giving others the benefit of the doubt, or a second chance, brings positive outcomes that you would never expect. I’m still perfecting this one.

GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP Chinh H. Pham, Shareholder MY BEST CAREER ADVICE To be successful, you first have to be recognized.

So find a champion—someone who will have your back, someone who will help guide you, and who is willing to be candid with you. If you cannot, then learn to “toot your own horn” and let others know of your achievements. Otherwise—if you just keep your head down, do good work, and wait for someone to acknowledge your achievements—you may be waiting a long time.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH As a community, we are taught to put our heads down, work hard, and not rock the boat. If we continue to work hard, we will be recognized for our efforts. Not the case. Such an approach has failed to help advance Asian Americans into management positions. We continue to be in roles where our destiny is controlled by others within the organization.

We need to accept that we may not always get invited to sit at the table, to attend a pitch, or to go out and network with others. If we recognize that these opportunities are critical to our success, we then need to create them for ourselves.

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KAISER PERMANENTE Winston Wong, Director, Disparities Improvement and Quality Initiatives, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit WHO INSPIRES ME I’m inspired by the patients I care for.

They include a lot of people who have immigrated to the United States relatively late in their lives. For example, my patient might be an 80-year-old woman from rural China who recently came to the United States to help her children and grandchildren. These people have a lot of fortitude—they are hard-working and humble, and they’ve put aside their own needs and dreams to be supportive of the needs of their families. I constantly remind myself of what I need to learn as a healer and care provider about the people I care for.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH It’s a pernicious one. It’s been part of the profile of Asian/Pacific Americans for almost a century now, which has really handicapped our community in terms of making our needs better known to the broader public. There are so many needs within the Asian/Pacific Islander (API) community that are unmet, and disparities that are not recognized or fully understood.

On a personal level, I know the model minority myth can get in the way of how my messages about health equity and disparities in the API community are regarded; there’s likely a higher bar that I have to get to in order to convince listeners that there are deeply rooted and serious issues in the API community.

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FORDHARRISON

Geetha Adinata, Partner MY GREATEST STRENGTH Definitely, listening and communicating. The ability to listen helps me to really understand my clients’ unique business challenges and to ask the right questions, so I can get the information I need to develop creative, practical strategies. Also, listening to my staff has helped me to be a better manager. I try to do monthly meetings with the staff, so I can alleviate any inefficiencies or bottlenecks, and manage client relationships. I also think it helps to engender a strong team culture.

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KPMG LLP

Linda Zhang National Leader of KPMG’s U.S.-China practice MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Work harder and smarter. Going above and beyond at work will make you stand out, and utilizing the various tools at your disposal can help you do it more efficiently.

Constantly think of ways to improve processes and add value.

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DECHERT LLP

INGERSOLL RAND

Gorav Jindal, Partner OUR MOST CRITICAL ISSUE Regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, or religion, Asian Americans are often lumped together as a group. I hope to see a day when people can respect and embrace our differences, and see them as assets to our society. We have come a long way in the past 20 to 30 years, particularly as modes of communication have shrunk the world, but we can do better.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED It’s important to be true to yourself. It takes courage, to be sure, but your unique thoughts and perspectives have value. Do what you think is right; people may disagree with you, but they’ll respect you for sharing your voice.

MY CAREER ADVICE In today’s world of constant communications, the lines between work and life are often blurred. So more than ever, it’s important to enjoy what you do. It will sustain you for the long haul. I’ve found that passion is hard to fake, but enthusiasm is contagious.

Dechert LLP has elevated four new partners of diverse heritage, including two of Asian/Pacific heritage, to its 11-member class of 2014. The diversity mission at Dechert includes a pledge to maintain an inclusive environment that cultivates and values different backgrounds and perspectives in order to better serve the firm’s employees, clients, and communities; to create equal and fair access to all aspects of firm life, which reflects the diversity of the world in which our attorneys practice; and to uphold a commitment to diversity by being a leader in the field through innovative initiatives and sustained diligence.

Tony Y. Chan, Partner MY GREATEST STRENGTH Persistence is underrated—sometimes the key to accomplishing your objectives, and those of your clients, is just sticking to it through setbacks and adversity.

OUR MOST CRITICAL ISSUE One concern of growing importance is ensuring that the APA community is appropriately represented in the legislative/political process, including though the election of members of the community to political office.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE My high school track coach, Claney Duplechin, used to motivate us with this quote from Seneca: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

Our team consistently competed in, and won, state championships—not because we were the fastest or strongest team out there, but because we prepared to meet opportunity at every event. The idea of creating your own luck through hard work and preparation, and being in a position to seize the opportunities that present themselves, is one that has stayed with me and continues to resonate with me as I’ve grown older.

Haritha Mitakanti Global Inventory and Procurement Applications Manager MY GREATEST STRENGTH My ability to simplify things and connect with people. These qualities enable my team to perform to the best of their abilities and express themselves freely.

THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH Asians are typically stereotyped as academically successful people and sought for highly skilled jobs, but often not considered for leadership positions, either due to self-imposed restrictions (risk averse/avoid politics) or lack of certain abilities (salesmanship/communication).

At times, I feel like I have hit the ceiling in terms of my advancement and have had to acknowledge that in order to advance, I need to figure out the gaps, constantly learn/unlearn, and work towards improving. Other times the stereotype has worked to my advantage, because I bring a different perspective to the table.

Thanks to the Progressive, Diverse and Inclusive initiative at Ingersoll Rand, employees are encouraged to embrace different cultures. The initiative also provides a platform for employees to network and improve their skills.

WHO INSPIRES ME Mahatma Gandhi . . . helps me to lead with conviction, instead of simply going by the book.

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KPMG

3 Integrated

STRATEGIES

By David HW Turner, Chief Financial Officer

KPMG’s Supplier Diversity program has enabled the company to more than double its expenditures with diverse businesses in a few short years.

I

n today’s competitive market, having a diverse supply chain is critical to success.

From a business standpoint, sourcing the highest-quality goods and services for our organization helps us remain competitive and, in some cases, can create a significant advantage. Seeking out diverse companies for the products and services we need ensures that we are assessing the full breadth and depth of potential suppliers. Supporting diverse businesses also benefits our communities and clients—many of whom want to know that they are working with an organization that supports diverse enterprises.

