Evaluate Potential Employers on Diversity Training

When an eager graduate of Morehouse College began working for a prestigious Wall Street firm a little over a year ago, workplace diversity training was not one of his priorities.

Photo credit: National Urban League Urban League President Marc Morial links effective diversity practices and productivity.

“I was primarily concerned with job retention and on-the-job training,” this Morehouse man said. “I gave very little thought to pay or other amenities because I was more concerned about how valuable the work experience would be. And, having grown up in a rather diverse setting, I didn’t figure workplace diversity would be that important.”

His attitude changed abruptly when a member of management mistook him for a printer repairman, even though he was wearing a suit. He was uncertain enough about his standing that he did not want his name used or his firm identified in this account of the incident and its aftermath.

Although the episode left an unforgettable stain, his overall rating of his experiences at the firm is positive. Yet it reinforces the need for students entering the workforce and other employees to include diversity training and related issues on the list of criteria they use to evaluate potential employers.

“Many people are unaware of the effect that their comments or actions may have on others," he said.

As increasing numbers of African Americans and members of other ethnic groups move up in the workforce, many of them will face situations just like this man’s.

“Recent graduates just entering corporate America need to make workplace diversity an issue when interviewing,” said John Peoples, a managing partner of Global Lead Management Consulting and author of a study called “Diversity Practices that Work: The American Worker Speaks.” “Ask about diversity initiatives, how the company assesses diversity, and do they use the assessments to build successful diversity policy.”

Peoples’ study, released this summer by the National Urban League, which commissioned it, found that 65 percent of the more than 5,500 American workers surveyed said that diversity in the workplace improved creativity and innovation. However, only a third reported that their companies had effective diversity initiatives.

Officials at the Urban League said the study was intended to guide employers who want to attract and retain a diverse mix of employees, partly by outlining some practices that have proved effective.

"After decades of well-intentioned investment by businesses, it's clear we still have a long way to go," said Urban League President Marc Morial in a statement. "This study will help the National Urban League offer effective guidance to business[es] developing diversity practices because we've gone right to the source -- the employees for whom companies design such initiatives."

The study, underwritten by Enterprise Rent-a-Car, took two years to complete and involved employees at eight major companies. It was unique in that it was done from the perspective of employees rather than management.

Some findings were positive: an overwhelming majority of those surveyed (80 percent) were comfortable working in diverse teams. Others were less hopeful: only 45 percent believed that diversity was part of the corporate culture of their employers, and only 49 percent believed that they will benefit personally from their company’s effort to improve diversity.

“When you have homogeny, a problem or situation may only be handled one way,” said Francisco Jiménez, a professor of ethnic studies/modern languages and literatures at Santa Clara University. “If everyone is looking at the problem from the same angle, I think that’s a big, big loss in terms of creativity.”

“I also think that for the individuals in that setting they might be comfortable, but the downside is that they don’t help each other grow and they don’t learn from each other. . .”

Morial says that fostering diversity translates into dollars.

“It’s important to note that companies participating in this study who had diversity practices that employees deemed more effective also boasted a productivity rate that exceeds that of the overall American economy by 18 percent,” Morial said.

Jiménez said that while diversity among employees is a key issue, diversity in management is just as important. “I think limiting diversity to the lower rungs is a weakness that top leaders have and are blind to.”

Alonzo Byrd, director of corporate relations for Enterprise. Rent-a-Car, agreed.

“CEOs and members of management have to set the example because if employees feel diversity is important to [higher-ups], it will be important to them. However, the leadership commitment must be outside of the ceremonial,” Byrd said.

“Diversity may lead to a certain amount of tension if parties are not sensitive to one another’s cultural differences,” Jimenez said. “I think overcoming that tension is going to be the next major challenge for American businesses. Sure there will be some initial friction and discomfort, but the challenge is well worth the benefits.”

Shawn Chollette is a student at Louisiana Tech University.

Posted July 28, 2004