How does your organization define diversity?

• Personality and work style

• Race, ethnicity, age and gender

• Religion, socio-economics and education

• Work diversities such as management and union, functional level and classification

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How does an employer practice diversity?

Policies & BenefitsWork/life balance issues (flexible scheduling, daycare options, concierge services)

ManagementActive participation from senior managementDiversity taskforce assigned to lead diversity initiatives

2

How does an employer practice diversity?

Training & SupportDiversity education

Communication skills trainingMentoring programsAffinity networks

MeasurementDiversity metrics Satisfaction surveysSetting measurable goalsPerformance evaluations that include commitment to diversity

2

How does an employer practice diversity?

Recruitment & RetentionCreating a pool of current and future diverse candidatesDiversity-friendly job requirementsRecognition programs

AdvertisingSpeaking uniquely to diverse audiences through communications Diversity section on your careers web siteDiversity branding

2

How does an employer practice diversity?

Public/Community RelationsBuilding relationships with diverse groups and key influencersScholarship programs

Public recognition

2

What are the benefits of practicing diversity?

• Attracts the best and the brightest employees• Increases employee motivation and productivity• Reduces resources spent on training, turnover and grievances• Capitalizes on growing and emerging markets• Open up new relationships with community groups and suppliers• Increases creativity from unique opinions and perspectives

• Increases success and viability through flexibility and the ability to adapt to change

3

What are the disadvantages of not practicing diversity?

• Difficulty in attracting high quality candidates• Problems with retention and turnover• Loss of revenue on training, grievances and recruitment• Loss of customer base due to a non-representative workforce• Limited or decreased access to new markets• Inability to adapt to market changes

3

Examples of how some employers addressed diversity

• Heineken• Dominion• South Florida Avenue Coalition

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Heineken

Assessment: position as a corporation committed to diversity, ethnic marketing and suppliers, conduct online research

Strategy: use communications to reinforce commitment to diversity, establish diversity council

Results: significantly increased diversity of application pool, established a new Director of Diversity position, initiated diversity training program

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Dominion

Assessment: position as an employer of choice with a commitment to diversity in employment, marketing and vendor/community relations

Strategy: implement research projects with employees, community organizations, philanthropy program recipients and diverse suppliers

Results: action plan was developed, research identified benchmarks, developed “best in class” guidelines to strengthen diversity programs

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South Florida Avenue Coalition

Assessment: position Ryder, Royal Caribbean, Office Depot, NCCI, and Florida Power & Light as diversity employers to attract/retain diverse staff in a cost-effective manner

Strategy: form alliance between all companies, maximize exposure

Results: established strong candidate relationship, lowered CPH, expanded reach, improved overall image of member companies

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Bernard Hodes Group Diversity Services8

To learn more about diversity and how it can be applied in your organization, contact Bernard Hodes Group at 888.438.9911 or visit: hodes.com/diversitymatters