In 2008, KPMG established a Supplier Diversity program that has enabled us to more than double our expenditures with diverse businesses in a few short years. Our efforts are built around a few key strategies: First, KPMG actively seeks and encourages qualified diverse enterprises to compete for our business.

As part of our procurement policy, we aim to ensure

that at least one diverse supplier is part of each requestfor-proposal process that our TURNER organization initiates, and we evaluate them against the same criteria—including cost, quality, and risk—as all other current and potential suppliers.

Second, our organization successfully utilizes the databases of several independent agencies that certify and classify diverse businesses. This helps us to not only find potential suppliers, but to also take advantage of the networking opportunities afforded by these agencies through conferences and other activities to develop relationships with diverse businesses.

Third, the supplier experience is enhanced through our use of technologies such as procure-to-pay systems, which streamline ordering, tracking, and payment procedures. We also conduct regular performance reviews with our top suppliers to provide them with feedback and help them better understand our needs and expectations.

It is the mission of the KPMG Supplier Diversity program to find and engage suppliers that reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate, and to bring the full value of that diversity to our business.

We recognize the benefits that diverse-owned suppliers and subcontractors can provide to our organization, our clients, and our communities.

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for Growth and Sustainability Like our clients, we also track our “second-tier supplier diversity spend,” which is the amount our vendors and suppliers spend with diverse companies.

At KPMG, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our strategy, structure, and governance. And they’re woven into everything we do—including the way we approach our supplier relationships. We’ve made great progress in supporting and encouraging diverse businesses through our Supplier Diversity program.

Building our network of diverse suppliers will continue to be an important area of focus for our organization.

VEIHMEYER

“At KPMG, we have worked to operationalize diversity throughout our organization, so that it is part of our strategy, structure, and governance. Diversity is now woven into everything we do, from recruiting and professional development to the way we serve our clients, and from our supplier relationships to our commitment to youth, education, and workforce readiness.”

– John B. Veihmeyer, Chairman and CEO

Strategic Relationships Help Drive Success A successful supplier diversity program needs to have a solid commitment from leadership, a focused strategy, and the support of strong, strategic internal and external relationships. It’s what we have—and will continue to drive forward—at KPMG. Our program has provided qualified diverse businesses more than just the opportunity to compete for KPMG’s business.

For example, because KPMG is a founding partner of the U.S. Business Leadership Network’s (USBLN’s) Disability Supplier Diversity Program, our employees are able to volunteer to help the USBLN certify businesses as disabled-owned, which makes them eligible as potential diverse suppliers for KPMG and other companies. In fact, members of KPMG’s Abilities in Motion network were a driving force in developing and implementing this certification program, which closed a gap in supplier diversity for businesses owned by people with disabilities.

We are proud to support supplier diversity advocacy organizations like the USBLN, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, National Minority Supplier Development Council, and National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

As an active member of these organizations, KPMG makes financial contributions to support their respective missions and events, and provides volunteer support.

We’re proud of the success we are experiencing in this area, not only because it reaffirms our commitment to inclusion, but also because it provides KPMG employees an opportunity to get involved with our diversity efforts in a very tangible, meaningful way. PDJ

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THE HARTFORD

BUILDING Diverse

Partnerships

A

s a company that strives to be a place where people can succeed because of their differences, and one with sourcing needs on a wide range of goods and services, The Hartford’s Supplier Diversity program is focused on fostering an open and competitive sourcing environment for all suppliers, regardless of classification.

To further develop strategic and collaborative partnerships with diverse suppliers, The Hartford recently relaunched a portal—available on our website—that allows suppliers to register and certify themselves as diverse suppliers, and classify the types of services they provide. This allows The Hartford’s procurement team to easily identify diverse suppliers. The standard classification types used in most industries are the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

For several years, The Hartford has been an active advocate for minority business enterprises (MBEs) and a corporate sponsor of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council (GNEMSDC).

More recently, the company became a corporate partner with The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO). The Hartford’s goal is to be an active advocate within these associations and achieve the following: • Identification of potential diverse suppliers and partnerships • Better data to enrich reporting • Increased branding opportunities and exposure at minority council events • Broader sales opportunities for The Hartford’s insurance products

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While becoming a corporate sponsor is an important first step, to grow its Supplier Diversity program and enhance partnerships with diverse suppliers, the company has several initiatives underway, including these: • Partnering with the HR Diversity & Inclusion team to communicate to buyers in the company’s business units the benefits of partnering with diverse suppliers • Establishing Request For Proposal (RFP) protocols that require diverse supplier participation • Enhancing reporting on Tier II diverse spend Fostering these diverse supplier relationships reinforces The Hartford’s commitment to ethical business practices, and will ensure support longterm growth and add value to the company. Learn more about our supplier diversity initiative at www.TheHartford.com. PDJ

“The Hartford’s Supplier Diversity

program promotes collaboration, fosters strategic partnerships, and introduces competitive sourcing opportunities that will enhance our mutual growth.”

– Robert Pilney Director of Procurement

PILNEY

PRUDENTIAL

Engaging NONTRADITIONAL

Minority Suppliers

Prudential provides meaningful opportunities for diverse suppliers to compete for its business.

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rudential embraces diversity and inclusion, and sees it as inextricably linked to achieving our aspirations: To be a people leader, business leader, and most admired company. Vendor diversity is a key initiative for the company. The underlying principle is that tapping into vendors who reflect the demographics of our marketplace makes great business sense for everyone—our customers, our vendors, and Prudential.

Our objective is to leverage the unique perspectives and innovative thinking of a diverse group of vendor-partners in a way that enables us to provide increased value to our clients and shareholders.

Through this commitment, Prudential has successfully established many key relationships with diverse suppliers and made inroads into nontraditional suppliers, such as legal firms, where the company has led an initiative to engage certified minority- and women-owned law firms.

We award contracts for goods and services through a disciplined sourcing process that uses the expertise of skilled procurement and sourcing personnel, as well as cross-functional sourcing teams. We are currently rolling out a management structure based on categories of spend that will allow us to centralize procurement efforts and consistently employ the sourcing process in a responsible, ethical manner in line with Prudential’s values and code of conduct. We expect that this process will broaden opportunities for diverse suppliers and deepen the resulting vendor relationships. Our experience to date has shown an increase in the opportunities being extended to diverse-owned firms and the success of diverse firms in winning business.

“Prudential has made a lot of inroads in

nontraditional purchasing with law firms. In 2009, Prudential and DuPont approached the National Association of Minority- and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) to launch an Inclusion Initiative to increase the utilization of MWBE law firms by corporate legal departments.

And thanks to our law department, since 2006, our percentage of spend with MWBE firms has increased more than tenfold.”

– Beth Canning Supplier Diversity Manager CANNING

Prudential hosts an annual Diverse Supplier Summit, which brings our buyers and key diverse vendors together to focus on topics that deepen the vendors’ understanding of Prudential and enhance the value they provide. The Summit is an opportunity for Prudential to share subject matter expertise in areas that will strengthen each vendor’s ability to meet the requirements of firms like Prudential. PDJ Prudential requires certification for minority- and women-owned firms. More information on Prudential’s vendor diversity initiative is available at www.prudential.com/supplierdiversity. Information on how to do business with Prudential is available at www.prudential.com/procurement.

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| THOUGHT LEADERS

Companies Miss Out when Employees Feel MARGINALIZED

By Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon

The number one concern for most companies is finding, developing, and retaining top talent. Even in a recession, when there are more job seekers than there are open positions, the competition for the best and the brightest can remain fierce.

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any organizations lament the fact that, while there’s no shortage of applicants for open positions, there aren’t enough who possess the right set of skills.

But what if your company already has access to a pool of talented, motivated workers—workers who just aren’t being given a chance to prove themselves?

A new Catalyst study reveals that, compared to men and non-racially/ethnically different women, high-potential women who identify as racially or ethnically different from the majority of their coworkers: • Are less likely to advance to a

company’s C-suite or senior

executive levels; • Receive fewer promotions; • Are less likely to have high-level

mentors and may, therefore, be

recommended less often for

important opportunities; • Feel more limited than their peers

by a lack of access to high-visibility

assignments; and • Are more likely to downsize

their aspirations.

When people with identities that diverge from the identity of an organization’s dominant group are made to

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feel alienated rather than valued, their careers suffer. And the consequences may be equally dire for employers who risk missing out on workers with the right skills but few opportunities to apply them.

Employees who feel like “others” are at least as likely as their majority peers to seek out high-level mentors and sponsors. They are also as likely to attempt to increase their visibility and likelihood of being promoted by asking for crucial assignments. However, they are far less likely to receive access to either.

Why? Senior executives often feel more comfortable with employees who remind them of themselves and, as a result, are more likely to support those employees’ careers. This isn’t always evidence of conscious bias; most people unconsciously favor the familiar.

But intentional or not, it’s damaging to those who aren’t “like” the people in charge.

High-potential workers who are in some way different from most of their colleagues often find themselves stuck at their company’s lower levels, wondering if they’ll ever be able to rise. If they become convinced that no matter how hard they try they never will, they may stop trying at all—and start looking for another job.

Anyone can be made to feel like an “other.” Included in our research were white people who worked at organizations where the majority of their colleagues shared a different racial identity. An Asian woman might feel like an “other” if her workgroup consists primarily of Hispanics. One can also feel like an “other” based on nonvisible characteristics, such as sexual orientation.

In an increasingly global world, companies that wish to remain competitive must be responsive to the needs of people with diverse backgrounds and life continued on page 64

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit organization expanding opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, and Australia—and more than 700 members—Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women's advancement with the Catalyst Award.

Read the Catalyst study referred to in this article at http://pdjrnl.com/beingother.

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| THOUGHT LEADERS

The Illusion of Inclusion Part III: The AFFINITY BIAS Conundrum

By Helen Turnbull, PhD

Is it realistic to believe that we can keep it from happening or manage our way out of it? Or is affinity bias such an entrenched part of human behavior that we cannot hope to change it?

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f I were to make a hierarchical list of unconscious biases and their impact on retention and the talent pipeline, “Affinity Bias” would surely be a top contender. It is true that affinity bias is most often defined in the context of the hiring process—when interviewers show a preference for candidates who are similar to themselves—but I would argue that it has much more wide-ranging ramifications.

Understandably, corporate hiring practices are set up to find people who are a “good fit” for the organization, people who will bring value to the team. These requirements cause us to look for candidates who are not only professionally skilled, but are also people we can relate to. However, as corporations seek to recruit and retain diverse candidates, they are turning the spotlight more and more on our natural human tendency towards affinity bias—towards hiring (and promoting) in our own image. To mitigate affinity bias in the hiring process, many corporations have engaged diverse recruitment panels to add different perspectives to the hiring discussion. Some of my clients are removing names from resumes during the first round of the recruitment process to limit initial

bias. So why is it that, simultaneously, hallway discussions about reverse discrimination, political correctness, and whether or not we have gone too far with the D & I agenda, continue?

In truth, we all have a natural propensity to want to be around people we can relate to and, if we are honest, have a really hard time contemplating the contrary. If affinity bias means being biased towards “people who make me comfortable” or “people who are like me,” then, surely, somewhere tucked in the recesses of our minds are the shadows of these thoughts— “people who make me uncomfortable” and “people who are not like me.”

And, let’s be honest, who in their right mind wants to surround themselves with people who make them uncomfortable?

When we talk about affinity bias in the context of the workplace, the subtext of that conversation implies that we are asking the dominant culture— namely white men—to recognize that we need more diversity. That may be accurate, but it is only one piece of the story. We all have a predisposition towards affinity bias, regardless of our race, culture, gender, or other diversity group membership(s). Affinity May/June 2014

bias is not the exclusive right of the dominant culture, and yet there exists an interesting and paradoxical phenomenon in that it is still much more difficult for people from subcultures to hire or promote people in their own image (a subject we will return to in the next article).

Part of the human condition?

Affinity bias shows up in all kinds of subtle ways—often unnoticed—and can impact our choices of whom to trust. For example: A few weeks ago I had occasion to call a customer service number for assistance with one of my recent purchases. The young woman who answered the phone had a shrill, highpitched voice, and spoke quickly and incessantly in a monotonous tone, continued on page 64 WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

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| PROFILE

Relieve Some Pension A successful benefits lawyer talks about building a career at the intersection of tax and employment law

By Nikki Hunt

I

n 1974, a new federal law set minimum standards for private industry pension plans. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, puts pension plan accountability on employers and gives participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches in contract.

“In the US, a particularly efficient means of delivering both retirement income and health benefits is through the employment relationship,” says Duane Morris partner John Nixon.

“In order to induce employers to perform this function, there are significant federal tax benefits. However, there is a maze of rules under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code designed to insure that the benefits are delivered in an equitable and secure manner. As benefits lawyers, we guide employers and plan sponsors through that maze.”

Nixon has been working at what he calls “the intersection of tax and employment law” with Duane Morris since 2009, but was introduced to benefits law while attending the University of Michigan Law School.

“I took a pension class with Leon Irish, one of the early practitioners in this field. He told me that ERISA Law would be one of the real growth areas in the future as baby boomers got older.” At the time, ERISA had only been in effect for a little over ten years, and while most of its practitioners were recently converted tax or employment lawyers, Nixon’s younger age was his advantage. “I didn’t really have to ‘unlearn’ anything.”

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Nixon recently represented a Pensions and Investments 100 pension fund in an IRS audit—one that is, to his knowledge, the largest governmental fund ever audited by the IRS. “It was a ‘bet the farm’ matter for the client from both a political and economic standpoint. Had the IRS issued an adverse ruling on audit, the implication would have been far reaching, given that the Fund covered over 200,000 active and retired members, and assets in excess of $25 billion.”

After nearly two years, Nixon and his team secured a “no action required” finding. The audit was never made public, and the members were never given cause for concern. “My parents were public school teachers and I was supported through college in large part by a survivor annuity from the Louisiana Teachers Retirement System.

As such, I have a personal appreciation for the continued importance of public sector pension funds.”

Nixon is also a diversity committee member at Duane Morris—focusing on associate retention and office diversity through marketing initiatives, leadership training, and attorney development—under the leadership of fellow partner and chief diversity officer Nolan Atkinson. “Nolan has been a leading figure nationally in large law firm diversity,” says Nixon. “He’s done a tremendous job of educating the firm on the value of diversity, such that it’s now part of the firm’s DNA.” The firm’s annual diversity retreat brings together attorneys and chief administrative officers to assess their May/June 2014

John Nixon Partner Duane Morris LLP

accomplishments and deficiencies, but Nixon sees it serving another purpose as well. “For our younger attorneys, it is an incredible venue to network across practice groups and offices, and connect to the firm as a whole. That connectedness, in my view, is the key to success in a large law firm.”

As for those not so new to the industry, Nixon’s key to success is being adaptive to change. “In 25 plus years, my practice has changed to reflect the marketplace. The work I did through the early ’90s is now largely commoditized, with banks and financial institutions doing much of the document prep that was once done by law firms.”

Accordingly, Nixon has evolved and now spends half of his time in the area of executive compensation. “My fundamental skill set—the interpretation of the tax code and employment laws—hasn’t changed. But now, instead of negotiating the maze on behalf of a thousand employees, it’s ‘C-suite’ executives. While there are different objectives, it’s still challenging and rewarding work.” PDJ

At BAnk of the West, We vAlue the individuAl.

Different perspectives generate fresh ideas. That’s why at Bank of the West, we value diversity and equal opportunity for all our employees. We’ve grown stronger thanks to our unique blend of people. After all, in today’s competitive banking environment, it is our employees that keep us a step ahead of the rest. For career opportunities, visit us online at bankofthewest.com.

Bank of the West and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers.

Member FDIC. ©2012 Bank of the West.

| NONPROFIT

OPENING HEARTS AND MINDS How a New Jersey program spreads acceptance and hope to high schools across the state

Lead for Diversity 2013 Group

By Nikki Hunt

S

ixty years ago this May, a unanimous decision made by the US Supreme Court in the case of Brown versus Board of Education acknowledged the inequality of separate educational facilities for blacks and whites. Two years later, Los Angeles area teens attended the first Anytown USA—a diversity awareness and human rights camp created by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) and designed to help students address the desegregation of their school system. Replicated across the country, Anytown made its way to New Jersey in 1995, where the American Conference on Diversity partnered with the NCCJ to offer the camp to teens in that state.

In 2006, New Jersey’s Camp Anytown became Lead for Diversity. Modeled on Anytown, but led by the American Conference on Diversity, the original goal remains: To bring together students from diverse communities to spend a week living together and learning from one another. This

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past summer, the yearlong program opened with a “leadership week” summer retreat attended by students and advisors from 24 charter, public comprehensive, magnet, private, and vocational high schools from across the state to prove the value of diversity, educate and empower leaders, and promote inclusion and respect in schools and colleges.

President and CEO Elizabeth Williams-Riley has been with Lead for Diversity since 1995.

“Over the years, I’ve seen the program’s focus transition from harmony to social justice. It still generates the utopia it was originally Elizabeth meant to create, but now it’s done with hard skills in Williams-Riley, communication and leader- President and CEO, American Confership, supporting a greater ence on Diversity success and unity.”

N

Students during Lead for Diversity, Summer 2013

Students spend the week identifying opportunities to apply their awareness through preparing action plans to bring back to their school faculties and student body. These plans range from small campaigns to school-wide actions and reform.

“Every community has different issues. Their action plan is specific to their school. They discuss and workshop their separate stories,” says Gail Zoppo, media relations consultant for the organization. Students are advised to set realistic goals they are comfortable working through with their peers.

Williams-Riley says, “We tell them not to bite off more than they can chew, but to think about their role on campus, such as a sports team or club, and utilize their resources.”

“We value human capital in the process of building more inclusion,” Zoppo says. The camp focuses on more than race and gender, spanning even to socioeconomic issues. “There’s a point in time where adults become fearful of talking about these things, but kids haven’t reached that threshold yet. They talk about it unfiltered, and open up about themselves.”

Williams-Riley and Zoppo agree that the inclusive environment of the Poconos-based camp welcomes campers and takes them away from the pressures of high school and their regular surroundings.

“Discrimination is passed down like anything else.

When we disrupt these patterns, we create new ideas.”

Though camp only lasts seven days, the Lead for Diversity initiative is a yearlong process, which marked its halfway point in January, with a followup group meeting where students showcased their transitions from awareness to action and brainstormed new skills to apply.

Despite all the work the American Conference on Diversity has done, recent reports show that

J Natural Gas has been a corporate sponsor of the American Conference on Diversity for more than 25 years. Director of Customer and Community Relations Tom Hayes, explains why they choose to support Lead for Diversity: “I’ve gone myself and spent the day at camp to see it firsthand. One of the exercises I watched had the campers stand in line while the advisors would say things like ‘step back if you’ve ever been bullied,’ or ‘step back if you’ve felt alone.’

At the end, you had some students who didn’t move at all, some who were seven steps away. It brought participants to tears, seeing what others have gone through and realizing how lucky they, themselves, may have been. It was moving for those of us just watching, as well.”

NJ Natural Gas supports over 1,700 organizations in its community. “We engage in the community where we think we can help, and we choose to do our part with Lead for Diversity, because there are not many companies focused in this way. It’s not just about race; its religion, sexual orientation, income… Anything you can think of that makes us different is celebrated, not mocked or judged. We want to do our part to help them as partners and neighbors, not just sponsors. I believe this is truly the type of program that every school in the country should participate in. If people understood each other and appreciated their differences, we could make this a better place to live.”

New Jersey has some of the most segregated schools in the nation—something Williams-Riley says is more a reflection of the socioeconomic disparities of the various communities than of its schools. “As long as people live in homogenous neighborhoods, it’s going to lead to the same in the classroom.”

She goes on to explain that Lead for Diversity’s greatest challenge is not being able to provide for every school across the state. Although schools may continue to send students year after year, each student may only attend as a camper once. However, former campers can—and many do—return as counselors in order to continue to share in the Lead for Diversity experience.

“Our role is to provide the opportunity to break barriers and mix the communities. We come together to work on issues that matter to everyone.”

Williams-Riley believes the key to cultural growth is viewing our differences as assets, not liabilities, and advises us to, “Step out of your comfort zone and see the world through a difference lens. This could mean reading books, going to cultural events, or having difficult talks with individuals of different backgrounds. People want to feel safe, confident, valued, and appreciated. Encourage others.” PDJ

May/June 2014

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| HIGHER EDUCATION

SOCIAL WORK AT THE OFFICE? USC School of Social Work Offers a New Master’s Program with a Workplace Focus

By Alanna Klapp

T

he University of Southern California School of Social Work is offering master’s degree candidates a new area of concentration—Social Work and Business in a Global Society. Coursework can be completed online from anywhere in the country through the MSW@USC program, or in person if students reside in the Los Angeles area.

USC is able to offer high-quality online courses through its partnership with 2U, Inc., an online higher education company that provides technology, infrastructural support, and capital needed to turn on-campus classes into state-of-the-art online programs.

The Social Work and Business in a Global Society concentration prepares students to be social workers in corporate environments. Corporate social workers target areas such as cultural diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and work-life balance. Students who concentrate in this area are taught to think systemically, analyze issues on a global scale, and focus on how businesses impact employees, their families, and their communities.

Impact on corporate diversity and inclusion “Social workers practicing at the intersection of individuals, families, and work environments has been around a long time,” says USC Social Work

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Students take the Human Behavior and the Social Environment course online through school’s Virtual Academic Center. They can also use the Virtual Center to work one-on-one with professors.

Clinical Associate Professor Beverly Younger. Early social workers dealt with cultural diversity, because much of the workforce was made up of immigrants struggling to adapt to a new environment and being mistreated because they were seen as different by the mainstream population. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 forced employers to look at issues of inequity in the workplace, which over time resulted in a multitude of initiatives to help bring about diversity and inclusion.

“We have students who are highly interested in USC Social Work becoming cultural diversity Clinical Associate and inclusion experts,” Professor Beverly Younger says. The goal of Younger

T the concentration as a whole is to prepare students to serve as agents of change with regard to organizations and individuals. Innovative, interactive assignments include designing social work interventions to be applied at the group level, and the curriculum includes several relevant electives, such as Managing Diversity in a Global Society, taught by Professor Michalle Mor Barak, a thought leader in the field and the author of several highly respected books, including Social Services in the Workplace.

Whatever focus students choose, their coursework deals with diversity and cultural competence.

“They learn to design multilevel solutions for the workplace and address cultural needs, cultural diversity, cultural competence, and ethical concerns,” Younger says. “These considerations are tightly woven into the concentration.”

Supporting organizational change Students selecting the Social Work and Business in a Global Society concentration receive training in several key areas, including these: • Knowledge of human behavior and social identity formation at organizational and group levels • Resolving conflicts and bullying in work groups • National policies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Affordable Care Act • International labor policies Students are given the tools they need to become skilled in organizational assessment and program development. They work in teams to develop design, implementation, and budgets for initiatives.

They also learn to evaluate and demonstrate results, which could include a return-on-investment figure.

“They have to make a business case for creating these types of programs,” Younger explains.

Eager to encourage students interested in becoming diversity managers to gain specific expertise in a single aspect of cultural diversity, such as gender issues in the workplace, Younger is currently working on a project with some of her students and a consulting firm in Bangalore, India, to evaluate qualitative data of women’s career support

he Social Work and Business in a Global Society concentration provides a focus on diversity and cultural competencies that can lead to a variety of roles, including the following: ∫ Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager ∫ Assistant Director for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs ∫ International Diversity and Cross-Cultural Resource Manager ∫ Corporate Social Responsibility Manager ∫ Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Clinician ∫ Behavioral Health Care Manager ∫ Organizational Change Management Consultant ∫ Employee Wellness Specialist ∫ Director of Sustainability

services in Indian corporations. “Someone with a special understanding of the issues facing women in the workplace in India will be highly valuable,” Younger says.

In addition to encouraging students to acquire niche knowledge, Younger advises them to go global. She says that although it’s not an easy process, it’s important for students to understand the global realities that businesses face today. “Most of the businesses our students would be interested in joining are transnational in scope,” Younger says.

Gaining a good grasp of the global dimensions of doing business can send the graduates of the USC program straight to the top of job candidate lists, because they will be viewed as more valuable to corporations.

Younger and her colleagues want to see the concentration expand in the School of Social Work. The goal is to make social workers more visible within corporations. “When someone hears the term ‘corporate social worker’ or ‘organizational social worker,’ it will be a brand people recognize,” Younger says. She and her colleagues envision graduates of the program bringing human values and behavioral expertise into corporations, and helping create and sustain a diverse workplace that includes and engages all of its employees. The faculty seeks to mold change agents who can play a key role in creating and supporting well-being in the workplace, which, in turn, will have a positive impact on profits, employees, their families, and communities. PDJ To learn more about the program, please visit http://pdjrnl.com/2Usocial.

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| BULLETIN Douglas G. Giles joins First Nationwide Title Agency as Vice President First Nationwide Title Agency (FNTA), one of the nation’s leading full-service commercial real estate title insurance agencies, has announced that Douglas G. Giles has joined the firm as vice president.

GILES Giles comes to FNTA from First American Title Insurance Company, where he developed business relationships with underserved minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) within the commercial real estate community. Long an affordablehousing advocate, Giles has become involved in several developmental and refinancing transactions, ranging from multifamily dwellings to health care services facilities.

Giles also serves as a board member and executive vice president for African American Real Estate Professionals of New York; a board trustee for Northside Charter High School in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York; a board member of Brownsville Development Group; and a member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing.

Nielsen names Dr. D. Sangeeta Chief Diversity Officer

WHO ... WHAT ... WHERE ... WHEN

Spencer Stuart and WCD Form a New Alliance in North America Spencer Stuart and WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) have forged a new alliance for North America—to serve board members and advance best practices in corporate governance. Combining the strengths of WCD, the largest global organization of women board directors, and Spencer Stuart, one of the world’s leading executive search consulting firms, the partnership encompasses board research, director events, and other thought-leadership initiatives around building better boards.

WCD—a group of 2,500+ directors serving on more than 3,500 boards—is rapidly growing worldwide, with 60 chapters on six continents so far. As the group’s premier search partner, Spencer Stuart will work with WCD in North America to launch new chapters and share boardroom expertise at chapter events, and at WCD’s Global Institute.

“The power of this partnership is in working together to achieve a common objective: Helping to build the best boards possible,” said Julie Hembrock Daum, head of Spencer Stuart’s North American Board Practice and a member of the firm’s own board. “By connecting companies with the highestperforming directors, and ensuring that directors get the information and insights they need, Spencer Stuart and WCD are truly raising the game in corporate governance.”

“Spencer Stuart’s expertise and network will elevate what we can accomplish at WCD,” said Susan Stautberg, WCD’s CEO, co-founder and co-chair.

Spencer Stuart is coming on in the midst of exponential growth for WCD—the aggregate market capitalization of just the public companies on whose boards its members serve was recently calculated at close to $8 trillion. Chapters opened recently in Panama, Kansas City, Iceland, and Quebec, with chapters in Denver, Northern Florida/Southern Georgia, Hawaii, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Rio de Janeiro, and South Korea set to launch in the coming months.

“As WCD is growing so quickly, we sought a partner who could help us further expand our reach and influence, and drive home the importance of diversity of thought in the boardroom,” said Ms. Stautberg. “Spencer Stuart is a firm committed to creating boards that are multigender, multitalented, multiethnic, multigenerational, and multinational.”

Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, announced the promotion of Dr. D. Sangeeta to the role of chief diversity officer.

Sangeeta will conSANGEETA tinue to lead Nielsen’s Global Measurement Science organization, overseeing methodological innovation and preservation, and strengthening data integrity. It’s a post she has held

since 2012. Since joining Nielsen in 2008, Sangeeta has held a number of senior positions, including client service executive for Global Business Services, North America Buy and chief business process improvement officer.

“I am excited to take on a role that focuses on building diverse talent, reflective of the next-generation workforce at Nielsen,” said Sangeeta. “I am passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I believe they are the vehicle to help both our associates and clients realize their full potential as we continue to expand into new markets.”

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Prominent Obama Administration Official Danielle Gray Returns to O’Melveny O’Melveny & Myers LLP welcomes back Danielle Gray as a litigation partner.

She will divide her time between the firm’s New York and Washington, DC, offices beginning next month.

GRAY As a member of the Obama Administration, Gray held a continued on page 60

Welcoming passionate people who share a thirst for the rigor and challenge of a fast-moving business.

| BULLETIN continued from page 58 number of senior legal and policy roles— most recently, as President Obama’s chief liaison to his Cabinet. Praised by the President for her “brilliant legal mind, her mastery of complex policy, her sense of humor, [and] her fundamental decency,” Gray brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in a range of policy areas, including health care, consumer financial services, innovation and technology, and labor, to her new position.

Gray will be a member of O’Melveny’s Financial Services Practice Group and will provide counsel to financial institutions, health-care companies, and other consumer financial services companies on complex regulatory problems and litigation. Gray will also play an active role in the firm’s Appellate, and White Collar and Corporate Investigations Practices.

And building on her track record of service, Gray will join O’Melveny’s Community Legal Services Committee,

with the mission of developing additional high-impact pro bono legal service opportunities.

Kevin E Price Named Manager of Global Diversity & Inclusion Ingersoll Rand has named Kevin E. Price manager of global diversity and inclusion.

In this role, Price will oversee internal and external programs to strengthen the company’s progressive, diverse, and inclusive PRICE (PDI) culture, as well as the development of PDI policies, metrics, and analytics.

Price joins the PDI team from the Global Integrated Supply Chain organization, where he was an operational excellence project manager at Ingersoll Rand’s Davidson, North Carolina, campus, focusing on performance metrics

analysis and Lean KPI development. His career experience includes project/program management with Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, leading enterprise-wide initiatives, process improvement, and policy development. He also served in the US Air Force as a commissioned officer and rated aviator.

Kevin holds an MBA, as well as a master’s degree in HR management, from University of Maryland University College in College Park, Maryland.

AlliedBarton’s Carol Johnson named President and COO Carol Johnson, 2008 Women Worth Watching Award Winner, has been COMPANY AND EXECUTIVE named president and COO of AlliedBarton 2008 AWARD WINNER Security Services.

As president and chief operating officer, Johnson will oversee operations and

Make your energy a part of ours As one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector, PPL Corporation relies on a diverse, ambitious and well-qualified workforce. Your drive and knowledge can help us master the evolving challenges of our industry. PPL Corporation delivers electricity and natural gas to about 10 million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom.

PPL also owns more than 18,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and sells energy in key U.S. markets.

PPL ... Diverse people. Endless opportunity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

To learn more about joining our team, please visit pplweb.com/careers.

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WHO ... WHAT ... WHERE ... WHEN

business development, create and execute on strategies that deliver an exceptional client experience, and help guide the organization’s growth. In her new role, Johnson will continue to report to AlliedBarton JOHNSON Chairman and CEO Bill Whitmore.

“The ability to work alongside Bill in the further development of security solutions and our leadership culture is an incredible opportunity,” said Johnson.

“The leadership skills of security officers across the country are essential to creating and maintaining safe and secure environments.”

Johnson joined AlliedBarton in 2010 as the firm’s senior vice president of client experience, following a successful career in the staffing industry.

“Carol’s immersion in the security

services industry has been instrumental in moving our organization forward,” Whitmore said. “Her acute understanding of our clients’ needs for contracted personnel, and the impact we can make on their operations, well positions her to help lead our teams to deliver the highest quality service every day, at every location.”

Aperian Global COO awarded Meritorious Service Award Aperian Global Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director for Global Mobility Laurette Bennhold-Samaan has been awarded the Meritorious Service Award by Worldwide ERC®, the workforce SAMAAN mobility associaB:8.75 in tion. Presented at the Global Workforce T:8.5 in Summit in London in February, the S:7.75 in

award recognizes a member’s dedication and devotion of time and expertise for the betterment of the global mobility industry.

Of her award, Bennhold-Samaan said, “I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the world’s foremost authority on workforce mobility. I’ve been involved with Worldwide ERC® for decades…they have been the core professional association, and instrumental in connecting and educating the global mobility community. I look forward to continuing to work together in the years to come.”

Bennhold-Samaan has more than 25 years of experience managing international mobility for world-class organizations, including Accenture, the World Bank, Honda of America, and the Peace Corps. Her expertise includes business alignment, strategic planning, training management, and partnering with corporate, government, educational, and international organizations. PDJ

TalenT has no gender. curiosiTy has no age. experTise has no eThniciTy. if you’ve goT whaT iT Takes, leT’s Talk.

At Prudential, we don’t attach labels to the qualities that make us a more dynamic organization. We create an environment where the people we hire can contribute, grow and seize opportunity. We believe a diverse workforce is a strong one. If you’re up for the challenge of a company that’s committed to hiring the best and brightest from every walk of life, let’s talk.

Find out how you fit in: search jobs.prudential.com

© 2014. Prudential is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Prudential Financial, Inc., Newark, NJ. Prudential is an Employer that participates in E-Verify.

0199711-00002-01 A4100

| CORPORATE INDEX 3M.................................................www.3M.com.......................................11

Charles Schwab..................... www.schwab.com.................Inside Cover

Accenture................................www.accenture.com................................. 16

City University of Seattle............. www.cityu.edu...................................... 21

AlliedBarton........................... www.alliedbarton.com................................ 60

Coca Cola Company............www.coca-cola.com................................ 59

American Conference on Diversity..............www.americanconferenceondiversity.org................. 54

Comcast Corporation...............www.comcast.com.................................... 9

Aperian Global ....................www.asperianglobal.com............................. 61

Dechert LLP..............................www.dechert.com................................... 45

Atmos Energy....................... www.atmosenergy.com............................... 10

DHR International............... www.dhrinternational.com............................. 20

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC......................www.bakerdonelson.com............................. 38

Duane Morris LLP.................www.duanemorris.com............................... 52

Bank of the West............. www.bankofthewest.com............................ 53

CVS Caremark........................ www.caremark.com................................. 22

Ernst & Young LLP........................www.ey.com....................................... 38

BASF Corporation....................... www.basf.com...................................... 30

First Nationwide Title Agency...................... www.firstnationwidetitle.com........................... 58

Booz Allen Hamilton............www.boozallen.com.......................... 42, 63

FordHarrison.......................... www.fordharrison.com......................... 17, 43

Bridge Partners LLC.......... www.bridgepartnersllc.com............................ 23

Franklin Templeton Investments.......................www.franklintempleton.com........................... 41

Campbell Soup Company..............................www.campbellsoup.com................................ 8 Catalyst...................................... www.catalyst.org.................................... 50 CenturyLink......................... www.centurylink.com............................... 31

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#

Georgia Institute of Technology.................................www.gatech.edu.................................... 18 Government of Manitoba..................................... www.gov.mb.ca..................................... 19

Take time to recognize the good around you.

At New York Life, we recognize that employees’ unique qualities often lead to innovation, positive change, and a more productive and dynamic workplace.

For more information about New York Life visit us at www.newyorklife.com/diversity © 2014 New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 Keep Good Going® is a registered trademark of New York Life Insurance Company, all rights reserved.

Life Insurance. Retirement. Investments.

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KEEP

BOLD denotes Advertiser

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P..................................www.rkmc.com..................................... 41

Greenberg Traurig, LLP...............www.gtlaw.com..................................... 42 Ingersoll Rand...................... www.ingersollrand.com......................... 45, 60

Rochester Institute of Technology.................................www.rit.edu........................................ 25

JBK Associates International..........................www.JBKAssociates.net.............................. 15

Ryan Search & Consulting................................www.ryansearch.net................................. 24

Kaiser Permanente............ www.kaiserpermanente.org........................... 42

Ryder...........................................www.ryder.com..................................... 29

KPMG........................................ www.kpmg.com........ 44, 46, Back Cover

Spencer Stuart ....................www.spencerstuart.com.............................. 58

Legg Mason............................www.leggmason.com................................ 38

Teach For America............. www.teachforamerica.org/............................ 34

Linkage................................. www.linkageinc.com.................................... ...................................................................................... Inside Back Cover

Texas Instruments..........................www.ti.com........................................ 39 The Hartford...........................www.thehartford.com................................ 48

Lincoln Financial Group .....www.lincolnfinancial.com............................... 6

United States Postal Service.......www.usps.com..................................... 36

New York Life...................... www.newyorklife.com.............................. 62

UnitedHealthcare®........................www.uhc.com...................................... 40

Newell Rubbermaid......... www.newwellrubbermaid.com.......................... 27

UnitedHealth Group.......... www.unitedhealthgroup.com........................... 26

Nielsen.......................................www.nielsen.com................................... 58

WellPoint............................... www.wellpoint.com................................... 5 WilmerHale............................. www.wilmerhale.com................................ 41

O’Melveny & Myers.....................www.omm.com..................................... 58

WilsonHCG..............................www.wilsonhcg.com................................. 28

PPL Corporation.....................www.pplweb.com.................................. 60

WomenCorporateDirectors ................................... www.womencorporatedirectors.com..................... 58

Prudential............................. www.prudential.com.......................... 49, 61

Empowering

individuals.

Enhancing professional development.

Preparing

leaders.

The desire to excel—combined with the right support network—leads to success.

At Booz Allen Hamilton, we believe unique perspectives contribute to brilliant ideas and inspired thinking—which drive better results not only for our clients, but for the world around us. And, diversity is central to who we are and what we do. Our commitment to an inclusive environment means facilitating understanding and awareness, and creating initiatives to improve the quality of work life for staff.

If you’re looking to do work that makes a difference at a firm that’s committed to helping you achieve your professional and personal goals, we’re hiring Computer and Systems Engineers, General Management Consultants, and others in locations nationwide. To find out more, visit boozallen.com/careers to create and submit a profile.

www.boozallen.com/careers We are proud of our diverse environment, EOE/M/F/D/V. Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

| THOUGHT LEADERS Marginalized continued from page 50 situations. Organizations in which all employees feel comfortable, respected, and valued foster dedication, diligence, and an eagerness to contribute.

What are some concrete steps you can take to ensure that all of your organization’s employees are given the same opportunities to succeed?

• Establish mechanisms, such as

diverse selection and promotion

committees, to ensure that those

with backgrounds different from

a workgroup’s majority are

evaluated fairly, based on their

performance and potential.

• Encourage senior executives to Affinity Bias continued from page 51 suggesting to me that she was reading from a script. No matter what question I asked her, she repeated the same scripted response. My blood pressure was rising and my patience was wearing thin. No matter what I said, I could not get her to understand what I needed. I finally asked her where she was located, and she said, “The Philippines, but I am very well trained.” I detected some, perhaps understandable, defensiveness in that answer; however, I hesitated to tell her my inner thoughts at that time (being that she was indeed very well trained to read the script, but only the script). Instead I asked to be put through to a supervisor. A few minutes later I heard an American voice: “Hello, this is Mary. How can I help you?” I asked her where she was located, and she said she was in Indiana. My breathing began to normalize, I started to feel more relaxed, and I began my story again—feeling more confident that I was “in good hands” and, this time, would reach a satisfactory resolution.

There are many ways we could unpack this story. We could focus

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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

sponsor colleagues whose identities differ from their own.

• Hold managers accountable for

ensuring that all promising

employees have equal access to

career-accelerating jobs.

• Equip managers to become

inclusive leaders by helping them

develop a set of behaviors that

will elicit the best possible

performance from each employee,

regardless of his or her background.

Companies should see true inclusion as an exciting opportunity, rather than a difficult challenge. The best way to maximize an organization’s effectiveness, and harness the power of each employee’s unique skills and talents, is to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and included at work.

Talented people with “different” perspectives should be valued rather than marginalized for what they bring to the table. PDJ

Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, PhD, serves as research director of panel management for Catalyst.

Her primary focus is on developing and expanding Catalyst’s research panels globally, as a part of an effort to extend progress for women and business around the world. She also serves as a resource for participant outreach and analytics.

on customer service and discuss the vagaries, and rights and wrongs, of off-shoring; or whether the customer feels heard and the impact of language, accent, tone of voice, and pace of speech on our ability to listen.

However, as my main point of focus is on affinity bias, I found myself wondering how often I notice that I am breathing easier around people who are like me. Conversely, I wondered how aware I am of the physiological changes that occur inside me, when I am around people who are different from me, without even realizing they are happening. I venture to suggest that this almost unconscious physiological reaction is impacting trust, inevitably affecting the quality of my relationships, and, perhaps, even having a detrimental effect on the decisions I might make about projects and assignments.

If you accept my premise that affinity bias is part of the human condition and is not going to go away, then the

question becomes, “What can be done to ensure that we all behave in an inclusive manner and value diversity?”

Results from one of my assessment tools, the Inclusion Skills Measurement (ISM) Profile, suggest that managing conflict across differences and having integrity with our own difference are two areas where we often find the largest skill gap. We are not as comfortable in managing the boundaries across differences as we tell ourselves we are.

Managing affinity bias seems to hold the same challenges as being an inclusive leader in that, in order to breathe more easily with people of difference, we need to get to know them and become comfortable with them. We will never totally rid ourselves of affinity bias, so what we need to do is feel affinity for more people of difference. Perhaps a good way to start would be to pay attention to our reactions and learn to breathe more easily when we are interacting across differences. PDJ

Dr. Helen Turnbull is the CEO of Human Facets, LLC, and a world-recognized thought leader in global inclusion and diversity. Her latest book is Blind Spots: A conversation with Dr. Turnbull about Unconscious Bias. See her TEDx presentation on “The Illusion of Inclusion” at http://pdjrnl.com/tedxhelen.

May/June 2014

November 3-6, 2014 Anaheim, CA

In the future there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders. —Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In

Equip the women in your organization to excel in leadership roles. www.linkageinc.com/wil2

Recognizing the value of supplier diversity.

At KPMG LLP, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our strategy, structure, and governance. And they’re woven into everything we do—including the way we approach our supplier relationships.

Because in today’s competitive market, a diverse supply chain is essential to success.

KPMG is proud to support diverse-owned businesses, and we recognize the value they bring to our firm, our clients, and our communities.

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